Red Wedge (1986)

In a desperate attempt to prevent a third consecutive Tory victory at the looming General Election, Red Wedge – a coalition of Socialist-minded pop stars and musicians including Billy Bragg, Paul Weller and Mick Talbot from The Style Council, Junior Giscombe and The Communards – was launched with a £6,000 loan from the Labour Party and the National Union of Public Employees and embarked on a tour of Britain in 1986 to capture the Youth Vote for the Labour Party.

Along the way, they were joined by artists including Tom Robinson, Elvis Costello, The Blow Monkeys, Stephen “Tin-Tin” Duffy, Lloyd Cole, Sade, Jerry Dammers of The Specials, The The, Spandau Ballet, Johnny Marr from The Smiths, Madness, The Frank Chickens, Strawberry Switchblade, reggae singer Lorna Gee, Prefab Sprout, Pauline Black from Selecter, and Heaven 17.

Bananarama were keen to be involved but decided not to play because they didn’t think they would go down very well with the audience the tour would attract.

The title ‘Red Wedge’ was taken from a Bolshevik propaganda poster designed by Constructivist artist El Lissitzky in 1919.

Dismissed in some quarters as a “Live Aid for Lefties”, their cunning plan to unseat Margaret Thatcher and persuade young people to vote Labour at the next General Election involved having their photo taken with Neil Kinnock at every opportunity.

Gigs were also accompanied by afternoon workshops and meetings, connecting with whatever local issues were affecting young people, often held in further education colleges.

The music tour was followed by a Red Wedge comedy tour in 1987.

Sadly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, it failed, and Thatcher was re-elected a few months later and became the first British Prime Minister since 1826 to win three successive terms.

Labour did succeed in increasing its popularity with young voters, but they were the smallest section of the voting population.