Ellen Wilkinson was a key radical figure in the 20th century British socialist and feminist movement, a woman of passionate energy who was involved in most of the major struggles of her time. Born in October 1891 into a working-class textile family, Wilkinson was involved in women's suffrage, helped found the British Communist Party, led the Labour Party's anti-fascist campaign, headed the iconic Jarrow Crusade and was the first female Minister of Education. In this lively and engaging biography, Paula Bartley charts the political life of this extraordinary campaigner who went from street agitator to government minister whilst keeping her principles intact.

Paula Bartley is an independent scholar and former Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Wolverhampton. She is the author of Ellen Wilkinson (Pluto, 2014) Votes for Women (2007), Emmeline Pankhurst (2002) and The Changing Role of Women (1996). Her work has appeared in the American Historical Review, Social History, Midland History and Women's History Review.