Realignment of the Labour Party under Kinnock, Smith and Blair Flashcards
1
Q
How and when did labour begin to modernise?
A
- 1987
- Kinnock as leader
- began modernisation but ridiculed by RW press
- positives:
- Abandoned the more left wing aspects of 1983 manifesto
- publicly criticised left wingers e.g Derek Hatton and Arthur Scargill of NUM
- abandoned electorally damaging policies
2
Q
Describe Labour + liberals in the 1987 election?
A
- Labour party defeated
- in 1987 Alliance share of popular vote faded to 23% and 22 seats
- David Steel merged the liberal and SDP after 1987 election
- damaged new Liberal democrat Party: vote dwindled to 18% in 1992
3
Q
How did Kinnock reorganise the party?
- key figures
A
- moved policies to central ground
- became much more professional in presentation
- 1985:
- Peter Mandelson, director of communications: effective
- John Smith –> shadow chancellor gave reassuring image of modernisation and competence
4
Q
How did the demise the the hard left realign the labour party?
A
- New Liberal Party weak
- return to 2 party system
- Neil Kinnock strong leader
- dominated the National Executive with his “soft left” allied
- 1988 defeated leadership challenge from veteran Tony Benn with 8 to 1 majority
- 1989 party conference, Ken Livingstone thrown off NEC
5
Q
How did Labour’s policies change under Kinnock?
A
- Labour’s economic programme accepted mixed approach toward economic planning instead of stereotyped nationalisation of 1983
- Europe: by 1989 more committed to developments within Community
- moved to more concern for consumer
- acceptance of need to curb power of unions
6
Q
Describe the testament which demonstrated labours change in policies?
A
- Roy Hattersley’s testament, Choose Freedom (1987)
- emphasised Labour’s commitment to equality and above all abandoning unilateral nuclear disarmament
- unpopular with British people
- announced formally at party conference in Oct 1989
7
Q
How was the growth of labour’s strength demonstrated by change in union attitudes? polls
A
- growing lead in polls
- unions, dormant in 1980s,
- now more positive in their approach
- through leaders such as Gavin Laird (Engineers), Tom Sawyer (NUPE) etc
8
Q
Describe the polls and by elections of 1989-91?
A
- Summer and Autumn of 1989, Labour led strongly in opinion polls again
- By election victories in the Vale of Glamorgan, Glasgow Central, and Vauxhall confirmed trend
- European election saw L capture 45 seats to C 32: first major defeat for Thatcher in 10 years of premiership
- Thatcher departed 1990
- Conservatives lost 900 seats in local elections of 1991
9
Q
Describe the results of the 1992 election?
A
- Labour lost in 1992
- accused of overconfidence
- Sun criticised him
- Many blamed Kinnock personally and he resigned as leader 4 days later
10
Q
How was John Smith as leader?
A
- Kinnock did not inspire confidence and offer better future
- succeeded by shadow chancellor, John Smith
- greater sense of intellectual self confidence than kinnock
- But conservative, cautious politician
- progress was made modernising and redefining party to centre ground
11
Q
How did policy towards Europe change under Smith?
A
- moved centre embracing European membership for economic advancement
- ‘Social Chapter’ advocated by Jacques Delors and other European socialists, was popular with Labour and the TUC alike
- supported by the likes of Gordon Brown and Blair
- Anti-European Bryan Gould, left the front bench in disgust in 1992
- Labour now had a united policy on Europe
12
Q
How did policy towards Taxation and public expenditure change under Smith?
A
- The transformation of Labour’s policies went on quickly in 1993-4
- Shadow Chancellor, Brown, emphasised Labour no longer aimed at high public expenditure, taxing the better off or the broad principle of state planning
- Effort devoted to improving L’s relations with the CBI; several influential figures in the business world announced their Labour sympathies
13
Q
How did policy towards law and order change under smith
A
- The Shadow Home Secretary, Tony Blair, strove to change an impression of Labour being anti-police or soft on law and order issues. Labour, he declared would be:
‘Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’
14
Q
How did labour’s policy on nationalisation and Clause 4 change under Smith?
A
- Another Labour figure, Jack Straw, openly campaigned for the abolition of Clause Four
- Few believed that nationalisation played much part in Labour’s thinking any longer
15
Q
How did Smith change policy towards trade unions?
A
- focus on reducing hold of unions on party decision making
- No longer would a ‘social contract’ dictate Labour’s approach to power
- conflict with TUC leaders in 1993 in his efforts to promote ‘One Man One Vote’
- Meant creating individual trade unionists as party members and ending trade union block vote at party conference
- succeeded in this even tho only by margin of 0.2%
16
Q
How did John Smiths premiership end?
A
- With Labour 20+ points ahead in the opinion polls in the spring of 1994, return to power seemed likely
- Then John Smith suddenly died of a heart attack on 12 May
17
Q
Blair had a lot of support:
Describe his win as leader of Labour party
A
- In the Electoral College on 21 July, Blair won an easy victory with 57%
- had 60% of MP’s vote
- spoke of “new labour” and “new Britain” with patriotism and compassion
- contrast to crumbling Tory Gov
18
Q
What was the image of Tony Blair?
A
- First speech as leader at Brighton party conference in 1994
- preached for ecumenism, modernisation and patriotism
- Labour’s mission to recapture the youth of britain
- language registered powerfully with electorate
- hard for his opponents to damage him
19
Q
When was Tony Blair’s election victory?
A
- 1997
20
Q
Tony Blair as leader:
What demonstrated he was popular?
A
- Blair victorious everywhere with 60% of the MP’s vote, 58% party membership and 52% of union vote
- spoke of “New Labour” leading “New Britain
21
Q
How was the image of Tony Blair?
A
- spectacular first speech as leader at the Brighton party conference in October 1994
- preached the gospel of ecumenism, moderation, and patriotism.
- said word new 37 times
22
Q
How did Blair’s personal leadership and the abolition of Clause Four lead him to victory in 1997?
A
- emphasis on his personal leadership
- Blair appealed directly to a growing party membership over the heads of party activists.
- He did this most dramatically by calling for a scrapping of Clause Four (trade unions)
- Clause Four was overwhelmingly rejected in a national party ballot in the spring of 1995
- used his personal machine, headed by Peter Mandelson and Alastair Campbell: press officer
- Blair’s power as leader extended itself to dominance over the National Executive and the annual party conference
- He scored heavily in the Commons when he told John Major: ‘You follow your party, I lead mine’
23
Q
How did Blair revolutionise the technique of politics to win the 1997 election?
A
- now emerged as ultra modern.
- It used the full range of sophisticated high technology from its control centre in Milbank.
- use of media to gain support
- The political scientist David Butler felt it to be the greatest change in British politics since the advent of television during the 1959 election.
24
Q
How did Blair transform policy to win the 1997 election?
A
- Labour under Blair moved back to the right of centre.
- He employed in his Policy Unit young men like David Miliband
- All the traditional policies were dropped
- Instead party proclaimed its closeness to business and the CBI:
- which said that it had no intention of raising higher taxes
- spoke of toughness on crime, distance from the trade unions
- Unions: peak of ~13 million members, now only 6.75 million
- Its most powerful notes were promises to rebuild the NHS and promote ’Education, education, education.’
25
Q
Describe the book on Blair
A
- written by Peter Mandelson
- The Blair Revolution (1996)
- discredited records of the Labour governments 1964-70 and especially 1974-79.
- allegedly belonged to the failed past.
- Morgan compares New Labour to an amalgam of Thatcherite economics amongst other things
26
Q
Describe the By-Elections of 1993-1997
A
- 1993 Tories lost 452 local council seats
- 1995 no fewer than 1,800 seats lost
- After the 1996 elections only 4,700 Conservative councillors against 10,800 Labour.
- By 1997 Conservatives lost Commons majority relied on Ulster Unionists.
- Major called a general election for 1 May 1997
- The Conservative machine was dull and inept
- The newspapers overwhelmingly favoured Labour: even sun
- The Conservatives suffered their worst defeat in their history
- Labour 419 seats as against the C 165, while the Liberals 46 seats
