The Labour Party (PP 2.2b) Flashcards
When was Labour formed, and what two organisations formed this original Labour Party?
The Labour Party was only formed in 1900.
It was formed by two sets of organisations.
The trade unions
> Working-class people in Britain
> Demanding better wages and conditions and shorter working hours.
Socialist organisations.
> i.e. the Fabian Society
> Sought to link the trade unions for a project of socialist change in the UK. (i.e. end of capitalism, or reforms to improve the position of the working class through, for example, better housing, sick pay or pensions.)
By the 1922 General Election, what had Labour achieved politically?
Labour had overtaken the Liberals to become the second largest party behind the Conservatives.
What happened with Labour in 1945, and how did they achieve this?
In the 1945 election, Labour under its leader Clement Attlee won a massive landslide victory with a majority of over 140 seats.
> They achieved this on a programme of radical reform.
These policies are often called “Old Labour” policies. Sometimes they are called “1945 socialism” but the policy framework established was followed by both (One Nation) Conservative and Labour governments through the 1960s and 1970s.
What were the main welfare policies that Labour campaigned on in the 1945 election?
Creation of a welfare state
> Introduced the NHS in 1948
> Expanded council housing
> Created a system of welfare benefits
> Introduced free secondary school education
What were the main economic policies that Labour campaigned on in the 1945 election?
Regulated form of capitalism
> Committed to using Keynesian policy to stop unemployment from rising too high.
Nationalisation
> Key industries were taken into state ownership particularly coal mining, iron and steel production, the railways, and some other transport; the production and distribution of energy; and water.
> This was a relatively small proportion of the economy (around 10%) and was seen by the government as a one-off exercise, not the start of a process of nationalising more of the economy.
What were the main foreign policies that Labour campaigned on in the 1945 election?
Sought an alliance with the USA (the “Special Relationship”)
> Central to creation of NATO
> Willingness to see the British Empire end
What are these 1945 Labour policies usually seen as?
Old Labour
What happened to Labour by, and within the 1970s, in relation to economic policy and events?
By the 1970s, the policies Labour had pursued since 1945 seemed increasingly ineffective.
> Keynesian policies no longer managed to curb rising unemployment, and inflation soared to alarming levels, peaking at 23% in 1975,
The Labour government of the 1970s also faced the bankruptcy of key industries, leading it to nationalise several, including much of the British car industry.
What happened to Labour within the 1980s and 1990s in relation to internal and external politics?
A robust left-wing faction emerged within the Labour Party
> After 1983, Labour initiated a project to shift the party towards the political centre and to accept some of Thatcher’s reforms.
- Consequently, Labour spent a total of 18 years out of power.
What project was established by Blair, after being elected as Labour leader in 1994, and why was this done?
- Many in the Labour Party’s leadership thought that Labour had not gone far enough in moving the party to the right.
- Tony Blair became Labour leader in 1994 and launched the “New Labour” project, also known as the “Third Way”.
What election result occurred as a result of the establishment of “New Labour”, and why was this important with context?
Blair’s “New Labour” project helped Labour win the 1997 election.
> By this stage, the Conservatives had been in power for 18 years, appeared to have run out of new ideas, and were increasingly embroiled in internal battles over the EU.
What were the key economic policies of “New Labour” under Blair, in terms of maintaining previous economic policy?
Maintain the New Right/Thatcherite policies on the economy.
> Promised no return to the “old Labour” policies of state regulation and Keynesianism, believing that Thatcher had created a more prosperous economy that did not require interference.
What were the key welfare policies of “New Labour” under Blair?
Spend more on welfare and public services.
> Increased funding
> Reform public services (i.e. in education)
- Improved constitutional reform
> Human Rights Act
> Devolution of power to regional governments
What were the key foreign policies of “New Labour” under Blair, and what event changed his foreign policy?
9/11; 2001 changed this trajectory.
> Blair became one of the staunchest allies of the USA in its wars in Afghanistan from 2001 and Iraq from 2003.
> This stance was opposed by many Labour supporters and tarnished Blair’s image.
What were the two events that damaged the reputation of Blair’s government, and the entire New Labour project?
The Iraq War (and general support post-9/11)
2007/8 financial crisis
What ruined Labour’s reputation for economic competence, and what was the result of this?
Labour government had been built on the assumption that a lightly regulated economy would continue to deliver growth and tax income, which would fund public services.
> Model fell apart in 2007 when the financial crisis hit.
> UK economy had grown rapidly by boprrwing heavily in a risky manner, and Labour was forced to spend huge sums of money to keep the economy running.
> Led to high government debt
> Ruined Labour’s economic competence
> Brown eventually lost the 2010 election
Who was Labour leader in 2010-2015, what did they try to do, and what was the result?
Labour elected a new leader, Ed Miliband, in 2010.
> Moved away from Blair’s New Labour back to more traditional Labour policies but lost the 2015 election to the Conservatives by a large margin.
Who was elected in 2015 after Miliband resigned?
Shockingly, Jeremy Corbyn (a left-wing ‘relic’ of the Labour Party) managed to get on the ballot for leadership accidentally, and a huge surge in support for Corbyn and his election as leader by members occurred.
> He was appointed leader in 2015.
Why was the Corbyn leadership problematic from the onset?
Vast majority of MPs did not accept his leadership
> Rejected New Labour and pursued policies which would have undone Thatcher’s reforms
> Proposed radical policies, little different to the policies of the 1950s and 1960s
What were the key policies of Corbyn?
- Nationalisation of gas, electricity, water, railways
- Expanded role for the state in economic development
- Increased NHS funding
- Higher income tax rates
- Abolition of tuition fees for university students
What were Corbyn’s policies a partial return to?
This was a partial return to the kind of policies that had been normal for Labour governments up to 1979
> Fairly standard “Old Labour”/social democratic stance.
How did Labour end up doing in 2017, what happened between 2017 and 2019, 2019, and what happened in early 2020?
Labour did well in the 2017 general election.
> Corbyn’s policies were generally popular
> Default party for those who opposed Brexit.
In the years from 2017 to 2019, Corbyn’s popularity declined, and he was increasingly seen as an ineffectual leader.
> Weak 2019 manifesto and calls of anti-semitism
Labour did badly in the 2019 election, winning only 32% of the vote
> Corbyn resigned in early 2020, with Starmer elected in 2020.
What is the fundamental division in ideology within the Labour Party?
Social democratic ideas (or “Old Labour”)
> 1945 to 1979.
> Corbyn (2015-2020)
Third way ideas (or “New Labour”).
> Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. (97’-10’)
What is socialism?
Socialism is a broad family of ideologies ranging from revolutionary Marxism to moderate parties in the centre of the political spectrum.
> Create greater equality of outcome in society.
What do fundamental socialists aim for?
Fundamentalist socialists aim for complete equality of outcome.
What do moderate socialists strive for?
More moderate socialists strive for greater equality within the existing system.
What would fundamential socialists think about capitalism, compared to more moderate socialists?
Fundamentalist socialists
> Replace capitalism, which is based on private ownership of industry, with a system of collective ownership.
Moderate socialists may not seek to entirely replace capitalism but aim to incorporate more collective ownership within it.
What is common/collective ownership, and fundamential socialists think about it, compared to more moderate socialists?
This involves taking significant economic resources into public ownership, such as banks, industry, transport, and energy companies.
Moderate socialists might focus on nationalising specific sectors rather than the entire economy (fundamental socialists).
What is collectivism, and what would fundamential socialists think about it, compared to more moderate socialists?
Socialists envision a society with a large degree of collective provision compared to the liberal and New Right emphasis on individualism. For example, the NHS represents a socialist element within the current system. Socialists advocate for more collective provision in areas like housing, transport, and basic necessities. Some even propose collective childcare to reduce the family’s burden.
More moderate socialists believe that some essential public services (health, education) need to be collectively provided but accept that many aspects of people’s needs will be met privately.
What would fundamential socialists think about the working class, compared to more moderate socialists?
Socialism is often linked to class struggle, where the working class, seen as the source of capitalism’s profits, seeks to end the system that enriches a few at their expense.
Even moderate socialists, like those in Old Labour, consider the working class their electoral base.
What would fundamential socialists think about social equality, compared to more moderate socialists?
Socialists advocate for strong equality of outcome, ensuring everyone has a more or less equal share of society’s wealth.
At a minimum, this involves redistributive taxation policies to fund public services and prevent poverty.
More radical socialists directly tie greater equality to the abolition of capitalism.
What would fundamential socialists think about the way to achieve socialism, compared to more moderate socialists?
There is no consensus among socialists on the means to achieve their goals. Some are revolutionaries who believe in a violent overthrow of capitalism.
Others support a peaceful path, such as electing a left-wing Labour government to implement policies through the legislative process.
Moderate socialists all support electoral and parliamentary politics.
What type of socialism does Old Labour/social democracy support?
This represents a moderate form of socialism, introducing socialist elements alongside capitalism.
It emphasises values like greater equality and collective provision.
What type of socialism does New Labour/”Third Way” support?
This is arguably not a form of socialism at all, as it does not prioritise greater equality or collectivism. Instead, it seeks capitalist growth benefiting all societal groups, though not equally.
What is the most important thing to understand about socialism and the Labour Party?
Understanding socialism is crucial to recognising that, to a large extent, the Labour Party supports, at most, only moderate forms of socialism.
What are the general ideas of social democracy (“Old Labour”)?
Fairer and more equal society
> Distribution of wealth from the rich to the poor.
> Humane capitalism incorporating socialist thinking.
What are the key ideas of “Old Labour”?
Greater social equality
Equality of opportunity
Strong commitment to the welfare state.
> NHS, social housing
Economic Regulation
> State regulation; no free-market capitalism (constraints necessary; Keynesian policy)
A focus on the working class
What are the general ideas of New Labour (“Third way”)?
A new set of values to replace old social democratic ideas.
> A middle path between New Right policies and social democratic ideas
What are the key ideas of New Labour (“Third Way”)?
Acceptance of free-market capitalism
“Relaxed” about inequality of wealth
Creating social inclusion (“education, education, education” - Blair)
Increasing police presence to enhance stability and improve life chances.
Communitarianism (importance of communities)
A role for the welfare state (“a hand-up, not a hand-out” - Clinton)
What are the similarities between Old Labour and New Labour?
- Welfare State
- Eliminating poverty
- Social inclusion
- Equality of opportunity
- Atlanticism
What are the similarities between New Labour and the New Right?
- Moderate/minimal economic regulation
- Tight on law and order
- Acceptance/use of laissez-faire capitalism
- Thatcherite economy
- Privatisation
- Less worried about inequality of wealth
What is the economic policy of New Labour, in terms of economic regulation, state-owned industry, economic intervention and taxation?
Economic regulation
> Rejected Keynesian economic policy, in favour with the free-market
> Turned to a policy of “quantitative easing” post-financial crisis
State-owned industry
> Preferred public-private partnerships (i.e. hospitals built and maintained by private companies, and rented back by the NHS)
Economic intervention
> Did not intervene until the financial crisis; focused on an educated workforce
Taxation
> Did not want to raise income tax; did increase “stealth taxes” allowing for partial redistribution of wealth
What is the general picture in terms of policy between New Labour, Corbyn and Starmer?
Under New Labour, policy shifted on many issues to the centre, or even centre-right of the political spectrum. This is especially true of economic policy, but less so of welfare policy.
Under Corbyn, there was a definite shift back to “Old Labour” or social democratic policies. However, the policy was often cautious and not as strongly left-wing as sometimes assumed.
Under Starmer, there has been a shift back to the centre ground. The leadership is particularly unwilling to commit to anything that looks like an unaffordable spending pledge. As a result, the party often avoids making clear pledges to policies that would cost money, leading to much policy being vague.
What is the economic policy of Corbyn (Old Labour), in terms of economic regulation, state-owned industry, economic intervention and taxation?
Economic regulation
> Would borrow for investment in areas they believed would grow the economy
> Promised to set up a state-owned National Bank
State-owned industry
> Promised to nationalise many industries privatised by Thatcher (rail, water; creating new energy distrubution companies)
Economic intervention
> Promised far greater intervention; National Bank
Taxation
> Promised to raise taxes on the highest paid; highest earners to 50% from 45%
What is the economic policy of Starmer (current), in terms of economic regulation, state-owned industry, economic intervention and taxation?
Economic regulation
> Reduce government debt
State-owned industry
> Opposes nationalising energy companies; supporting the private sector
Economic intervention
> Increased public spending by 2% of GDP annually for five years
Taxation
> Heavy taxation increases (especially NICs and Capital Gains Tax)
What is the welfare policy of New Labour, in terms of the NHS, social care, benefits and pensions?
NHS
> Massive spending increases
> Internal market and public private partnerships
Social care
> Allowed private care sector to grow
> Did not reform much
Welfare benefits
> Largely left unreformed
Pensions
> State pensions rose considerably
> Winter Fuel Payment
What is the welfare policy of Corbyn (Old Labour), in terms of the NHS, social care, benefits and pensions?
NHS
> Promised to increase spending by 4.3% p.a for five years
> Reverse use of private providers for services
Social care
> Promised a national care service
Welfare benefits
> No promises to increase levels; wanted to abolish Universal Credit
Pensions
> Promised to maintain the “triple lock”
What is the welfare policy of Starmer (current), in terms of the NHS, social care, benefits and pensions?
NHS
> Additional £22.6 billion allocated
Social care
> Left unreformed so far (larger issues)
Welfare benefits
> Refused to lift the “two-child cap”
Pensions
> Retained the “triple-lock”
> Lowered the age of auto-enrolment for workplace pensions
What is the law and order policy of New Labour, in terms of policing?
Policing
> Introduced tough law and order policies (i.e. ASBOs and holding terrorist suspects without trial)
> Held the Macpherson Inquiry (found the police to be “institutionally racist”) after the death of Stephen Lawrence
What is the law and order policy of Corbyn (Old Labour), in terms of policing?
Policing
> Promised to increase police numbers, and take social measures to reduce crime (i.e. youth services, better facilities)
What is the law and order policy of Starmer (current), in terms of policing?
Policing
> Appointed Timpson as Prisons Minister (employs ex-offenders)
> Looks at alternatives to prison (i.e. rehabilitation)
> Harsh on certain offences (i.e. anti-asylum seeker rioters)
What is the foreign policy of New Labour, in terms of NATO and the EU?
NATO
> Fully committed to NATO and nuclear weapons
> Keen supporter of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
EU
> Very strong supporter
> Rejected Euroscepticism
> Did not join the Euro
What is the foreign policy of Corbyn (Old Labour), in terms of NATO and the EU?
NATO
> Long-standing opponent of nuclear weapons and NATO
> Party remained in favour
EU
> Corbyn’s Labour opposed leaving the EU, but not very strongly, as Corbyn himself opposed the EU
What is the foreign policy of Starmer (current), in terms of NATO and the EU?
NATO
> Keen supporter of NATO and the US alliance
> Committed to increase spending on the military from 2% of the GDP to 3%
EU
> Accepted the Brexit referendum
> Promised closer links with the EU; seeking an easier relationship but not joining back
What are the main ideological divides in terms of factions within the Labour Party?
- New Labour/the “Blairites” (on the right)
- The soft-left (middle, most MPs aligned)
- The hard-left (very influential under Corbyn)
What are the six big factions in the Labour Party?
Progressive Britain
Labour First
Compass
SCG (Socialist Campaign Group)
Momentum
Campaign for Labour Party Democracy
What is Labour First, when was it founded, why, what does it focus on, and what is its current position within the Labour Party?
Formed in the 1980s
> Voice of the “old Labour right”
> Pro-NATO, pro-EU, pro-Atlanticism
> Favour policies on the centre ground
What is Progressive Britain, when was it founded, why, what does it focus on, and what is its current position within the Labour Party?
Founded in 1996
> Support the leadership of Tony Blair in the run-up to the 1997 election; kept the New Labour flame burning. Under Corbyn, they organised much more strongly as a faction to oppose his leadership.
> Well-funded; has found renewed influence under the leadership of Starmer.
Progressive Britain does not have a formal group of MPs but does have a network of like-minded MPs with which it works. It claims 1,500 members.
What is Momentum, when was it founded, why, what does it focus on, and what is its current position within the Labour Party?
Formed in 2015
> Support Jeremy Corbyn when he was elected as Labour Party leader.
> At its peak, it had 42,000 members, nearly 10% of all Labour members.
> Influence has significantly diminished post-Corbyn, but still exists
What is Compass, when was it founded, why, what does it focus on, and what is its current position within the Labour Party?
A centre-left (or soft-left) group in the party, mainly aiming to organise party members.
> Seeks compromise; moderate left
> Set up in 2003
> Wants a “progressive alliance” with other left-of-centre parties (i.e. LibDems and Green)
What is the SCG (Socialist Campaign Group), when was it founded, why, what does it focus on, and what is its current position within the Labour Party?
Formed in 1982
> Hard left among Labour’s MPs
> Under Corbyn, influence became much greater; many members gained shadow ministerial posts
- Membership has since declined (leading members expelled, influence declined under Starmer)
> Likely has around 23 MPs currently
What is the CLPD (Campaign for Labour Party Democracy), when was it founded, why, what does it focus on, and what is its current position within the Labour Party?
Longstanding left-wing group
> Formed in 1973 to demand greater democracy within the party.
> CLPD were important early supporters of Jeremy Corbyn.
