Political Parties 2002 ~ Research Project

The Labour Party

Brief history of Party:

  • The Labour Party was founded in 1900 after several generations of preparatory trade unions.
  • It elected 29 members to parliament in 1906 and in the two elections of 1910 it elected 40 and 42 members.
  • In 1924 it formed its first government, with Ramsay MacDonald as prime minister, nevertheless the government only lasted a few months but in 1929 they were re-elected.
  • In 1945 it won an overwhelming electoral victory where Attlee became prime minister for the party’s first majority government.
  • During the time of their opposition in power i.e. the conservatives in 1955 and 1959, the part almost split between right and left during this time. Then when Attlee retired the right-winger, Hugh Gaitskell became the party leader.
  • Harold Wilson then became party leader after Gaitskell’s death in 1963, where he was able to lead the party to victory in 1964.
  • The party lost power to the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 elections and remained in the opposition until late 1997.
  • When Michael Foot became party leader in 1980, the party moved sharply to the left but the party split with the SDP formed and leaving some left-wingers left over, the party faced a crushing defeat in the 1983 election.
  • Michael Foot then resigned and was succeeded by Neil Kinnock where Kinnock led the party to abandon some of its traditional left wing positions but proved unable to achieve victory at the polls.
  • Kinnock resigned in 1992 after the Conservative victory in the general elections and so the party were succeeded by John Smith.
  • After John Smith’s untimely death in 1994, moderate Tony Blair was chosen to lead the party.
  • Under Blair’s leadership the party formally abandoned traditional socialism in 1995 and won historically 1997-2001 consecutive resounding victories at the polls.

The important figures of the Labour Party:

  • Tony Blair: Leader of the party and Prime minister of Britain. He was the reform leader who got the party re-elected to government after 18 years in opposition, however he has compromised many basic principals of the Labour party.
  • Gordon Brown: He was the right-wing Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was seen as the second most powerful person in the party with many predicting that he will take over and Blair steps down.
  • John Prescott: He was the Deputy Prime minister and the Minister for Transport. He was a controversial figure known for punching a protestor during the 2001 General Election campaign and was nicknamed 2-Jags due to him owning two Jaguars.
  • Jack Straw: He was the Current foreign secretary and past Home secretary. He put forward conservative policies while Home secretary acting very much on the side of Law and Order rather than on the side of civil liberties.

The main ideology of the party and the most important factions:

The dominant ideology was the evolutionary socialism espoused by the Fabians. In the party today, there is little ideology in common and the Labour party today is seen as now representing big business and capitalism rather than the working-class and socialism. The Fabians Society has played a central role for more than a century in the development of political ideas and public policy on the left of centre. Analysing the key challenges facing the UK and the rest of the industrialised world in a changing society and global economy, the society’s programme aims to explore the political ideas and the policy reforms which will define progressive politics in the new century. It is affiliated to the Labour Party but is editorially and organisationally independent. Through its publications, seminars and conferences, the Society provides an arena for open-minded public debate. Their core values are social justice, strong community and strong values, reward for hard work, decency and rights matched by responsibilities. The Fabians society was mainly the thinking element, the Tribune group was slightly towards the left wing and the Campaign group was extremely left wing.

The key policies of the party:

  • Pro Britain’s entry into the European Single Currency
  • Belief in increased Globalisation
  • Reduce unemployment
  • Reduce class sizes to 30 and under
  • Increased funding in the NHS and more nurses
  • Increased law and order with more police and harsher sentences

Brief evaluation of party:

The Labour party was a Social Democratic party and were representing the working-class and the trade unions. The party traditionally presented its policies as socialist, striving for the state to have a place in managing the economy, the re-distribution of wealth and a decent welfare system. Then from the mid-1980’s onwards the party moved towards the right and gave up on their socialists beliefs. Then now as the party stands under Tony Blair who was elected leader in 1994, they abolished the party’s treaty ‘Clause IV’ which stated a commitment to nationalisation. Therefore now the party is an acceptance of the free-market, they also have belief in strong law and order as well as having support from the European Union. The power of the trade unions has reduced rapidly as the party being less reliant on the donations of the trade unions.

Quotation:

{‘The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few. Where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe. And where we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.’}

Evaluation of the role and power of the party leader:

The role of the party leader i.e. Tony Blair was to do whatever he can for the party to win back the ‘centre ground’ of British politics. Tony Blair got his power from many reasons; firstly he was convinced that the party needed to attract more of the southern and middle-class voters. Secondly he got support from big businesses and companies as well as support from the trade unions. Thirdly he stated that the party required the following in order to gain power; a recruitment drive, a ballot on the manifesto, tighter control over candidate selection, indirect trade union sponsorship of MPs, the creation of a new campaign and media centre at the Milbank Tower, strict discipline of candidates and MPs, use of Closed Party lists, reduction in the power of conference and the diversification of funding. Tony Blair has increased the leadership’s power within the party while simultaneously appearing to involve ordinary members.

Quotation (by Richard Kelly):

{‘He has turned the party from a “activist-delegatory” organisation into an “elite-plebiscitory” organisation, where the leadership makes policy on the basis of focus groups and periodically gets the approval of a passive membership.’}

Evaluation of how the party is financed:

Nowadays the Labour party receives large donations from big businesses and companies as well as donations from the trade unions. However parties are not state-funded, British parties only get a free mail and broadcasting at election and short money to help opposition parties do parliamentary work. The party’s funding come from Membership subscriptions and local constituency fund raising, affiliated trade unions, donations from companies and donations from individuals. E.g. in 1997 the Labour party received £1 million from Bernie Ecclestone, the head of Formula 1 racing.

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A summary of main issues the party will face in the future:

  • The Labour party may face an economic crisis as they are in financial trouble i.e. they have huge debts in the bank.
  • Their funding may reduce rapidly if their supporting big businesses and companies and trade unions come into an economic crisis.
  • Their donations received may have to be given back if they are given secretly especially substantial high amounts.
  • They may lose the next general election because of economic crises which may unable them to fulfil their promises.

The Conservative Party

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