Era of New Labour: Political Flashcards
Conservative failings + election defeats
1
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to their own strengths?
A
- lost only 5 seats (3.7% decrease in vote) + 412 members of parliament
- Blair’s personal popularity
- delivered on key election pledges of 1997
- severe shortage of motor fuel resolved
- Tory tax policy: “cut here, cut there, cut everywhere” + “20bn of cuts”
- expansion of global tech bubbles
2
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to Conservative weakness?
A
- Hague’s inability to be seen as a better alternative to Blair
- lack clear set of targets which they could attack + poor campaign eg main line to opposition was adopting the euro which failed to attract the floating voter
- still widely divided on Europe + party drifted to right
- Hague publicity stunts backfired eg resigned 3 months after
- failed to gain any seats in Wales
- policy gaffe by Oliver Letwin over spending cuts (no clear policy)
- pregnant Blair: “Four years of Labour and he still hasn’t delivered”, “Never to the euro” + “only five days to save the pound”
- ignored foot and mouth disease/parliamentary reform
3
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to other factors?
A
- voter apathy due to forecast of Labour victory so 59% turnout vs 71% 1997
- media dubbed it “the quiet landslide”
- “Hague with Lady Thatcher’s hair” captioned “get out and vote. Or they get in.”
- Sun backed Labour calling Hague a “dead parrot” during cons party conference Oct 1998
4
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to their effective social policy? Were there any limitations?
A
- minimum wage + jobseekers’ allowance
- winter fuel allowance; financial issue for OAPs
- tackle social exclusion eg social exclusion unit
- childcare provision and pension credits
- longer prison sentences to target crime
BUT - accused of “wasteful spending” eg winter fuel allowance + reliance on state + inefficient
5
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to their effective economic policy? Were there any limitations?
A
- low inflation
- gov expenditure controlled as promised in 1997 eg limit treasury borrowing
- BofE independent so expert control of interest rates
- capital improvements for schools and hospitals
BUT - fortunate after ERM withdrawal
- borrow Thatcherite practices (unoriginal)
- future debt eg PFI
6
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to their effective Northern Ireland policy? Were there any limitations?
A
- 1998 Good Friday Agreement + Blair played significant role
- it was agreed by SDLP, UUP, Sinn Fein + 71% of citizens who voted for it
BUT - extremists rejected it which led to Omagh bombing 1998 by “real IRA”
- Gerry Adams (president of Sinn Fein) condemned it and said “violence must be a thing of the past”
7
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to other constitutional policy? Were there any limitations?
A
- Scottish parliament + executive (3/4 voters agreed) + welsh assembly
- house of lords reform which removed hereditary peers BUT Blair created more new life peers in 4yrs than Cons in 18 which raised question to boost Labour support in lords?
- mayor of London 1999 Ken Livingstone
- human right acts, 2000 freedom of information act + 1998 data protection act
8
Q
How did Labour win the 2001 election due to their effective foreign policy? Were there any limitations?
A
- April 1999 speech (“Blair’s doctrine”) supporting liberal interventionism
- 1997 abandoned opt-out on EU employment and social policy
- 1998 withdrew objection to common European defence policy and debates to join euro
- Balkans curbed Serb aggression + protected Kosovo
- end to civil war + greater stability in Sierra Leone
BUT - 1998 imposed sanctions on Iraq that damaged ordinary Iraqis and not regime
9
Q
How did Labour win the 2005 election due to their own strengths?
A
- comfortable overall majority, seen as outstanding choice
- Blair experienced political operator, could project image
- emphasised Howard’s role in unpopular Major gov
- “Britain’s working don’t let the Tories wreck it again”
10
Q
How did Labour win the 2005 election due to Conservative weakness?
A
- supported decision to go into Iraq
- 3 leaders in 2yrs echo division + incompetence
- Howard emphasised immigration + law and order; concerns on own record as home secretary
- colleague Ann Widdecombe said ‘something of the night about him’
- campaign managed by Australian Lynton Crosby which sparked controversy eg “it’s not racist to impose limits on immigration” + criticised Labour’s “dirty” hospitals and high crime levels asking “Are you thinking what were thinking?”
11
Q
How did Labour win the 2005 election due to other factors?
A
- liberal democrats gained nearly 6 mill votes with 22.1% share, nearly 2/3 of Labour’s total + they opposed Iraq
- knowledge of economic difficulty not widespread enough
- Charles Kennedy questioned over ability - asked local income tax + appeared confused
- increased turnout of 61.3% due to extension and promotion of postal voting system
- Labour failed to gain new seats (unique since 1945) + lost Blaenau gwent their safest seat in Wales
12
Q
What economic difficulties 2001-2005 weren’t widespread enough to decrease Labour’s chance of election victory?
A
- inflation 2.6% 1997 to 4.8% 2007
- fall in pension value by £8bn by 2007
- savings fell 9.7-3.7% 1997-2007
- share values £120bn lower
- “stealth taxes” to avoid increasing tax
- 37% increase in public sector = “client state”
- signs of recession due to overseas borrowing
- Brown sold gold reserves (nearly 1/2) vs China who was buying. So 2x money vs UK who lost £3bn
- increase trade with China but didn’t criticise human rights records
13
Q
How did Labour win the 2005 election due to their effective economic policy?
A
- large scale spending to NHS + education
- employment increase by 2.5 mill 1997-2007
- credit cards normalised and encouraged
14
Q
How did Labour win the 2005 election due to their effective social policy?
A
- 2003 Section 28 repealed, 2004 civil partnership act + 2005 gender recognition act
- 2002 police reform act aim to lessen “them and us”
- reduced child poverty by 25% by 2005
- to tackle crime ABSO introduced
- pro-gender in politics eg 101 women elected labour MPs 1997 + Maragret Becket 1st female foreign secretary 2006
- Labour’s “New Deal” - training + work exp
- opted into European social chapter (mirrored EU).
15
Q
Were there any limitations to Labour’s social policy between 2001-2005?
A
- rural tension due to ban on hunting with dogs
- controversy over potential radicalisation of Muslims + major riots in Oldham
- num of NEETS increased to 20% by 2007
- women earned 87% of men’s earnings by 2007
