D:Ream’s hit song Things Can Only Get Better was Labour’s campaign song. This poster echoes that optimistic – if vague – promise of a new start after 18 years of Conservative rule.
The extent to which Tony Blair had become the face of Labour was confirmed by his portrait dominating the party’s manifesto. Blair was incredibly popular with millions of voters and personified how far Labour had changed and was now in touch with their concerns.
Labour ran as a pro-EU party. But not everybody was keen on Europe. UKIP contested a general election for the first time in 1997 while the Referendum Party won 811,827 votes for its demand that all Britons be allowed to decide whether the country join the Euro.
It illustrated their claim that Labour had not changed and that Blair would say anything to win power. Provoking complaints from prominent figures, including the Bishop of Oxford, the party was forced to withdraw it.
But it was still the basis of this Conservative election broadcast.
]]>In the run up to the 1997 general election, the Conservative produced an infamous ‘Demon Eyes’ poster which showed Tony Blair as the Devil.
It illustrated their claim that Labour had not changed and that Blair would say anything to win power. Provoking complaints from prominent figures, including the Bishop of Oxford, the party was forced to withdraw it.
But it was still the basis of this Conservative election broadcast.