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John Smith believed Labour lost the general election in 1992 because voters found Neil Kinnock unappealing. Smith was confident he had the skills to win over voters. After reducing union influence in the party, in 1993 Smith called a halt to further…

Conservative troubles meant Labour under John Smith enjoyed a lead in the polls. However in May 1994 he died. Some strongly believe that had Smith lived he would have led the party back to power without the transformations associated with Blair.…

“Of course, as opponents of the change immediately pointed out once it was announced, it was largely symbolic. No one except the far left ever really believed in Clause IV as it was written. In a sense, that was my point: no one believed in it, yet…

After Blair announced he wanted Clause IV revised, members were asked their views. Over 4,000 members responded and many of these opposed the change. At a special conference held in April 1995 58% of the party nonetheless supported Blair’s new…

Some believed the new Clause IV meant Labour had ceased to be ‘socialist’. Among those was Arthur Scargill, leader of the National Union of Mineworkers. Scargill left Labour in 1996 and established the Socialist Labour Party, for which 64 candidates…

Born into a middle class Conservative voting family. Blair’s political beliefs derived from a morality that echoed his religious faith