2.2 established political parties: labour Flashcards
main labour party created when?
what was it ?
1900
- offshoot of the trade union movement
- moderate compromise between democratic socialism and social democracy
labour - creation
1983
- more socialist party known as the Independent Labour Party had been created
Democratic socialism vs social democats
democratic socialists believe?
- capitalist state will inevitably be replaced by a socialist state as the working classes achieve power.
- ‘the inevitability of gradualism’
Democratic socialism vs social democats
social democrats believe?
- capitalist structures can be reformed
- proposes its aims through democratic measures
‘old’ labour vs. ‘new’ labour
old labour values
- nationalisation
- redistributive taxation
- extensive welfare state
- close links with trade unions
‘old’ labour vs. ‘new’ labour
Atlee: how much of the economy was nationalised?
- 20% of the economy was nationalissed
- including steel, electricity, and coal
‘old’ labour vs. ‘new’ labour
Wilsons progressibe policies
- Eg. Wilson committed to comprehensive education at the expense of grammar schools
- Eg. Race Relations Act 1968 meant discrimination in the workplace was illegal
- Eg. 1979 increased taxes on the wealthy
New Labour
Michael foot: ideas and labours share of the vote.
- nationalisation, increased tax on the wealthy
- withdrawal from the EEC
- 36%-27.6% in 1963
New Labour
What were New Labour’s ideas based on?
- anthony giddens ‘third way’
- ‘stakeholder’ society based on principles of inclusion and communitarianism
- welath creation rather than redistribution
New Labour
why did the shift take place?
- series of large electoral defeats faced by the party during the alte 70s and 80s
New Labour values
New Labours values: what did he remove? what did he make the state? laws on crime? modernising the HoL? social justice? tax on the wealthy?
- clause 4 (labours commitment to nationalisation)
- made the state an enabler not a provider
- tougher laws on crime
- modernising the HoL
- HRA 1998
- commitment to social justice (minimum wage, increased public spending)
- lower taxes on the wealthy
- minimum wage introduced in 1997
jeremy corbyn 2015-2020
2017 support
- slogan ‘for the many not the few’ increased their vote by 9.6%
jeremy corbyn 2015-2020
2019 support
slumoed
labour moved more to the centre under Kier Starmer
current labour ideas and policies
How has starmer distanced himself from new labour?
- claiming to introduce an elected house of lords, and more power devolved to local authorities, devolved governments and english mayors
Labour party functionalism
Momentum: ideas, role, founder?
- socialist
- anti-racist, shift in power to the working class
- more government control over the financial sector
- influence: Labours ‘for the many not the few’ in 2017
- role: building support for socialist ideas and policies through political education
- Founder: Jon Lansman
Labour party functionalism
Blairites: ideas
- political ideology of tony blair obvs
- investing in public services, expansion of education to encourage social mobility
- mass surveilance
- ramping up law enforcement
- against socialism
e
Labour party functionalism
Blue Labour: goal, ideas, founder
- democratic self governing society built on the participation of its citizens in the exercise of its power and accountability
- left wing economics, promoting blue collar values, a ocunter to new labour
- Founder: Maurice Glasman
Modern day labour policies
the economy
starmer, tax.
- Great British energy demonstrated a left-wing faith in govenrment led enterprise
- labour is more likely to tax the wealthier more, but Starmer also noted for the Fabian Society that ‘the role of the government is to be a partner to private enterprise, not stifle it’
Modern day labour policies
welfare
- commitment to the NHS represents a traditional left wing commitment to public service, along with the removal of universal credit
- channelling the charitable status of independent schools into the state sector and abolishing tuition fees
Modern day labour policies
law and order
- pledge to strengthen law on criems specificially directed against women adn girls, increasing numbers of police
Modern day labour policies
foreign policy
- NATO commitment. Starmers commitment to nuclear deterrence is ‘non negotiable’
- labour is commited to the AUKUS military alliance designed to maintain the existing balance of power in the far east
- foreign policy is much more assertive than it was under Jeremy Corbyn, and is more focussed on the UKs national interest.
