The British Labor Party

Paper Summary:

The paper notes that the British Labor Party that came into existence at the start of the 20th century as the representative of the working class with a socialist agenda, has undergone a radical change in its ideology, particularly in the last few decades. This paper explores the origins of the party, its socialist ethos, and the extent to which the modern Labor Party can be described as socialist.


Outline:
Origins of the Labor Party
The Socialist Ideology of the Labor Party
The Legacy of Thatcherism
Unfavorable Times for the Left
Abandoning the 'Socialist' Totem
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The answer, of course, is that the modern Labour's policies are perhaps closer to that of the Conservatives and neo-liberals rather than to the socialist policies of the old Labour. Even before Blair became a long-serving Prime Minister of Britain in 1997 he had expressed an unusual admiration for the "the Thatcher-Reagan leadership" of the 1980s by stating that they "got certain things right. A greater emphasis on enterprise. Rewarding, not penalizing, success. Breaking up vested interests". Indeed, even some of the Tory columnists, like William Rees-Mogg of The Times, wrote admiringly of the way the Blair leadership could now "accept right-wing policies which Margaret Thatcher did not even contemplate in the 1979 manifesto" even before the New Labour had come to power. Blair's performance in government did not disappoint his right-wing supporters either. He was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of globalization, "free market" economy and a willing handmaiden to multinational corporations".

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hills, J, 1998, Thatcherism, New Labour and the Welfare State, CASEpaper Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion: London School of Economics. Available from <http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/dps/case/cp/Paper13.pdf> [April 27, 2008]
• History of the Labour Party, 2008, New Labour for Britain, Available from <http://www.labour.org.uk/history_of_the_labour_party> [April 27, 2008]
• King, A., Denver, D., McLean, I., Norris, P., Norton, P., Sanders, D., et al. (1998). New Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House Publishers.
• The Labour Party Manifesto: 1983, 2008, British Party Election Manifestos Since 1945, Available from <http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/man/lab83.htm> [April 27, 2008]
• Pelling, H. A. (1961). A Short History of the Labour Party. London: Macmillan.

More papers on The British Labor Party:

• Analytical Essay # 142768 : "The Labour Party of Britain"
• Essay # 67329 : "The New Labour"
• Essay # 11199 : "The Function of the U.K. Parties"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: