The New Labour

658 Words2 Pages

The New Labour 1. Introduction 1.1 Content: The essay question asks about whether the reforms implemented in the 1990's by Labour are a new phenomenon or a revamp of past policies implemented by other governments in their time. 1.2 Key terms: The idea of New Labour is described by Philip Norton as "A summary label to describe the economic polices devised by the Labour Party in the 1990's to ensure a departure from 'old Labour' economic policy" (Jones 2001, 697). 1.3 Hypothesis/Argument: I will compare and contrast different government policies from various governments at home and abroad. To establish whether New labour is actually novel in its initiatives and policies, or whether its various recent policies are simply stiched together old concepts to make Labour electable. 1.4 Plan: First, I will give a small amount of background information on why Labour needed to change. Then contrast Old and New Labour. Second I will cover the policies that Blair and New Labour have introduced.Third, whether these changes were radical ideas by the government or just reworked past polices with a different spin on them. 2. Central Arguments 2.1 Background of Labours need to Reform: · Damage of the left wing Activists. · Spending and taxation proposals were out of touch · Kinnock's Leadership. · The general consensus of the public that Labour could not be trusted with the economy. · Successive defeats in 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992. 2.2 New Labours Policy Shift: · Removal of 'Clause IV' and embracing of the private sector. · Moving away from the idea of low unemployment as an essential aspect of a successful economy, to key concentration on inflation. · Smaller amounts of interference in the economy. · Less emphasis on redistribution via taxation on the rich, and more by the 'invisible hand' of capitalism. · Stronger commitment to constitutional reform e.g. Devolution to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, signing up to the European Convention of Human Rights and lastly partial reform of the House of

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