Labour Governments 97-07

Labour Governments 97-07

1. Blair's Character & Ideology

   • away from tradition
     • modernisers
       • Mandelson
       • Brown
     • couldn't rely on working class votes
   • charismatic
     • supported Newcastle utd
     • 1997 'People's Princess'
       • popularity soared to 93%
   • accepted TU reform
     • 'Third Way'
   • no renationalization
     • quality of service more important
   • spin doctors
     • PR - Campbell
     • but now had influence on govt policy too
   • Legacy
     • Colley
       • deep religious bond Bush
       • superb political gifts
     • Ferguson
       • Thatcherism lite
       • NHS eats money
     • Finn
       • erosion of due process
     • Hobsbawm
       • headline grabbing legislation
         • Scot/Wal
       • NI Armistice into lasting peace
     • Hunt
       • silent maj valued his premiership
     • Kershaw
       • presidential style government
         • eroded authority of commons
     • Seldon
       • economic performance underpinned victories
       • embedded personal agenda late
       • pivotal role 15 to 27 EU states
       • hampered by hostility of Chirac & Schroeder
       • 9/11 + Diana 'language chimed nat mood
       • unfav CAP deal 02
       • mid-04 stopped Guy Verhofstadt becoming EU pres commission
         • free market Jose Manuel Barroso instead
       • 3rd term most successful
         • Historic accord 07 Adams/Paisley
         • Chirac/Schroeder gone
           • 05 Merkel 07 Sarkozy
             • JUl 05 Gleneagles G8 but Africa/Climate on agenda
               • market copied him at her summitt in Heiligendamm 07

2. 1 May 1997 electon

   • 419 Lab 179 Maj 165 Con
   • Marr: 'stunningly effective election winning machine'
   • Scrapping Clause V
     • attracted voters further to right
       • A/B social class +11% votes 92-05
       • C1 social class +7% votes 92-05
   • ERM Withdrawal
     • ruined Tory rep for good economic management
   • divisions in Tory cabinet
   • Not due to Blair
     • Black Wednesday - Labour's lead in polls increased to x2 digits
     • May 94 under Smith Lab was 23% ahead
     • June 94 - European elections Lab got 44%

3. First Term 97-01

   • in 01 their % of vote fell by 2.4%
     • larger than any Tory govt 79-92
   • Inherited Majors NI Peace Process
   • Brown's successful low inflation policies just continued Tory policy
   • public service reform agenda not existent yet
   • Tories internal market & city tech colleges scrapped
     • only to be 'repackaged'
   • 200 task forces & commissions
   • Marr 'Labour made promises it would break'
     • privitised ATC system
     • Tuition fees
     • cash for honours
       • had promised to end sleaze
     • overall tax burden increased

4. Economic Policy

   • 2.6% inflation 97
     • by 07 4.8%
   • gave BoE IR powers
   • Tory spending plans 97-99
   • Pensions
     • taxed firms for contributions
     • pension profits taxed
     • £8bil fall in value
     • savings ratio fell
   • Public Spending
     • Invested
       • NHS
         • PFI
           • firms built infrastructure
             • on 40 yr loans
       • Education
       • Welfare
     • Borrowing
       • spending on credit
         • unprepared for world recession
   • Employment
     • 2.5mil more in work by 07
     • by 07 5.4mil still on JSA
     • 37% increase public sector
       • unproductive
     • skills shortage
       • immigration
   • Gold
     • sold UK gold £ was based on amount of it
       • half of reserves
     • when price was low
       • lost £3bil
   • China trade
     • but silent on human rights abuses
   • Positive
     • BoE took control of IR
       • out of political arena
     • kept Tory spending plans
     • Employment grew 29.1mil vs 25 in 97
     • sale of gold half of reserves 99-02 13mil ounces
     • budgets kept inflation low
   • Negative
     • inf rose from 2.6% 97 to 4.8 in 07
       • after abandoning of Tory spending plans
         • by Nov 07 public sector net debt 36.7% GDP
     • Lynch: 'raid on pension provisions'
       • taxed dividends from firms
       • £8bn lost by 07
       • savings ratio fell from 9.7% 97 to 3.7% 07
       • UK share values £120b lower
         • value was based on dividend payments
     • increased NI contributions
     • removed marriage tax allowance for under 65s
     • removed tax reliefs on mortgage payments
     • reduced tax free saving £12000 to £7000 ISAs
     • 37% increased jobs in public sector
       • up 900k 97-07
       • undermined incentives, guaranteed
       • undermined democracy
     • gold lost £3bn according to 05 gold prices

5. Social Policy 01-07 'New Deal'

   • Repeal of Section 28, 03
     • Local Govt Act 88
     • Local Govt Act 03
     • delayed by lords' resistance
     • reduce stigma
       • could now promote homosexuality
     • Civil Partnership Act 04
       • little parliamentary dispute
         • Tories supported
       • same-sex got same legal rights & protections
     • Gender Recognition Act 04
       • transsexuals got right to legally change gender
       • & marry someone of newly assigned gender
   • Poverty
     • 99 - 10% tax payable on 1st £1500 income to help 1.8mil low earners
     • Frank Field says welfare stifled work incentives
     • March 09 stock of childcare places x2 97 level at over 1.5mil
       • by 02 only 7% kids social classes 4/5 not getting nursery ed vs. 17% in 97
     • 'Baby bonds' - born after 02 got £250 voucher to start & extra £250 when they turn 7
     • Working families tax credit
       • Child tax credit 03 for incomes less 60k
         • by 06 700k kids lifted out of poverty
           • but 300k kids still in poverty, didn't meet target
         • Kitty Stewart 'fairer & more equal'
       • helping single parents but dependency culture
     • By 05 16% pop on low incomes vs 31.% in 90s
     • personal debt of 1400bil
     • Winter Fuel Allowance £100 in 97
       • money wasted on wealthy pensioners
     • pensioner poverty fell from 29% 96/7 to 17% 05/6
     • JSA 98
       • rebranded
       • prove your searching for work
       • 25 mil claim 03-08
   • Employment & Workers
     • Successes
       • Employment Act 04
         • required strike ballots
       • 10% increase in public sector employment by 04
       • 7% increase in chances of finding work
       • by 06 2mil more in employment than in 97
       • 99 min wage introduced
         • £3.60 to £5.35 by 06
         • 'make work pay'
         • raised wage of 1.5mil workers
     • Failures
       • By 07 21% pop economically active, same as in 97
   • Law & Order
     • Police Reform Act 02
       • PCSOs
         • not police, limited powers
         • reduce 'them & us' attitude
     • promised to be tough on causes of crime
       • dispel Labours image as soft on crime
     • 40 acts of parliament
       • 3000 new criminal offences
       • reduction rates of crime
         • international phenomenon
     • Balance between civil liberties & public safety
       • Nov 05 Commons defeat
         • over attempt to include in terror bill provision for detention without trial for up to 90 days
           • 49 Lab MPs vote against
       • Charles Clarke resigns APril 06 over inability to convict foreign criminals
   • Health
     • 2000 spending review
       • biggest cash injection since 49
       • increased 7% year on year
         • to average level of EU
       • waiting times fell
       • 93-03 consultants increased 9% & practice nurses 30%
       • tripled in cash terms 30bil 97 to 90bil 07
     • Problems
       • Brown was anti foundation hospitals
       • in 03 it was discovered that for every extra 10% invested in health there was a 4% increase in output
       • few spending changes 97-99
       • improvement in heart & cancer survival rates
         • international trend
         • UK's successful breast cancer screening programme started in 80s
       • changes in working practices could hasve netted inexpensive results
       • obesity & diabetes to be tackled
       • ageing population, equipment costs
     • '24 hrs to save the NHS'
   • Education
     • Problems
       • tartget of 50% in post 16 ed led to 98 Teacher & Higher Ed Act
         • tuition fees!
           • by 03/4 43% students paid full
             • BUT 43% exempt
             • used Dearing report
           • arbitrary target of 50% pop having gone uni by age 30
       • 50% kids leaving primary at 11 fell below lit/num targets
       • promised 01 election not to introduce top up fees
         • Brown switched back to Blairs pro fee side
           • Majority just 5 votes - 04
           • BUT - low income families could defer payment
     • Successes
       • budget up 6% year on year
         • 21.43bil 97/8 to 43.36bil 05/06 in current terms
         • funding for school building over doubled
       • class sizes fell
         • 97, 33% kids 5-7 taught in over 30
         • fallen to 14% by 07
       • Salaries & PPA time
         • TA's to improve working conditions
         • performance related pay
       • EMA increased post 16 no's
         • 50% target
       • by 06 46 city academies had been made
       • no. failing schools fell by 1k
     • 95: 'education, education, education'
       • accepted financial delegation, national curriculum & regular inspections

6. Consitution

   • 97 manfiesto
     • Referendums Scot/Welsh Devolution & English Regional Govt
     • Election of Mayors for London & other maj cities
     • Hereditary peers lose right to vote in Lords
     • ECHR incorporated into British Law
     • Electoral reform referendum
     • freedom of info legislation
   • Views:
     • Gamble: 'up to 03 never devoted whose speech to constitutional reforms'
     • Gamble: 'most far reaching programme of constitutional reform since 1832'
   • Devolution
     • Sept 97
       • Wales ref - assembly no tax raising powers, secondary not primary legislation
       • Created 98 - came in 99
       • Fixed terms 4 yrs
       • PR system - stopped SNP majority
       • AMS voting
     • Scotland ref
       • 3/4 say yes
       • 63.5 yes to tax raising powers
       • Lab/Lib Coalition
         • Donald Dewer 1st mster
     • Blair not enthuasistic
       • Smiths baby
       • only accepted it
     • Wales ref passed narrow margin
       • only just over 50% turnout
       • 03 - 38% turnout
         • Trent: 'second order elections'
     • B. Formula - spending high in Sco - tuition fees
     • Blair imrposed Michael as Wlsh 1st mster agst Lab assembly - lost 00 no confidence
     • Scot MPs vote on English issues, West Lothian Q
       • Labs advantage
     • Reg Assembly Nor east defeated 04 78% - Prescott abandoned
       • councils rej mayoral elections
     • SNP Maj 07
     • 49.4% low turnout Scot parl election 03
   • Electoral Reform
     • possible alliance with Ashdown Lib Dem leader
     • No need of support from Lib Dems due to 179 maj
     • Commission on electoral reform
       • Roy Jenkins chaired Oct 98
         • recommended AV+
     • no serious attempt to take it further
   • Mayor of London
     • Grter Ldn Auth Act 99
     • Assembly 25
       • after referendum
     • Livingstone won 2000 election
       • remained for 8 yrs
       • high profile devolved leader
     • Looney left of 80s, damage image of 'New Lab'
   • Parliament
     • Lords Act 97
       • removed right to sit in house all but 92 hereditary peers
         • removed Tory maj in lords
     • 'Peers saw themselves as more legitimate' Cowely
       • opposed terror laws 01
     • less ambitious than federation
     • no elections for upper chamber
     • Cash for Honours 06
   • Human Rights Act 98
     • incorp ECHR into UK law
       • entrenchment
         • incomp with parl sovereignty
         • parl could change
           • sup court couldn't stop bills
     • protects terror suspects
       • but 04 attempt to indefinately detain
         • Belmarsh Case
         • +06 Afghan terror - sending back would violate HR
     • organisations couldn't bring litigation
   • Freedom Info 00 (05), but stipulations)