Blair - society Flashcards
What was the ‘New Deal’?
The term for New Labour’s social policies; there wasn’t a lot new and it mainly built on existing structures.
What was New Labour’s approach to the trade unions?
Unions were protected from legal liability as long as they follow the law.
When was minimum wage introduced and what effects did it have?
1998 - the Labour government introduced a £4.85 minimum wage, immediately raised the wages of 1.5m workers
What was the Winter fuel allowance?
Initially granted £100 per person, was criticised on the grounds that as a universal payment made regardless of the recipient’s income it was wasteful of public money which could have been directed to areas of greater need.
What was the Jobseeker’s allowance?
Adjustment of the measure previously introduced by the Major government, which had replaced the existing unemployment benefit and income support with a single jobseeker’s allowance. Labour aimed to streamline the application process by removing the means test attaching applicants and allowing them greater time and flexibility in their search for work.
What was the working families tax credit and child tax credit?
Aimed at reducing child poverty. Under the working families tax credit arrangement, families with dependent children whose income from employment was below a minimum level, as judged by the price of essentials, were entitled to a tax allowance that in effect raised their wages.
What did the “Excellence in Cities’ plan do?
Gave special funding to raise standards in underachieving schools in deprived areas.
What was the Learning and Skills Act?
Plans were laid out for turning the majority of state secondary schools into ‘academies’, whose main purpose was ‘to improve pupil performance and break the cycle of low expectations’. The academies would be funded through both local authority grants and private commercial sponsorship.
What happened to the number of teachers?
By 2007 the number of qualified teachers in state schools had risen by 35,000. This was supplemented by an increase in the number of ancillary workers, such as teaching assistants, to 170,000
How many new schools were there under Blair and how did spending on schools change?
1000 new schools opened under Blair
1997-2007 - Blair raised the amount spent on education to 5.6% of GDP
How did higher education change?
2.4m university students, double what it was in 1990.
Number of women in higher education in 2006 was twice the number for 1995 and seven times greater than in 1970.
When did the government introduce tuition fees and what were they in 2006?
1998, £3000 by 2006
What did the census of 2001 show?
Indians were the largest ethnic minority group in Britain - 984,000 people
People of Caribbean or African descent - 969,000
Pakistani and Bangladeshi - 932,000
What role did immigrants play in the country?
A vital role in the economy for taking unpleasant but essential jobs. By working and paying taxes they contributed to the nation’s revenue and gave an object lesson in hard work and responsibility
Where were the riots in 2001? What happened?
Bradford, Manchester and Oldham in which black, white and Asian groups clashed.
