Blair 1997-2007 Flashcards
What was the ‘third way’?
A compromise between socialism and Thatcherism
How high was Blair’s popularity in late 1997 (according to a Labour party poll)
93%
What were the common criticisms of the third way?
Didn’t stand for anything - neglected Labour ideals and backed Thatcherite policy just to stay in power
Why did the Blair-Brown relationship deteriorate after 2001?
Brown believed that Blair had agreed to step down during his second term
What were the results of the 1997 devolution referendums?
Scottish and Welsh assemblies were set up
What did the Freedom of Information Act 2000 do?
Allowed people to request information from public bodies
What was Labour’s main education pledge ahead of the 1997 election?
Cut class sizes to 30 or under for 5, 6 and 7 year olds
What was Labour’s pledge on tackling crime ahead of the 1997 election?
Fast track punishment for persistent young offenders by halving the time from arrest to sentencing
What was Labour’s pledge for the NHS ahead of the 1997 election?
Treating an extra 100,000 patients by cutting £100m in red tape savings
What was Labour’s pledge on unemployment ahead of the 1997 election?
Get 250,000 under-25 year olds off benefits and into work by using money from a windfall tax on private utilities
What was Labour’s tax policy ahead of the 1997 election?
No rise in income tax, cut VAT on heating to 5%
How did Labour fare in terms of meeting their 1997 manifesto pledges?
5 main pledges met by 2001
What educational reform did Labour implement beyond 2001?
Implementation of academies (specialised schools)
What were Labour’s aims on healthcare and education?
Promised more teachers, doctors, nurses as well as more accountability leading to better exam results and shorter waiting times
How did Blair reflect on his reforms in healthcare and education?
Was disappointed with how slow they were and believed he should’ve been more radical earlier
How were inflation and unemployment in 1997?
In a state of steady growth with relatively low inflation and unemployment
What were Brown’s initial priorities for the economy?
Keep inflation low and government spending under control
What was Britain’s average growth rate between 1997-2007 and how did this compare to other world powers?
2%, lower than USA (3%) but higher than Germany (1.5%) and Japan (1%)
How did Britain’s 1997-2007 average growth rate compare to its 1992-97 rate?
Decreased from 3% 92-97 to 2% 97-07
What was Britain’s average rate of inflation between 1997-2007?
1.5%
What was Britain’s 1997-2007 average unemployment rate and how did this compare to 1992-97?
6% from 1997-2007 compared to 9% from 1992-97
What were the key elements of the Good Friday agreement?
NI self-determination, power sharing executive, decommissioning of arms
What were Labour’s strengths that led to victory in the 2001 and 2005 elections?
Blair popularity (less in 2005), good in debate, strong economy, strong electoral machine
What Conservative weaknesses led to defeat in the 2001 election?
Thatcher undermined Hague’s leadership, Conservative divisions, Hague personal unpopularity
What Conservative weaknesses led to defeat in the 2005 election?
“Victor Meldrew” grumpy old man manifesto, diluted message when Iain Duncan Smith was replaced by Michael Howard
Who were the ‘Mods’ in the Conservative Party?
Modernisers - more pragmatic in regard to Europe, ‘compassionate Conservatives’ were more socially liberal
Who were the ‘Rockers’ in the Conservative Party?
Resistant to change - hardline Eurosceptic and Thatcherite and more socially Conservative
What was New Labour’s trade union policy?
Didn’t repeal any Conservative anti-union legislation, union membership decreased from 29% to 26%
What was New Labour’s privatisation policy?
Actually extended Tory privatisations - sold off Air Traffic Control and began discussions on privatising Royal Mail
What social laws did New Labour pass?
1998 National Minimum Wage, 3-4 yr olds allowed 12.5hr p/w free nursery education, tax credits for those on low incomes
How much was child poverty reduced between 1997-2005?
25%
What % of people in the UK in 2005 believed multiculturalism made Britain a better place?
62%
What % of people in the UK in 2005 saw multiculturalism as a threat?
32%
What % of people in the UK in 2007 were white?
86%
What positives were there in terms of race relations between 1997-2007?
New Labour globalisation saw increased immigration, Paul Boateng first black cabinet minister in 2002, Notting Hill carnival attracted millions, won London 2012 Olympics
What setbacks were there in terms of race relations between 1997-2007?
7/7 bombings, Macpherson report found institutional racism in the met police, tension over ‘changing nature’ of immigration/asylum seeking
What were the errors made by the Labour government in terms of race relations?
Foreign policy, especially the Iraq War, alienated British Muslims
What was New Labour’s policy on the European common currency (Euro)?
Blair was enthusiastic however Brown set many stringent conditions to be met before Britain would join, therefore it never happened
How much did the EU expand between 1997-2007?
From 15 to 27 states - mostly Eastern European, formerly Warsaw Pact nations
What successful ‘liberal interventions’ were made between 1997-2000?
Helped end conflict in Yugoslavia (Serbia withdrew from Kosovo) (1999) and helped end civil war in Sierra Leone by working with peacekeepers (2000)
Why did the US and UK invade Afghanistan in 2001?
Al-Qaeda used Afghanistan to plan terrorist activity - US/UK wanted to expel the Taliban govt and Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan
How successful was the invasion of Afghanistan?
Democracy established at first however progress slowed from 2002 as attention diverted to Iraq - allowed Taliban to regroup in 2006-7
Why did the US and the UK invade Iraq in 2003?
Believed Saddam Hussein had WMDs, believed Iraq may become new base for terror (Al Qaeda)
How successful was the Iraq War in military terms?
Saddam Hussein was overthrown within a month, however war dragged on for years
What was the British public’s reaction to the Iraq War?
War was very unpopular - over 1m at ‘Stop the War’ march in Feb 2003, Blair’s reputation permanently damaged
What were the reasons behind public disapproval of the Iraq War?
No evidence of WMDs, Iraqi POWs mistreated, unnecessary deaths on all sides, seen as simply following whatever US foreign policy was
What were the findings of the Chilcot Report?
War wasn’t last resort (no imminent threat), insufficient planning for Iraqi govt post-Saddam, hadn’t established beyond doubt existence of WMDs
How did the Chilcot Report affect Blair’s reputation?
Severely damaged - showed he was too eager to jump to war, misled parliament over existence of WMDs and was subversive to the USA
How did the Chilcot Report damage Britain’s reputation?
Same damages as Blair due to him being leader, no autonomy in foreign policy, intelligence office failures
