According to Richards, Blue Labour is the most important source of fresh ideas to fill the resulting void, and that Glasman has the potential to be just the sort of compelling advocate needed to present new thinking if it is to gain acceptance by the political mainstream.

She quotes Ed Miliband talking about how one of the strengths of Blue Labour is its recognition of the importance of personal relationships both for a healthy society and even for a good economy.

The success of Obama's 2008 election campaign had also helped to inspire Glasman, as it involved the sort of relationship-orientated, decentralised community mobilisation that he wished to promote.

Ed Miliband had found out about Glasman during his investigation of Citizens UK, which he had become interested in due to the group's efforts to address poverty with its living wage campaign and other initiatives, they met in the autumn of 2009 and quickly became friends.

Shortly after, Glasman also formed strong relationships with senior figures in David Miliband's camp, thanks to introductions by his friend, the journalist Allegra Stratton.

The fourth chapter focuses on an important stage of Blue Labour's intellectual development which took place at seminars held at Oxford University between October 2010 and April 2011.

After the movement was pronounced dead by various journalists in summer 2011, Glasman withdrew from the public eye, but remained committed to promoting Blue Labour, and continued to expand his network of interested contacts.

The author also stated that despite its aim to champion working class traditional values, Blue Labour has next to no grassroots support from regular people outside of Citizens UK.

However, both Miliband brothers remain interested in Blue Labour and there are signs that the party leader is increasingly accepting and implementing its ideas.

The book attracted a positive reception, with recommendations from journalists such as Kevin Maguire from The Mirror, The Observer's Andrew Rawnsley, The Sunday Telegraph's Matthew d'Ancona, and Patrick Wintour, the political editor of The Guardian.

[2] A review by Tom Cutterham of The Oxonian, focused on how in his opinion the book informed the reader about Ed Miliband's retreat from the more radically socialist outlook he had before winning the leadership contest.

[3] Carl Packman of Left Foot Forward called the book "fantastic", saying it's an introduction to Glasman's efforts to rejuvenate a "party with a great, Blair-shaped hole in its body.