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.
9. The Financial Crisis
David Cameron claimed Labour ‘maxed out’ the credit card. Although increasing spending on public services, Labour’s overall expenditure as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product did not significantly rise. Immediately before the 2008 financial crisis, which forced the government to pay out billions to prevent banks collapsing, spending was close to that which it inherited in 1997
8. An affordable and more equal society?
<p>Britain became more unequal under the Conservatives during 1979-97.</p>
<p>What happened after 1997 is less clear. Measuring the distance between those at the very top and bottom, the Gini Coefficient suggests inequality increased. The 90:10 Ratio assesses the difference between those on more typical incomes and indicates it fell. Measures of relative poverty show pensioners and children became comparatively better off.</p>
<p>As a result of Labour’s initiatives to tackle unfairness, Conservative leader David Cameron claimed the government ‘maxed out’ the credit card and so was partly to blame for the impact of the 2008 financial crisis. Although increasing spending on public services, Labour’s overall expenditure as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product did not however significantly rise. Immediately before the 2008 financial crisis, which forced the government to pay out billions to prevent banks collapsing, spending was close to that which it inherited in 1997.</p>
<p>These graphs allow you make to make your mind up on both issues.</p>
7. Stop The War Coalition
<p>Many who voted for Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader in 2015 did so because he opposed Britain joining the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Blair was mistaken in thinking that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. For some, this tragic episode overshadows the positive achievements of the Labour government.</p>
<p>With permission from David Gentleman</p>
6. A greater emphasis on public services.
Labour Rose, Autumn issue, 2000’
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>
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!
3. John McDonnell thanks Labour members
June 1997
Labour members remained in a daze as to their party’s achievement and celebrated it for weeks after. The future Labour Shadow Chancellor and stern left-wing critic of Tony Blair was just one MP to mark the occasion.
2. ‘Blair’s babes’
May 1997
<p>The 1997 general election increased the number of female MPs to 121. 101 of these were Labour MPs. Women held major ministerial posts for the first time. They included Harriet Harman in the newly created role of Minster for Women, Margaret Beckett as Foreign Secretary and Jacqui Smith as Home Secretary. They were labelled by the media as ‘Blair’s babes’, a tag that columnist <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2001/mar/16/women.labour" target="_blank">Polly Toynbee condemned as misogynist.</a></p>
1. Private Eye Magazine
May 1997
There were always satirists who joked that Blair had sold Labour’s soul in exchange for Conservative votes and that his government was influenced by former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher. Every government misstep confirmed the satirists’ scepticism, while they overlooked Labour’s positive achievements.