What are the origins of New Labour?

Britain – The Era of New Labour, 1997-2010

In this course, Professor Richard Toye (University of Exeter) explores the era of New Labour. In the first lecture, we think about the origins of New Labour. In the second lecture, we think about New Labour’s economic policies. Next, we think about New Labour’s views on Europe and foreign policy. In the fourth and final lecture, we think about what led to Labour’s loss of power in 2010.

What are the origins of New Labour?

In this lecture, we think about the origins of New Labour, focusing in particular on: (i) Tony Blair’s recounting in his autobiography of the hopeful yet daunting feeling of bringing New Labour into power in 1997; (ii) Blair’s election victories in 2001 and in 2005; (iii) the self-presentation by New Labour as something new in their publications and broadcasts; (iv) the balancing act performed by Blair and his supporters between presenting New Labour as new, but also as holding true to the traditional values of the Labour Party; (v) one key new direction for New Labour being the move away from nationalisation, towards an increasingly globalised economic world; (vi) Hugh Gaitskell’s attempts, prior to Blair’s success, at removing Clause IV from the Labour Party constitution, which pushed for the common ownership of the means of production; (vii) Harold Wilson’s connection with progress in the modern world and his 1963 speech, in which he outlined Labour’s plans to forge Britain in the “white heat” of a technological revolution; (viii) Labour’s electoral defeat in 1983 and subsequent threat from the Social Democratic Party (SDP); (ix) Neil Kinnock’s focus on reforming Labour policies in the same direction that Blair was later able to achieve, including abandoning unilateral nuclear disarmament and moving away from the proposal to withdraw from the European Economic Community (EEC), now the European Union (EU); (x) Peter Mandelson’s self-proclaimed vital roles in Blair and Brown’s governments; (xi) Labour’s image changes, including its use of soundbites for election material and changing its flag logo to a rose; (xii) Labour’s loss of the 1992 General Election to John Major’s Conservatives; (xiii) John Smith’s leadership of the Labour Party after Neil Kinnock’s resignation in 1992; (xiv) the 1992 sterling crisis, known as Black Wednesday, and its negative impact on the Conservative Party; (xv) John Smith’s death in 1994, which led to Tony Blair’s election as Labour leader and Labour’s subsequent success through a clear identity and catchy slogans; (xvi) Labour’s landslide victory in the 1997 election; (xvii) Labour’s focus on supporting businesses, helping achieve its success in 1997.