Topic 6: Domestic Policy (1997-2007) Flashcards
4
Describe education policy under Blair
- ‘education, education, education’
- Huge increase in investment
- Emphasis on improving standards rather than old debates over Grammar Schools
- Retained Major’s league tables and inspections
7
Describe the positives of education under Blair
- Core ‘per pupil’ funding raised by 44% from 1997 to 2007
- Increase of 36k teachers and 154k support staff
- Teacher pay increased by 18%
- Capital investment increased eightfold (1997 to 2007)
- Achievement of 5 GCSEs with English and maths up from 36% to 45%
- By 2007, 43% of 18-30yo went to uni
- Sure Start programme proved successful
4
Describe the Sure Start programme
- Introduced by Brown in 1998
- Provided support for children u4 and families in disadvantaged areas
- Chldcare, health, education support
- Aimed to develop equality of opportunity before the start of schooling years
6
Describe the negatives of education under Blair
- Failed to meet target of 50% of students in HE by 2010 (though acheived significant students)
- 1/4 of 16-18yo not in education or training by 2007
- employees receiving job-related training unchanged on 15%
- 2004, university fees upped to £3000
- 500 of nearly 4000 secondary schools deemed to be failing by 2007
- Continuing trend of ‘postcode choice’
Tuition fees had been introduced in 1998 and set at £1000. Yet only those with family earnings over £35k threshold paid full amount
3
Describe crime policy under Blair
- As shadow HS in 1992, promised to be ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’
- Aimed to counter Conservative’s tough law and order policy
- Measures to reduce social exclusion paired wiith longer prison sentences
4
Describe positives in crime under Blair
- Crime fell by 35% (1997-2007)
- Steep falls in burglaries (55%) and car crime (51%)
- Backlog of asylum applications reduced from 60k to 6k
- ‘Respect’ campaigns transformed lives of vulnerable with 10k asbos and 300k spot fines
asbos - anti-social behaviour orders
4
Describe negatives in crime under Blair
- Prison numbers at record high of 80k by 2007
- Rises in teenage gun/knife frime despite new police powers
- 2/3 of inmates reoffended after leaving prison - rehabilitation process weak
- creeping authoritarianism: Anti-terrorism, crime and security Act 2001 (indefinite detention) and Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 (wanted 90 days, settled at 28 days)
4
Describe the biggest increase in NHS expenditure 2000
- 2000, stealth taxes permitted biggest rise in NHS expenditure
- Cancer and heart disease saw most investment
- mental health and maternity saw least
- Treasury-driven targets to shorten waits on casualty wards
5
Describe positives in health under Blair
- Spending rose from £34bn (1997) to £94bn (2008)
- 20k more consultants and GPs and 70k more nurses by 2008
- Waiting lists for operations fell by 384k in Blair’s tenure
- Biggest expenditure increase, 2000
- Public Health Act 2006 (effective 2007)
5
Describe negatives in health under Blair
- Blair did not promise increased health spending to make it level with the rest of Europe until 1999 following spate of deaths
- 43% of additional funding channeled into staff and pay rises
- Brought in private sector involvement to allow for competition - yet caused uncertainty among managers whether hospitals would survive growth of private units
- Drugs bill rose by 13%
- Number of beds fell by 15k (but there was more day case surgery)
2
Describe increased usage of the NHS under Blair (indicates confidence/pressure)
- number of people using NHS increased by 3% p.a.
- 75% in number of emergency calls
2
Describe the departmental rebranding to work and pensions
- Rebranding of ‘Department of Social Security’ to ‘Department of Work and Pensions’ in 2001
- epitomised promotion of work to end poverty
4
Describe work and pensions policy under Blair
- means-tested welfare
- Blair - ‘work for those who can, security for those who can’t’
- ‘New Deal schemes’ and tax credits aided young, over 50s into employment
- Redistribution schemes received little fanfare (to avoid criticism)
5
Descrive the positives of work and pensions policy under Blair
- Spending on child-related benefits increased by 53% (1997-2003)
- 700k children lifted out of poverty
- Number of single mothers in work rose from 45% to 56%
- 2006, announced plans to re-link basic state pension with earnings after Thatcher abolition
- Redistributive schemes (e.g. tax credits) saw poorest 10% gain 13% of national income (1997-2010)
3
Descrive the negatives of work and pensions under Blair
- Number of people claiming incapacity benefits rose from 2.3m to 2.7m
- Thousands of companies axed final salary pensions
- Waited until 2006 to announce re-link earnings and state pensions
final salary pension - a type of pension where annual income is based on final salary