Stephen Brooke, History, York University , U of T. Wednesday, Talk: March 4, 2026, 2pm-4pm, Faculty Club and Zoom – hybrid
March 4 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Speaker: Stephen Brooke, History, York University
Title: “‘Gleaming Obelisks’ and ‘Dilapidated Streets’: London in the 1980s:
Abstract: This talk will explore the history of London in the 1980s, examining how the city was a political battleground between the rise of right-wing neoliberalism in the form of Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative Party and the appearance of a leftwing social democratic local government in the shape of the Labour Greater London Council. Many of the fiercest political and social battles of the 1980s were fought in London – over the rights of racial and sexual minorities, the gentrification and development of working-class areas, and over global issues such as apartheid and nuclear weapons. The complex identity of contemporary London emerged from these battles.
Bio: Stephen Brooke is Professor and Chair of the Department of History, York University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the author of books and articles dealing with the history of twentieth-century Britain.
The link to register is https://forms.office.com/r/QPRuprmbzd
The deadline to register is the Monday before the event at noon. The Zoom link will be sent to registrants only.
If you have any questions, please contact the organizer, Linda Hutcheon at l.hutcheon@utoronto.ca.
