1997-2007 Flashcards
name 3 facts about blair
-private school/oxford
-only been in parliament since 1983-shadow front bench 1984-shadow home sec 1992, leader of op 1994
-southern englishmen-appealed to middle england , portrayed himself as an ordinary person
-high popularity with his tough stance on crime/charasmatic leadership/moderniser/move labour away from traditional policies
-youngest leader in party history age 41, pledged to reinvent Britain as a ‘young country’
what was new labours programme
-nationalisation abandoned
-capitalism and businesses would be safe under labour
-legal restrictions on unions maintained
-accepted class based politics no longer relevant
what were blairs 3 core values
-commitment to community (belief that individuals are defined by their relationship to the community not isolation from it)
-demand for renewal (to make britain a renewed and modern country)
-patriotism
what were new labours 5 pledges(appeal to middle class)
-smaller class sizes in schools
-jobs for the young
-fast track punishment (tough on crime)
-cutting waiting times in nhs
-strengthen the economy, maintain low interest rates and income tax (state playing bigger role in economy)
what did the concept of cool britannia mean
part of new labours modern, youthful and progressive image, downing street receptions likely to be populated by pop stars and sports personalities than by ambassadors and captains of industry
what was the third way
The Third Way is a centrist political position that attempts to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of centre-right economic policies with centre-left social policies.-didnt want to reverse major/thatcher policies
who was balers c of e
gordon brown
how did blair reshape britains constitution
substantial and ambitious reform programme, needed thorough cleansing
-devolution
-parliament reforms
-citezens rights
what did gov do to progress devolution
-devolution referendums held 1997 led to 1998 narrow maj enabling a welsh assembly in cardiff without tax raising powers and 3/4 voting yes to a scottish parliament in edinburgh with tax raising powers
-both fixed term of 4 years/ elected on proportional voting system (avoid snp declaring mandate for independance)
-attempted to establish elected regional assemblies, deputy pm john prescott published white paper 2002 proposing series of local referendums where demand for devolution (local autonomy) in england was greatest
what were reasons and consequences for devolution
SCOTLAND-growing resentment scotland was ruled by a party in westminster that it had not voted for, devolution aimed at killing off growing scottish desire for independance (failed)-eventually SNP became more popular than SLP
WALES-independance for wales was a minority (blair still used his influence to impose his chosen individual as its first minister-unpopular)- MPs lost power to decide upon devolved issues was it acceptable scottish/welsh should still vote on english issues?
ENGLAND-only 1 referendum held 2004 in northeast, 78% voted against regional assembly, plans for further referendums abandoned (slow progress), but under a positive referendum greater london authority act 1999 created the mayor of london and a 25 member assembly to govern london but ken livingstone (an independent old labour individual) won over the official labour candidate and baler forced to accept him back into party (part of looney left)
what reforms to parliament did blair introduce (electoral reform)
-pre election discussions held with lib dem leader paddy ash down of political realignment and forming electoral cooperation to defeat cons (after 1997 election maj labour didnt need this anymore, just needed to keep on side )/ set up commission by roy jenkins to examine alternative voting systems, 1998 suggested first past post be replaced with the alternative vote(maj MPs would be elected by single member constituencies and the rest elected by list system in geographical areas-lib dems support) but no changes were made (irritated lib dems)
-lords = medieval anachronism=agreement between lord chancellor, lord irvine and leader of cons peers, viscount cranborne allowed for the retention of 92 hereditary peers =house of lords act 1999, royal commission put forward option for partially elected chamber but votes in both houses 2003 failed to produce a maj so no further progress made, blair made more life peers than all of cons?
how did citizens rights change under blair
-freedom of information act 2000-request info by public bodies, by 2006 100,000 requests made each year (C-data protection act 1998 allowed denying access-undermined-avoid full disclosure)
-reforms to political party funding 2000 (eg required parties to submit their accounts/restrictions on campaign expenditures)
-human rights act 1998 (C-ECHR incorporated into british law, P-olbige authorities to attend to rights or ordinary people)
-winter fuel allowance 1997-£100 pp, elderly-lump sum each winter (C-waste public money?)
-working families tax credit/child tax credit 1998-raised wages for families with dependant children
-civil partnership act 2004-enables same sex couples to obtain legal rec of their relationship
what was ‘sofa government’
-modifications to day to day style of gov, increase in size/influence of pms offices
-created a ‘prime ministers department’ staffed with unelected individuals answerable to blair alone (small group of like minded friends to make decisions, informal meetings/minimal paperwork), no intention of using his cabinet for decisions (no written constitution for gov) - irrupted civil servants/cabinet ministers
-balir administration describes as least experienced labour gov
who were examples of important individuals in blairs gov
-alastair campbell-press spokesman
-jonathon powell-chief of staff
-philip gould-no formal office, important intellectual influence and election strategist
-sally morgan-director of political and government relations
-andrew adonis-senior adviser on education and public services
what are positives on blairs education reforms
-expenditure on schools increased from £21bil to £34bil
-improved examination results, league tables introduced to unis to determine funding
-reduction in class sizes
-under an ‘excellence in cities plan’ funding provided to deprived areas to raise standards
-1000 new schools opened and 35,000 more qualified teachers and ancillary teachers
-women in higher education was double 1995 and 7x 1970 (2.4mil)
what are negatives on blairs education reforms
-successful schools=affluent areas/mps moved house to allow children to attend better schools, although money went to deprived areas eg inner london=less successful
-the introduction of ‘city academies’ under the 2000 learning and skills act were considered admission comprehensives failing
-only 3% uni places filled by disadvantaged people
-tuition fees introduced 1998, averaged £3000=controversy
-assisted places scheme withdrawn (eg kids not given free places anymore)
what are city academies
state secondary schools-academies
-a new form of updated comprehensive to break social cohesion funded through local authority grants and private/commercial sponsorship
how were workers life reformed under blair
-privatisation continued eg london underground, emphasised pro business attitudes > union reform, wanted to be more globally competitive , PFI continued private-public movement
-introduction of minimum wage 1999 £3.60 for 22+ and european working time directive fixed maximum working hours for 3mil employees
-more legal rights to re trade union membership
-increased maternity/paternity benefits/tax credits to supplement low wages (subsidise salary)
-‘new deal’ programmes for the unemployed eg training/support-2007 29.1mil in work but there were 5.4mil of working age who had never had a job,37% jobs were in public sector(unproductive)
-1998 jobseekers allowance=adjustment of measure introduced by major which replaced unemployment benefit with single jobseekers allowance but to qualify you had to prove you were looking for a job, loosened it/gave people greater time and flexibility in searching for work, 2003-2008 2.5mil claims
how did life of women change under blair
-benefitted from work reforms eg min wage/max working hours/paid maternity leave as they were in low paid jobs
-1998 national childcare strategy, better childcare provision, free places for all 4 years old, more childcare places in deprived areas, out of school clubs, pension credits for caring responsibilities
-73% women with children under 13 in work
-law granted women divorcees a share of ex husbands pension
-101 labour MPs women 1997 ‘blair babes’, margaret beckett 1st women in prominent office position (foreign sec)-number of ladies in commons increased to 127
C-87% mens wages
C-still 3x housework than men
C-many women MPs saw westminster as ‘mens club’
how did life of youth change under blair
-education/work benefits
-new deal programme targeted 17-25 and getting them into work(sure start centres/support parents with pre school children/social exclusion unit 1997/connexions service)
-blair tried to appeal to young people, 1997 celebrity party at downing street invited noel gallagher/vivienne westwood
-child poverty reduced by 1/4
C-crime, NEETS increased to 20%, ASBOS introduced and youth crime=40% under 17s)
how did multicultural society improve under blair (5 facts)
-2006 religious hatred act (too imprecise/added little)
-2006 sec of state for local gov created , local organisations celebrated ethnic diversity, festivals eg notting hill carnival became very popular
-2006 terroism act (increased a time terrorist suspect could be held to 28 days)
-2006 attempt to introduce national identity card failed
-1st black cabinet minister, paul boetang
-britain successfully bid to hold 2012 olympics selling itself as model,multicultural society
evidence against multicultural society under blair(5 facts)
-2001 riots (bradford/oldham/manchester)-trevor philips (chairman of EHRC-integration not taking place like hoped-he wanted to prevent segregation eg no faith schools which angered left for ‘pandering to right’/security worries)
-london bombings july 2005 (complaints no emphasis on responsibilities of immigrants to integrate into britain)- 7 July 52 killed by 4 suicide bombers (3 were british born) on underground trains/bus, 21 july 4 more attempted similar but the bombs failed to go off (leader=mohammed sidique khan)
-rise of UKIP/british national party/migration watch (anti-immigration), immigration rose in importance as political issue to 30%
-macpherson report on the Stephen lawrence murder,instiutionally racist?-bad legacy
-bbc chairman greg dyke called BBC workforce as ‘hideously white’-failed to attract dif people
pros and cons of ageing population
P-increased life expectancy (by 2006 10mil=65+)
C-increasing demand for welfare services which are funded by income tax which elderly don’t pay and tax payments were inadequate to fund, declining work pop=tax burden
pros and cons of immigration
P-vital role in economy, took unpleasant/low paid jobs/paying taxes
C-stop gap measure, once they settled they demanded better wages/conditions enjoyed by host workers, others drove down wage levels and their tax contributions were smaller than costs of providing them with services (pressure group migration watch focused on dangers of immigration)
what is net migration and natural change
net migration-dif between emigration (leaving britain) and immigration (entered it) -increased most
natural change-did between no of deaths and births
(both accounted for 3mil increase)
what was britains pop 2006
60.5mil, 5mil growth since 1971
what did the 2001 census say about who lived in britain
indians-984,000
Caribbean-969,000
pakistans/bangledeshians
(all white ethnic groups still made up 86%)
