The era of New Labour 1997-2007: Society

Question 1

What were many of the New labour policies targeted at?

Answer 1

Improving the lives of young people, women, workers and minority groups

Question 2

What was Labour’s relationship with trade unions?

Answer 2

• Due to Labour being party of the workers, when they were elected in 1997 many believed their long relationship with trade unions would make them more sympathetic to union concerns, but the decline of trade unions continued (fell from 29% to 26%)
• New Labour didn’t repeal the trade union legislation that was passed by the Conservatives between 1979-1997
• Criticised strike action by trade unions
• Trade unions criticised Labour for continuing policies such as outsourcing and PFI’s

Question 3

What did the Labour government do to the privatisations of the 80’s and 90’s?

Answer 3

Extended them (London Underground moved to public private partnership and air traffic control organisation sold off)- criticised by trade unions

Question 4

What did the Labour government opt back into?

Answer 4

The European Social Chapter- Britain would now follow European policies regarding employment and social rights (all employees were now entitled to request up to 3 months unpaid parental leave to care for a child under the age of 8)

Question 5

What policy did the Labour government welcome for economic growth?

Answer 5

Globalisation- argued Britain had to learn to better compete in the new globalised world economy by increasing the skills of its workers (increased productivity through utilising new technologies)

Question 6

What did the New Deal programme to?

Answer 6

Target particular groups of the unemployed (young people, older workers, disabled, lone parents) and promised support to help them find work through training or guidance, voluntary work to gain experience or a job placement

Question 7

What did Blair say which showed his support for people to work?

Answer 7

“Work for those who can, security for those who can’t”

Question 8

When was the national minimum wage introduced?

Answer 8

1998

Question 9

What did Gordon Brown introduce?

Answer 9

Tax credits- means tested benefits paid to people with low incomes with specific elements targeted at, for example, those with children or with a disability

Question 10

What was the Low Pay Commission?

Answer 10

Set up to set the national minimum wage, but was initially set at a very low rate

Question 11

How was there more female representation within the Labour Party?

Answer 11

1. In 1997 the number of female MPs in the Labour Party more than doubled, with 101/120 being women
2. Labour introduced all women shortlists to try and increase the number of women in parliament
3. Blair appointed women to prominent positions in his cabinet (Margaret Beckett as foreign secretary- 1st women to ever serve this role)

Question 12

How did Labour improve childcare?

Answer 12

1 Childcare provision was extended- by 2007 all 3 to 4 year olds were entitled to 12.5 hours a week of free nursery education
2. Women were given pension credits when unable to work because of caring responsibilities

Question 13

What improvements did women see in the workplace?

Answer 13

Between 1999-2007, the percentage of FTSE 100 companies (top 100 London stock exchange companies) that had no women on the board fell from 36% to 24%

Question 14

What was the issue with the gender pay gap?

Answer 14

In 2007 women were only earning 87% of what men earnt

Question 15

Why were New Labour criticised on their new emphasis for women’s equality?

Answer 15

1. Critics said their emphasis on paid employment undervalued the unpaid work in the home and with the family that women did
2. 1 report in 2007 found that women did 3x the amount of housework as a man

Question 16

What did Labour try to end in order to help the youth and what did it lead to?

Answer 16

• Key objective was to end social exclusion (social exclusion unit set up in 1997 to achieve this aim)
• Led to the establishment of Sure Start centres (these aimed to help families with children by providing guidance and information to ensure that preschool children were supported in preparing for school)

Question 17

What did Blair pledge to do for child poverty?

Answer 17

Pledged to end child poverty in 1999 within the next 20 years (managed to bring it down by 1/4 by 2005 through policies such as child tax credit)

Question 18

Why was the Connexions service created?

Answer 18

To advise teenagers about the choices they had when they left school

Question 19

What was Labour’s emphasis on youth and university?

Answer 19

• Aimed for 50% of young people to go to university
• They believed this would produce the highly skilled workforce needed to compete in the globalised world economy

Question 20

Why were there concerns over youth issues?

Answer 20

The number of 16-24 year olds not in education or employment had increased to almost 20% by 2007

Question 21

What led to the Antisocial Behaviour Order and what was it?

Answer 21

• Fears over youth crime led to its introduction
• ASBO was a court order which would put limits on what the defendant could do (e.g. impose a curfew or ban someone from going somewhere)
• Breaching this was a criminal offence
• They aimed to prevent antisocial behaviour, such as graffiti, vandalism or intimidation
• by 2005, 46% of ASBO’s went to under 17 year olds

Question 22

What did the quick expansion of the European Union do?

Answer 22

Open the way for people from Central and Eastern Europe to move to Britain (included skilled workers, families of immigrants already in UK, foreign students, asylum seekers

Question 23

What is some of the evidence for Britain becoming a multicultural society?

Answer 23

1. 2002- 1st black cabinet minister appointed
2. Mosques became common in most British towns
3. London hosting the 2012 Olympics was partly based on it being the most diverse city in the world
4. Notting Hill carnival grew in popularity and attracted millions
5. A survey found that food such as curry was listed as the nation’s favourite
6. Schools, local governments and corporate organisations launched initiatives to celebrate the cultural background of ethnic minorities

Question 24

What is some of the evidence against Britain becoming a multicultural society?

Answer 24

1. The Macpherson Report published in 1998 about the murder of Stephen Lawrence identified problems of institutionalised racism in the Metropolitan Police
2. BBC chairman acknowledge that his workforce was ‘hideously white’ in 2001, believing the organisation didn’t do enough to employ ethnic minorities
3. Complaints that not enough emphasis was placed on the responsibilities of immigrants to properly integrate into Britain and some who were born in Britain were alienated from society and culture

Question 25

What were the terrorist events?

Answer 25

1. In London in 2005 52 people were killed as 4 suicide bombers attacked 3 underground trains and a bus
2. 2 weeks later 4 more suicide bombers attempted a similar attack

Question 26

What were the terrorist events?

Answer 26

1. In London in 2005 52 people were killed as 4 suicide bombers attacked 3 underground trains and a bus
2. 2 weeks later 4 more suicide bombers attempted a similar attack

Question 27

What were the responses to the 2005 terrorist attacks?

Answer 27

• Some argued that the reasons for this was because the terrorists had been alienated from British society, so peopled argued it was necessary to find out why they had been so alienated and how relations with ethnic minorities could be improved so they felt more British
• Common belief was that Britain’s foreign policy had dangerously alienated British muslims (especially Iraq war)
• Britain needed greater security

Question 28

What was the post of secretary of state for local governments and communities?

Answer 28

Created in 2006 to work with local communities to prevent extremism

Question 29

What did the Labour government do in response to the terrorist attacks?

Answer 29

1. In 2006 the government passed the National Identity Card Act, arguing identity cards were needed to fight terrorism (very controversial with public)
2. 2006 Terrorist Act increased the amount of time a suspect could be held without charge to 28 days

Question 30

How did the media respond to the terrorist attacks?

Answer 30

1. Pressure groups, Internet blogs and some sections of the national press claimed that they were a problem which threatened social cohesion
2. Some newspapers such as the daily express associated migrants with criminal behaviour and taking jobs away from British people

Question 31

What did opinion polls in the 2001 election show about immigration?

Answer 31

It was regarded as a vital issue by only 3% of voters

Question 32

What did economists argue about immigrants?

Answer 32

They benefited the economy:
- Filled labour shortages
- Brought valuable skills
- Set up useful small businesses
- Most migrants were young and healthy so didn’t make heavy demands on public services