The Labour Party

Question 1

Old Labour and social democracy:

Answer 1

The Labour Party was founded in 1900 by a group of socialist societies and trade unions

Politically active working people had tended to support the liberal party but it was felt that working-class people needed a party specifically concerned with their interests

Known as the Labour representation committee until 1906 when it changed its name to the Labour Party

Wanted to get more working class MPs into Parliament to push for improved working and living conditions for the working class

Question 2

Old Labour and social democracy:

Answer 2

Old Labour focused on nationalisation redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor et cetera

left-wing ideology social democracy

Question 3

Old Labour and social democracy:

Answer 3

Clause 4 of the party’s 1918 constitution stated a commitment to the nationalisation of key industries and services so they run in the interests of the community rather than for profit alone

Question 4

Old Labour and social democracy:

Answer 4

1924 — first Labour government under Ramsay McDonald short lived administration with no overall majority

1929 to 31 — second labour government, frustrated and divided by the onset of the economic depression following the Wall Street crash, no overall majority

Question 5

Old Labour and social democracy:

Answer 5

1945 to 51 — The first majority Labour government under Clement Attlee and the first Labour government able to make real changes

Nationalised major industries such as coal and railways, introduced the NHS (Free healthcare at the point of need) and a comprehensive system of social security inspired by the wartime Beveridge report

Question 6

Old Labour and social democracy:

Answer 6

Postwar Labour governments were social Democratic

They did not try to abolish capitalism but aimed to manage it so it did not exploit the workforce, emphasise the importance of welfare policy in redistributing wealth and creating a fairer society

Creation of comprehensive schools intended to promote greater equality of opportunity (example of social democratic approach)

Question 7

Old Labour and social democracy:

Answer 7

James Callaghan was the last old Labour Prime Minister

defeated in 1979

Label was then divided between moderate social Democrats and more left-wing supporters

Labour lost the 1983 election Due to a hardline socialist program calling for further nationalisation increased taxation and spending abolition of Britain’s nuclear defences and withdrawal from the EEC which they viewed as a capitalist organisation

a new leader, Neil Kinnock, was elected who took steps to modernise the party and move it towards a left of centre position — He was the leader from 1983 to 92

Question 8

New Labour:

Answer 8

Following election defeat in 1979 and 1983 Labour attempted to broaden its support by moving away from its hard left position

They realised that their left-wing policies had become unpopular and appealed solely to the working class and would not be enough to win an election, especially since more people were becoming more affluent (middle-class expansion)

Question 9

New Labour:

Answer 9

Neil Kinnock began this process of modernisation and Tony Blair (leader from 1994 to 2007) completed it, successfully rebranding labour and winning the 1997 general election by a landslide

Blair then went on to win two other elections in 2001 and 2005

Blair dropped the party’s commitment to nationalisation by re-writing clause 4 Of the Labour Party constitution in 1995, developed links with the business community, less robust alliance with trade unions et cetera

He also became more pro-EU because the EU had adopted policies that protected workers rights (such as the social chapter)

Question 10

New Labour:

Answer 10

The party was rebranded new Labour also known as the third way as it aimed to find A middle way between old-style socialism and freemarket capitalism

The third way developed under the influence of progressive socialist thinker Anthony Giddens

Strong emphasis was placed on managing the media to project a more modern image of the party

Great efforts were made to ensure that labour demonstrated unity and discipline unlike the Tory party under John Major — this helped Blair win the 1997 election

Question 11

New Labour:

Answer 11

New Labour represented a revision of traditional old Labour values and ideas

it shifted more to the centre and appealed to the middle classes too rather than just having a heavy focus on the working-class (aimed to appeal to a wider class base)

Question 12

departure from socialism:

Answer 12

The creation of new labour aroused intense controversy

Many traditional socialists rejected the modernising efforts as a betrayal of their heritage they felt that Blair was too much at home with business leaders and too enthusiastic for market values, His close links with the US government culminating in the 2003 Iraq war further damaged his credentials as a progressive figure

But many supporters of new Labour argued that it was necessary to adapt to a changing society and gain more support otherwise labour as a whole may never see power again

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said it embodied “traditional values in a modern setting”

Question 13

departure from socialism: key features of New Labour

Answer 13

Wealth creation rather than redistribution

Sought to reduce poverty but did not make the elimination of inequality a priority

Introduced a national minimum wage which was a long-standing ambition of the Labour Party but it was only £3.60 an hour which was much lower than what trade unions wanted

Blair valued individual aspiration to a better quality of life as entirely natural and could be achieved through a persons efforts

Question 14

departure from socialism: key features of New Labour

Answer 14

Raising awareness on responsibilities to the community as well as rights

Sought to impose conditions on the receipt of welfare benefits

brought in legal measures to deal with antisocial behaviour called ASBOs (antisocial behaviour orders) which banned an individual from particular activities or entering a specific area

Blair declared that labour must be “tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime” and was willing to punish criminal behaviour while tackling poor social conditions

Question 15

departure from socialism: key features of New Labour

Answer 15

Responsibility in handling national finances

Aimed to differentiate themselves from earlier social Democratic administrations by conserving resources before investing more in key public services

e.g. increased national insurance contributions in 2002 leading to the largest ever rise in spending on the NHS which was a major turning point

Question 16

departure from socialism: key features of New Labour

Answer 16

Liberal ideology

Devolution (The transfer of power from central government to new representative bodies in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland) and the passing of the human rights act illustrate the influence of liberal ideology on new Labour

However they proved willing to curb Civil Liberties in the campaign against crime and terror for example by widening police powers extending the time suspects can be detained before being charged and proposing the introduction of identity cards

Question 17

departure from socialism: key features of New Labour

Answer 17

Enlisting the private sector to deliver public services

For example private finance initiative (PFI) contracts were awarded to private firms to build new schools and hospitals

Question 18

Labour leaders since 1945

Answer 18

Clement Attlee prime minister 1945 to 51

Harold Wilson Prime Minister 1964 to 70 and 74 to 76

Michael foot 1980 to 83

Neil Kinnock 1983 to 92

John Smith 1992 to 94

Tony Blair 1994 to 2007

Gordon Brown 2007 to 10

Ed Miliband 2010 to 15

Jeremy Corbyn 2015 to present

Question 19

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 19

Until the 20th century the working classes many of whom did not gain the right to vote until 1884 were largely represented by a collection of MPs and peers from both the liberal and conservative parties

When trade unions became legalised towards the end of the 19 century however the working-class at last had organisations which could represent their interests

It was therefore logical that the unions should begin to put up candidates for election to the UK Parliament

But the unions were not a political party and did not seek power a new party was needed and two parties of the left emerged

Question 20

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 20

The main Labour Party was created in 1900 and was very much an offshoot of the trade union movement

it was funded by the unions and many of its members were union leaders and members

Question 21

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 21

Before that in 1893 a Socialist party had already been founded known as the Independent Labour Party

In 1906 the ILP formed an agreement with the new Labour Party they agreed not to put a Parliamentary candidate against each other in the same constituencies

However this Agreement was short lived and the two parties began to go their separate ways

Question 22

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 22

the ILP was a genuinely Socialist party committed to the overthrow of capitalism and its replacement by a workers state, although by peaceful and democratic means

The Labour Party by contrast was a more moderate Socialist party which did not propose a workers state but simply wished to improve the conditions of the working class and to control the excesses of capitalism

The state as envisaged by Labour would seek to reconcile the conflicting interests of the working class with those of their employers

Both parties still contained extreme socialists some of which were Marxists who are perhaps better described as Communists but the distinction was essentially that the ILP was purely socialist while labour was a more moderate form of Socialist party generally known as democratic socialism

Question 23

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 23

Many of the characteristics of the development of the Labour Party can still be seen today

The party continues to be financed largely by trade unions and union leaders play a major role in the party organisation

Although the ILP no longer exists its traditions can still be found among a persistent group of left-wingers who form a faction within the Labour Party

Many of this faction were responsible for the election of Jeremy Corbyn a prominent left-winger as party leader in 2015

Some of them still promote the ideas that formed the basis of the ideology of the old ILP

Question 24

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 24

Democratic socialism is a moderate form of socialism that proposes to achieve its aims by democratic means

Its main objectives are to mix state control over production with market capitalism so that the interest of the working-class are advanced within a combination of state run welfare and major industries and smaller-scale free enterprise

Question 25

origins and development of the Labour Party: Labour since WW2

Answer 25

Labour first came to full power after its crushing victory in the 1945 general election

From then on labour became the U.K.’s second major party and regularly competed with the Conservative party for power

Question 26

origins and development of the Labour Party: Labour since WW2

Answer 26

However in the 1980s the party suffered two huge defeat at the hands of Margaret Thatcher is Conservative party

This ultimately resulted in a split in the party and some left to form a new party called the social Democratic party

some led by Michael foot and Tony Benn wished to return to old Labour values and move even further to the left While others led by Neil Kinnock and John Smith saw the future of the party lying in more moderate policies towards the centre of politics rather than the left

This branch of the party became known as new Labour and its policies were characterised as third way

After John Smith sudden death in 1992 Tony Blair became leader closely supported by Gordon Brown Robin Cook and Peter Mandelson — Blair lead the party to 3 election victories in 1997 2001 and 2005

Question 27

core values and ideas of the Labour Party:

Answer 27

Labour can be divided into two parts

1) Old labour (1900 - 1990s)
2) New labour (early 1990s until the present, when the party may well be spitting once again)

Labour is not a Socialist party — it is more accurate to describe old labour as democratic socialism and new Labour as social democracy

Question 28

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 28

Critics loosely describe the traditions of the Labour Party and socialism

But this is not entirely accurate, Labour was never a Socialist party — It did not propose a workers state and has never attempted to abolish capitalism

It is better described as a Democratic Socialist party

Question 29

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 29

the key value is equality

Unlike Marxists who pursue complete equality in living standards labour used to support redistribution of income to reduce the worst inequalities

A better characterisation of equality for labour is social justice

Labour has also always supported formal equality (equal treatment under the law)

Question 30

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 30

Old Labour supporters tend to see society in terms of class conflict

they argue that the interest of the two great classes the working and middle-class cannot be reconciled

so governments must favour the interests of the disadvantaged working-class

Question 31

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 31

Recognising that total equality was not feasible labour championed equality of opportunity which is the idea that all should have equal life chances no matter what their family background

Question 32

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 32

Collectivism is a general idea shared by socialists of all kinds

It is the concept that many other goals are best achieved collectively rather than individually

It includes such practical applications as the welfare state, trade unionism and the cooperative movement

Question 33

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 33

While radical left-wing Socialists support common ownership in general, old Labour saw common ownership mainly in terms of public ownership of major strategic industries run by the state on behalf of people

Question 34

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 34

Trade unionism is another key value

Old Labour recognised that workers were weak compared to employers

Support for powerful trade unions was therefore vital in restoring the balance of power between employers and workers

Question 35

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 35

Old Labour believed that the central state could play a key role in controlling economic activity and in securing social goals — this may be described as statism

By placing such responsibilities in the hands of the central state it insured equality of treatment for all

Question 36

core values and ideas of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 36

Welfarism is also important to old Labour

This is the idea associated with collectivism that every member of society should be protected by a welfare state to which all should contribute

Question 37

policies and actions of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 37

Old Labour had two main periods of power during which it could convert some of its values into practical reforms

These were 1945 to 51 and 1964 to 79

In those periods at various times labour converted values into political action

Question 38

policies and actions of the Labour Party: OLD LABOUR

Answer 38

The welfare state including the national health service NHS was created in the 1940s

Trade unions were granted wide powers to take industrial action in the interests of their members

Major industries were brought into public ownership (nationalisation) and state control in the interests of the community and the workers in those industries — among the industries nationalised were coal steel shipbuilding rail and energy

Taxes on those with higher incomes were raised in order to pay for welfare and to redistribute income to the poor

Comprehensive education was introduced in the 1960s to improve equality of opportunity

Discrimination against women and ethnic minorities was outlawed in the 1960s and 1970s and equal pay for women was introduced

Question 39

social democracy v socialism

Answer 39

Social democracy is a political ideology that accepts the basic premise of capitalism while advocating a more equitable distribution of wealth along the lines favoured by all socialists

Socialism is a political ideology advocating greater equality and the redistribution of wealth socialists are suspicious of capitalism and favour greater government intervention in both economic and social policy

Question 40

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 40

The Labour Party was created in 1900

Although the Independent Labour Party the Fabians and the social Democratic Federation were involved in forming a Labour representation committee in 1900, it is important not to underestimate the role of the trades union Congress TUC

In 1990, 94% of the Labour representation committee’s affiliated membership was from the unions and in the 1990s they still controlled around 80% of the votes at party conferences and provided a similar proportion of the party’s annual income

Question 41

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 41

The Labour Party was formed to represent the working classes at a time when the franchise had not yet been extended to such groups

The decision to give all men over 21 the vote in 1918 provided the Labour Party with the potential base of support necessary to launch a serious electoral challenge

Question 42

origins and development of the Labour Party:

Answer 42

The parties origins in the unions and socialist societies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries meant that it originally pursued an agenda centred on socialism

Question 43

strands of socialism

Answer 43

Broadly speaking socialism can be subdivided into two distinct strands

Revisionist or reformist socialism which looks to improve capitalism e.g. social democracy

Revolutionary or fundamentalist socialism which aims to abolish capitalism and bring all property into common ownership e.g. Marxist communism

Question 44

the 1918 constitution

Answer 44

The extension of the franchise to all adult men in 1918 coincided with the adoption of the new Labour Party constitution

Clause 4 of that constitution provided a clear commitment to public ownership of key industries and the redistribution of wealth

Question 45

Labour factions:

Answer 45

Despite its left-wing origins the party was home to a number of ideological factions by the 1970s

For example the Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan and those on the right of the party took the view that public sector pay demands had to be resisted

Whereas those on the left such as Michael foot and Tony Benn still favoured greater wealth redistribution

Question 46

Labour factions:

Answer 46

Labour’s defeat in the 1979 general election in the wake of the period of industrial unrest known as the winter of discontent saw those on the left gain control of the party under the leadership of Michael foot

He led labour into the 1983 general election with one of the most left-wing manifestoes in the parties history

It included commitments to state control of all major industries tighter regulation of business enhanced workers rights support for unilateral nuclear disarmament and withdrawal from NATO

At the time it was dubbed “the longest suicide note in history” by the Labour MP Gerald Kaufman And the manifesto was seen as a key factor in the Conservative party’s landslide victory

Indeed the manifesto was so left-wing in its approach that the Conservatives ran an advertisement in the daily Mirror newspaper carrying the tagline “Like your manifesto, Comrade”, drawing parallels between key clauses in labours programme and the provisions of the Communist manifesto