realignment of the labour party Flashcards
kinnock’s aims
furhter reorganise the party and move its policies towards the centre ground
peter mandelson
mastermind of Kinnock
director of communication in 1985
john smith in kinnock’s labour
shadlow chancellor
gave labour a more reasurring image of moderation and competence
policy review
launched after the 1987 defeat
much of the 1983 manidesto had been ditched
- including withdrawl from the EEC, unilateral nuclear disarmament and rises in income tax
kinnock and trade unions
signalled a split with TUs by ending the labour support for closed shop union agreements in 1989
public view of kinnock
when conservative became unpopuar, kinnock looked like a suitable alternative
ahead in the polls, favoured to win 1992
accused of over confidence
the sun 1992 election
‘if Kinnock wins tiday will the last person to leave Britian please turn the lights out
view of john smith
serious and trusted on the economy
smith’s shift in labour
moved to avolish the trade union block vote
‘one member, one vote’ for parliamentary candidates
blair and brown deal
granita pact
agreed to let blair be leader of labour party if brown could have economic control (chancellor)
blair history with labour
did not join the party until after university
had fewer ties to its history
allowed him to enter on a reform agenda
blair background
scottish private school
‘middle england’
blair aims
drop socialist ideas
embrace modern capitalist economy
new labour economic aims
worked hard to ensure it was no longer the party of ‘tax-and-spend’ economic policies
convince people it was the party of prudence and economic competence
attraction of blair
skillfull communicator
young
attractive to women and young voters
attracttion of brown
convinvced people labour was the party of prudenece and economic competence
promised labour would follow the conservatives spending plans
therefore hard for conservatives to attack labour’s economic policy
women and new labour
labour party had an all-women shortlist leading to a record number of female candidates
attracted female voters
alastair campbell
blair’s press secretary
used his experience as a former journalist to change labour’s relationship with the press and media
conservatives and media
usually enjoyed greater support from the national press
many journalists were unenthusastic about major
one of the conservatives most powerful weapons had been neutralised
spin machine
labour campaign run by experts who were effective in dealing with media and the press
labour spokespeople were always ‘on message’ with access to up-to-date info
led by peter mandelson
labour 5 pledges
cut class sizes to 30 for 5,6 and 7 year olds
fast track punishment for persistent young offenders
cut NHS waiting lists
get 25,000 under25-year olds off benefits and into work
no rise in income tax, cut VAT on heating by 5%
why couldn’t labour be attacked anymore
not a ‘socialism extreme’
new leader
conservative message 1997
confused
veered between complaining that new labour had ‘stolen conservative policies’ and that new labour was just old labour in disguise
view of conservatives in 1997
sleaze scandals still haunted them
battles over maastricht and europe still dominated
seen as divided
conservative results 1997
half of all conservative MPs lost their seats
many high profile loses - Norman Lamont
31% of the vote, 165 seats
not a single seat in scotland
indicated widespread tactical voting
sociological motivation for new labour
demise of working class
working class became consumerist
shift to service economy from industrial
international motivation for new labour
recognised capitalism had won
financial markets constrained high government spending
