"Labour is not and never had been a socialist party." Discuss

The first 200 words of this essay...

"Labour is not and never had been a socialist party." Discuss

It is widely understood that Tony Blair has revolutionised the Labour Party by forcing it further towards the centre of the political spectrum. This view would also entail the idea that the Labour Party has consistently upheld socialist principles until recently. However, it can be argued that the Labour Party has never been a socialist party and the party was in fact 'Labourist' in its early years and has gradually become less radical in its beliefs. Certainly since the rise of Clement Atlee the party has had few policies that can be interpreted as socialist. However, this argument largely depends on the interpretation of the socialist ideology. The idea that New Labour employs a different type of socialism is sometimes expressed.

Tony Blair is a practising Christian who derives his Socialist convictions from his religion. Tony Blair described his socialism by saying, "a belief in society, working together, solidarity, co-operation, partnership - these are our words. This is my socialism and we should stop apologising for using the word." Blair uses a vocabulary that would not have been out of place in the mouths of any