Political Parties - The Labour Party

  • Created at the start of the 20th century
  • Independent Labour Party, the Fabains, Social Democrats Federation and the Trade Unions Congress
  • By the 1990s, trade unions controlled 80% of the party
  • Formed to represent the working class
  • Decision to give all men aged 21 or above the vote meant they had a serious electoral challenge.
  • Socialism has been closely linked to the party
  • Revisionist Socialism aims to improve capitalism
  • Revolutionary Socialism aims to abolish capitalism and bring all property into common ownership
1918 Constitution:
  • Clause IV (4) provided a clear commitment to public ownership of key industries and redistribution of wealth. Old Labour liked state ownership, New Labour hated it and they changed it so that there would be less state intervention.
Labour Factions:
  • Those on the right by the 1970s thought that the public sector pay demands had to be resisted whereas those on the left favoured greater wealth distribution
  • Labour defeat in he 1979 General Election meant the party were in control by the left.
  • Brought around the most left winged manifesto the party had ever seen as it offered state control of all major industries, enhanced workers rights and withdrawal from NATO.
  • “Longest suicide note in history” – Labour MP Gerald Hupman
Old Labour vs New Labour:
  • After the General Election defeat of 1979, 83 and 87 the party set to break its appeal.
Old Labour
New Labour
Dogmatic
 Pragmatic approach
The party of working class
 Catch all party
Interventionist
 Favours market economy
Public sector provision
 Favours private-public relationship
Advocates social justice
 Advocates social inclusion
Supports universal welfare
 Supports targeted welfare

Labour Under Brown:
  • Concept of social justice was better than Blair
  • Forced to nationalise many banks
  • Had to return to Old Labour, the reputation of New Labour was gone
  • His attempt for Constitutional reform flopped
Labour Under Miliband:
  • He was keen to distance the party from New Labour
  • ‘Next Labour’ was the next thing but no one knew what it was
  • Backed by trade unions
  • Never established enough votes to carry the party
  • After an election defeat, it became clear that the party should return to its root.
Labour Under Corbyn:
  • It was a shock when he was elected as he was a backbench MP
  • His ideological positioning as a rebel backbench made it hard for him to demand or command the support of the party
  • More polarised leadership in the run up to the 2020 General Election
  • His policies were a step back to the polices before New Labour
  • His policies included: Full employment and economy that works for all, security at work, secure our NHS and social care, a national education service open to all, action to secure our environment, put the public back into the economy and services, cut income and wealth equally, action to secure an equal society and finally, peace and justice at the heart of foreign policy.
  • The party have been very divided as they were described my former chief “dangerously out of the touch of the electorate”
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