The Fourth Reform Act (1918) supposedly brought an age of mass democratic politics to Britain. With the widening of the franchise to include all men over the age of 21 and most women over 30 years, political parties sought to open their doors to the new electorate. Despite this, historians have continued to focus mainly on the leaders and thinkers who shaped the political hierarchy, delineating the organisational histories of a particular party in its competition for power. Left out, ore often than not, are those who dedicated their lives (or significant parts of their lives) to creating, projecting and sustaining a variety of political ideals. This edition of Socialist History therefore seeks to lift the lid on four different political organisations - the Communist Party, the Labour Party, the Co-operative movement and the British Union of Fascists - in order to celebrate, analyse and assess the experiences of the 'rank-and file'.