97-07 Politics Flashcards
Blairs personality
-charismatic, comfortable with the media
-dressed ordinarily, watched football, had played in a rock band
-paid tribute to diana ‘peoples princess’
-popularity 93% internal labour party poll
Blairs ideology
-didn’t want to reverse thatcher and majors policies, ‘the third way’
-no renationalisation, who provided services didnt matter just their quality
-critics argued blair didnt stand for anything himself
Blair-Brown relationship
-brown made chancellor, had power over economic and domestic policy
-brown too popular to be removed, had to work together through tension
-brown believed blair would step down after 2nd term but he didnt in 2001, more tension
Devolution in scotland
-anger in scotland that they were governed by a party they didnt vote for
-devolution referendums held in 1997, voted in favour of devolving power to a scottish parliament with tax raising powers
-new scottish assembly established in edinburgh
Devolution in wales
-welsh assembly set up in cardiff with more limited powers
-plaid cymru continued to gain support even afterwards
London Mayoral elections
-elected mayor of london introduced in 1999
-first election 2000 ken livingston blocked from being labour candidate by blair as he represented the ‘loony left’
-livingston won the election as an independent and blair accepted him back into the labour party
House of lords reform
-effort to reform in 1999, ended with a messy compromise
-hereditary peers not abolished but cut to 92
Reforms to parliament
-commission set up by roy jenkins to examine other voting systems
-reported first past the post should be replaced with a more proportional system in 1998, no changes made
Freedom of information act
-passed in 2000, gave people the right to request info from public bodies
-by 2006 100k+ requests being made per year
-blair regretted establishing it
Human rights
-european convention on human rights incorporated into british law through the human rights act of 1998
-created difficulties for the government
1997 pledges and manifesto
-not overly ambitious, developed previous tory policies
-blair focused on ‘education, education, education’
-targets extended, specialist schools encouraged
-promised labour would be tough on crime and its causes
2001 reform aims
-promised more investment in health and education
-more teachers, doctors nurses
-special delivery unit set up july 2001 to ensure implementation
-blair disappointed with progress
Crises under Blair’s government
-rising fuel prices led to a blockade by farmers and lorry drivers in 2000
-foot and mouth disease led to culling of ten million animals
-long battle over attempt to ban hunting with dogs, countryside alliance marched in london 2002 before ban passed in 2004
Northern ireland when Blair took power
-alot of work in building relationships had been done by major
-talks between parties had been on and off since 1996
-john hume of sdlp had persuaded adams/mcguiness that a settlement was possible
Labours actions in northern ireland
-close relationship with bertie ahern the taoiseach
-labour sec of state for NI mow mowlam visited paramilitaries in prison
-blair capable of assuring trimble and the UUP that sinn fein could be trusted
