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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.

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…

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 Conservatives accept that…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…