The Labour Party

Question 1

LABOUR party;

When was it found?

Answer 1

1900- a cooperation of the trade union congress and the Independent Labour Party in order to rep. the interests of the working class.

Question 2

define old labour

Answer 2

associated with left wing principles of positive intervention to create a more equal society through higher taxes on the wealthy, nationalisation of public services and generous welfare provision .

Question 3

Remembered as a high point of democratic socialism for the Labour Party , Clement Atlees governments extensive system of social welfare consisted of what ?

Answer 3

The NHS (introduced by dedicated socialist health sec. Aneurin Bevan )
commitment to the pursuit of full employment
20% of econ. nationalised .

Question 4

When did the party move more towards the centre of the political spectrum?

Answer 4

A re-evaluation and modernization of party policies was introduced as ‘New Labour’ - by Neil kinnock, John Smith and passed down to Tony Blair (1997-2007)

Question 5

Tony Blair’s new labour policies included what?

Answer 5

Accepted some of Thatchers policies ( economic benefits of a free market economy) but also carried out several reforms they had promised in their manifesto as well as abolishing the right of most hereditary peers to sit in the HOL
And the minimum wage was introduced to help
The lowest paid

Question 6

When was it said to spell the “end of new labour” ?

Answer 6

When Blair resigned and Brown attempted to stabilize public finances during the global economic crisis 2009 by 50p top rate of taxation on incomes over £150,000.

Question 7

When was Corbyn elected as leader of the Labour Party?

Answer 7

2015

Question 8

What faction was established along with Corbyns leadership? And why?

Answer 8

The momentum was established to sustain corbyns leadership and encourage the spread of democratic socialist principles within the party

Question 9

What is included in democratic socialist principles ?

Answer 9

More government control in finance, nationalization and redistributive taxation

Question 10

What was the slogan for the 2017 labour campaign ?

Answer 10

“for the many not the few”

Question 11

What was different about the labour party’s manifesto in 2017 since 1983?

Answer 11

It was the most socialist

Question 12

What we’re corbyns economic policies in 2017 ?

Answer 12

Top rate of taxation of 45 % (remained in 2019)
Boost wages of 5.7 million ppl earning less than minimum wage to £10 hour by 2020
End to zero hour contract.

Question 13

2017 labour policies on education?

Answer 13

Scrap tuition fees
30 hrs of free childcare to all two year olds
Free school meals for all primary school children

Question 14

2017 labour manifesto promises on health and social care?

Answer 14

End hospital car parking charges
Scrap NHS pay cap
1 million ppl taken off NHS waiting lists by “guaranteeing access to treatment within 18 weeks”

Question 15

2017 labour manifesto promises on migration?

Answer 15

No cap on immigration

International students are not included in immigration numbers

Question 16

2017 labour promise on BREXIT?

Answer 16

Accept EU ref result and guarantee the rights of EU nationals living in the UK and work to “secure reciprocal rights” for UK citizens elsewhere in the EU

Question 17

Problems with 2017 manifesto?

Answer 17

Suggests a £50bn increase in tax which would take the tax burden of the country to the highest level it been in about 70 years - also a question of if yu can raise that amount of tax
Failure to prioritize enterprise rather prioritizes state intervention

Question 18

What did Harold Wilson achieve in his attempt to create a fairer and more equal society ?

Answer 18

based on govt.-led econ. expansion where the Open uni was established to open up higehr education for youngsters from poorer backgrounds and in order to pay for a generous welafre state, taxes on wealthy were increased under labour - 1979- top rate of taxation reached 83%.

Question 19

Define new labour / the third way

Answer 19

combines left wing commitment to social justice with a right wing emphasis on the value of free markets in encouraging economic prosperity.

Question 20

‘the longest suicide note in history’

Answer 20

referring to the commitments of the 1983 general elec. manifesto which included futehr nationalisation, increased taxation of wealthy

Question 21

what were the consequences of labours ‘ longest suicide note in history’

Answer 21

lab. share of the vote decreased from 36.9 % in 199 to 27.6% in the 1983 gen. elec. and so labour abandoned its most socialist policies and moved towards the centre after leadership of neil kinnock and John Smith.

Question 22

When was Tony blair elected as labour leader?

Answer 22

1994- transformed labour

Question 23

according to Anthony Giddens what did the third way represent?

Answer 23

a compromise between the extremes of socialism and capitalism

Question 24

new labour- wealth creation not …..

Answer 24

wealth redistribution

Question 25

What was a key moment in the development of new labour ?

Answer 25

1995 when clause IV of teh Labour party constitution was modified so that it abandoned its commitment to nationalisation and accepted the economic benefits of a free-market economy.

Question 26

What thatcherite feature did Blair adopt during his new labour reign and why ?

Answer 26

kept the top rate of taxation at 40% - wealthiest in society are wealth creators and the economy would grow faster if their taxes were kept low.

Question 27

How did blair modernise the UK’s constitution ?

Answer 27

modernisation through reforms like:

• European convention on human rights incorporated in british law in the Human Rights Act 1998
• Devolution through referendums to devolved assemblies like scot., wales and NI

Question 28

How can it be argued that New labour is still more socialist than it is capitalist?

Answer 28

Remained committed to social justice like former labour govts.

• 1997 introduced the minimum wage in order to help the lowest paid
• also significantly increased spending on public services

Question 29

give evidence for division between MP’s and the PM in the labour party

Answer 29

in 2016 - corbyns enthusiasm to remain in the UK through another EU ref. was challenged by the 172 L MP’s that supported a no-confidence motion against hi with only 40 L MP’s supporting his leadership .
- however members had largely supported his leadership

Question 30

give two factions of the L. party that are in conflict?

Answer 30

Momentum and progress - reflects division between old and new labour
progress- blairite members distanced themselves away from corbyns leadership

Question 31

give an example of how the faction’ and ideological differences influence conflict within labour

Answer 31

• new labour- blair adopted prev. introduced by thatcher - 40% rate of taxation - protecting economy- believing that the wealthiest in society are wealth creators and should be supported so that the econ. would grow faster if taces kept low
• corbyn- tax rate increase to 45% -