Foreword -- Introduction -- Early life -- Wilson's lapdog? -- The charge into Europe and the 1975 referendum -- The terms of trade 1974-76 -- The death of democratic socialism? 1976-79 -- The Shadow Cabinet and the 1980 Labour leadership contest -- The 1983 Labour leadership contest -- The militant tendency and the battle for Stepney -- The back benches, Europe and the Lords -- Conclusion.

"The man behind three Labour Party general election manifestos, and one of the party's most important and original thinkers, Peter Shore worked under Hugh Gaitskell and served in successive Cabinets for Harold Wilson and James Callaghan, rising to become shadow Chancellor in a tumultuous period of Labour's history. During his long career in the upper echelons of the party, he stood twice for the leadership, becoming well known for his strong opposition for what is now the EU. This remarkable new biography offers a comprehensive and timely appraisal of the man and his record. Shore's time in government offers a unique lens through which crucial issues within the Labour movement can be addressed, and his views are still pertinent today, almost two decades after his death. With a foreword by Bryan Gould and original research from archival sources, as well as interviews with Shore's contemporaries, this is an important new assessment of one of the most interesting political minds since the Second World War."-- Taken from inside book cover.