Labour party Flashcards
Origins of Labour
- founded by Keir Hardie in 1900
- won first time in 1945 where Clement Attlee created NHS
what were the ‘wilderness years’?
1987 - 1997 - they kept losing elections and needed to reform - got out of wilderness years when chancellor John Smith died in 1994
Blair changes to make ‘New Labour’
changed clause IV in Labour constitution - the nationalisation clause - and dropped taxes from Smith’s ‘tax bombshell’ as well as ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’
Switch from Blair to Brown
switch happened in 2007. was because of result of the Blair–Brown pact, the Iraq War and low approval ratings, pressure built up within the Labour Party for Blair to resign.
Blair criticized in 2006 summer for not calling ceasefire in Lebanon-Iraq.
Elections Blair won
1997, 2001, 2005
Corbyn’s beliefs and policies?
very left wing. policies included:
- free chidlcare - 2,3,4 year olds
- renationalization of 9 water companies
- intro of a National Care Service + National Education Service
- free bus travel for people under 25
(2017-19)
Corbynmania
younger adults and people worshipped him as seen in the song where they changed the lyrics to seven nation army to oh jeremy corbyn - more left wing, radical voters
Conservative results in 2017 and 2019 elections and relation to corbyn?
2017 - 55 seat majority won - high youth turnout for Corbyn so Labour gained 10 points
2019 - 80 seat landslide victory - lost points as Lab party as attitudes turned sour against Corbyn
Corbyn’s suspension from Labour party
ANtisemitism from Corbyn, suspended from party in October 2020. Starmer took over.
who was Diane Abbott?
Corbyn’s shadow home secretary - also sacked for racist comments in 2023 letter in ‘The Observer’
recent labour swings
swings:
- Tamworth - 24%
- Mid Bedfordshire - 21%
- Rutherglen and Hamilton West - 20%
in the lead since 2021 - Truss mini budget
Old Labour ideas
socialist
focused on equality
class conflict - lower and upper classes needs cant be reconciled so govt should work for lower classes
trade unionism - support
welfarism - everyone should contribute to welfare state
Old Labour policies
created NHS and welfare state
massive nationalisation - energy and rail
equal pay for genders
higher incomes higher taxes
New Labour ideas
more focused on winning elections that socialist ideas
New Labour policies
change of clause IV from Lab constitution - against nationalisation
reduction in corporate tax - more enterprise
constitutional reform - Human rights act, electoral reform and freedom of information act 2001
