Society

Question 1

What was the decline in trade unions?

Answer 1

• Fell from 29-26%.
• New Labour didnt repeal any anti-union legislation, and they were openly critical of union strike action.

Question 2

How did unions criticise the government?

Answer 2

• They criticised them for continuing outsourcing and PFIs and allowing strict contracting to continue.
• They criticised Labours continual privatisations; Air Traffic Control and London Underground into a public-private partnership
• By 2004, the RMT were expelled from the party as it started to donate to other more left wing parties.

Question 3

What was the European Social Chapter?

Answer 3

• A EU policy New Labour opted back into - it entitled workers to request up to three months of unpaid parental leave and gave them additional rights.
• Despite this, Labour did retain its ability to opt out of some employment legislation such as maximum working hours.

Question 4

What was globalisation and New Labour’s outlook on it?

Answer 4

• A belief that the world was increasingly culturally and economically connected and Blair wanted Britain to better compete in such by increasing the skill of its workers.
• He wanted Britain to develop a ‘knowledge economy’ with better technology, efficiency and hence productivity.

Question 5

What was Blair’s New Deal?

Answer 5

• A programme targeted at particular groups of the unemployed, young, old, disabled, single parents and helped support them to find work.
• This would be training, guidance or voluntary work for experienced.
• Critics argued support was limited and unfair sanctions were imposed on those who didn’t take part.

Question 6

What was the minimum wage and tax credits?

Answer 6

• Introduced in 1998 with a Low Pay Commission set up to oversee and set the wage, though it was initially set at very low rates.
• Tax credits were benefits paid to people with low incomes and those with disabilities.

Question 7

How did women get increased representation in government?

Answer 7

• In 1997, women MPs rose to 120, 101 were Labour. They put women shortlists in most of Labours winnable seats.
• Margaret Beckett served as the first foreign secretary in 2006

Question 8

How did women Benicia from New Labour policies?

Answer 8

• Childcare provision was extended: By 2007 all 3-4 year olds were entitled to 12.5 hours a week of free nursery education which rose to 15 by 2010.
• Women were also given pension credits when unable to work because of child care.

Question 9

How did women progress in the workplace?

Answer 9

• The amount of FTSE 100 companies with no women in their board fell from 36 - 24%.
• However women still earned 87% as much as men, women still did 3x more housework than men and such unpaid work was undervalued by Labour.

Question 10

What was New Labours youth outlook?

Answer 10

• Concentrated on issues affecting young people - A key objective being to end social exclusion with the Social Exclusion Unit set up in 1997 to coordinate this effort.

Question 11

What services were set up to help young people?

Answer 11

• Sure Start centres aimed to help families by supporting their children with advice and support for schooling.
• Blair brought down child poverty by a quarter by 2005 through child tax credit.
• The Connexxion’s service was created to advise teenagers about post school choices, aiming for 50% of young people to go to university.

Question 12

What were the issues with youth and the ASBOS

Answer 12

• The number of NEETS had increased to almost 20% by 2007.
• ASBOS were introduced as court orders which put limits on what the defendant could do e.g. impose curfews or bans from particular areas.
• Breaching ASBOS we’re criminal offences and they aimed to prevent antisocial behaviour.
• By 2005, 46% of ASBOS went to under 17 year olds.