1 Labour Isn’t Working
Conservative Party, election poster, 1979
Even before the 1983 election Labour looked like it didn’t have the solutions to Britain’s biggest problems. <a href="http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/history-advertising-no-90-labour-isnt-working-poster/1281255">This 1979 Conservative Party poster</a> credited with helping Margaret Thatcher win the election held that year, made this point most forcefully.
2 The New Hope for Britain
Labour Party, 1983 manifesto
<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32287585" target="_blank">The Labour Party’s 1983</a> manifesto was heavily influenced by the party’s leftwing. It called for unilateral nuclear disarmament, higher taxes, withdrawal from the European Economic Community and greater state control of the economy. The leftwing believed these policies had great appeal but the party slumped to its worst defeat since 1935.</p>
3 Tony Benn
Election Leaflet, 1983
<p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/14/tony-benn-obituary" target="_blank">Tony Benn</a> was the figurehead of the Labour Party’s left. He had a strong influence on the party during the 1970s and 1980s. Benn believed the party should stick with the policies of 1983. But such was the scale of the defeat this looked unrealistic even to some of those who had once supported him.</p>
4. 1983: A Moral Triumph?
Guardian, 20th June 1983
5 Organise the Resistance
Article from London Labour Briefing, 1987
The election of Neil Kinnock as leader marked a change of direction for the Labour Party. Not everybody agreed. Jeremy Corbyn remained loyal to Tony Benn and called for Labour to confront the Conservative government rather than incorporate some of their more popular policies.
6 Various Labour policy documents and manifesto
1987-92
After losing again in 1987, support grew for further moderating – or ‘modernising’ - party policy. Much of this period was devoted to changing how the public viewed Labour, to move on from the party of class conflict.
7 We’ll win with Labour
Labour Party, election poster, 1992
<p>In 1992 Kinnock faced a divided Conservative government in the midst of a recession. Many believed this was Labour’s best chance since 1974 to win office. Despite a slick and confident campaign, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_1992" target="_blank">Kinnock failed once again.</a></p>
8 Southern Discomfort
Fabian Society, pamphlet, 1992
<p>Labour’s defeat provoked many inquests. <a href="https://digital.library.lse.ac.uk/objects/lse:hay897lip" target="_blank">This Fabian Society report</a> asked working class voters in Essex why they remained loyal to the Conservatives. It found they did not trust Labour to manage the economy and believed the party would misspend their taxes. Kinnock’s ‘modernisation’ had made little impact on them. These are some of the views the survey uncovered.</p>
<p>On home ownership: ‘It’s what you would dream of, having your own place, you think I’m doing really well, my own house, nice furniture, little garden, and all that’.</p>
<p>On class: ‘In a way, we’re not working class any more.’</p>
<p>On equality: ‘Rubbish – bloody rubbish.’ ‘It would never work in practice’. ‘Labour believe that everyone should be equal – except themselves of course’.</p>
<p>On welfare: ‘There will always be the lazy – why should we fill their pockets?’ ‘Why should you pay more tax if you work bloody hard?’ ‘Equality is I can sit back and have it on a plate.’ ‘Some people spend their whole lives on benefit – don’t want to work’.</p>
<p>Who is Labour for?: ‘Labour might be for the working class, but people don’t think they’re working class any more’. Labour is for ‘the poor’, ‘gays and ethnics’. ‘Labour … don’t believe in go-getters – they want everyone to be the same’</p>
1 Our Common Task
TUC pamphlet, 1993
<p>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 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1993/sep/30/labour.uk" target="_blank">reducing union influence in the party</a>, in 1993 Smith called a halt to further change.</p>
2 John Smith
Funeral service programme, 1994
<p>Conservative troubles meant Labour under <a href="http://www.johnsmithmemorialtrust.org/john-smith.aspx" target="_blank">John Smith</a> 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. However, this is an argument that cannot be proven one way or the other.</p>