6. A greater emphasis on public services.
Labour Rose, Autumn issue, 2000’
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.
6 Socialist Labour Party pamphlet
1997
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 stood in 1997 receiving a total of 52,109 votes.
5. Economic Disaster
Labour Party, election poster, 2001
<p>Once regarded as the party of economic incompetence, Labour’s management of public finances during its first term allowed the party to turn the tables on the Conservatives in the 2001 general election. Labour also made the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/sep/03/conservatives.uk" target="_blank">Conservatives accept that spending on public services, rather than tax cuts, should be every government’s priority.</a></p>
5. Because Britain Deserves Better
Labour Party, election poster, 1997
Tony Blair, jacket informally cast aside, tie askew in a relaxed way, smiling, and looking optimistically upwards, was deliberately presented as the very model of a modern party leader.
5 The old Clause IV versus the new Clause IV
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.
4. Letters and response sheets from Labour members
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 Clause. Here are some examples from those who wrote in to the party.
4. Labour’s Next Steps
Fabian Society, pamphlet, 1997
The Labour government created a scheme to help children from poor backgrounds do better at school; launched initiatives to help the long term unemployed into work; and introduced a minimum wage. It is however leading New Labour figure Peter Mandelson’s offhand remark in 1998 that, “We are intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich as long as they pay their taxes” that many remember!
4. Labour's Tax Pledge
To reassure those who feared Labour would not be able to manage the economy, Blair promised to keep within Conservative spending plans during the first half of his government and maintain the top rate of tax across the Party’s entire term. When in power, however, Labour Chancellor Gordon Brown found ways to fund public services.