Labour

Question 1

What is socialism

Answer 1

Political ideology advocating or great equality through redistribution of wealth, favouring govt intervention to capitalism.

Question 2

What is old Labour

Answer 2

Labour prior to modernisation programme by Neil Kinnock in 1983, commitment to socialism and link to trade unions and working class.
‘Common ownership of the means of production’ clause 4

Question 3

What is new Labour?

Answer 3

Term from 1997, with party modernisation making Labour less favourable of powerful trade unions, and making Labour appeal to ‘middle England’

Question 4

What was old Labour under Attlee?

Answer 4

Nationalised Bank of England, coal, iron and steel, railways etc
Created benefits, NHS, social housing, leaving school at 15

Question 5

What was old Labour under Jeremy Corbyn?

Answer 5

Wished to move back to old Labour, used to be a radical back bencher during New Labour era, in 2017 wanted to nationalise railways, water and Royal Mail, 45% tax above 80,000, 50% above £123,000 (redistributing wealth), abolish uni fees, £30bln for nhs, 1mill houses, at least half for social rent

Question 6

What about 2019 Corbyn

Answer 6

Cut private provision for NHS, increase NHS budget by 4%, raise minimum wage to £10, introduce NCS, net zero, nationalise again, scrap Universal Credit, abolish tuition fees

Question 7

What was new Labour like under Blair

Answer 7

3rd way Neo liberal, aimed to ‘hand up not hand out’, incentivise private sector e.g. PPI, infrastructure, abandon nationalisation, loosened trade union ties, accepting market economy, meritocracy, reduce dependency on welfare, ‘welfare to work’ subsidising training,

Question 8

What are Blair policies?

Answer 8

Focus on education - target of over 50% of under 25 year olds in higher education, university tuition fees, continue league tables
Patients seen within 4 hours in NHS, PPP to improve performance and borrow money to build/upgrsde hospitals
Welfare: new deal subsiding training for unemployed, power to withdraw benefits from those offered work,
Public private initiatives improve infrastructure so no need to increase tax, keep London financial centre of world,
“Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime”
Devolution, HRA

Question 9

What did New Labour look like under Gordon Brown?

Answer 9

Deregulation, more commitment to social justice, forced to nationalise banks and returned to “tax and spend” of old Labour due to 2008 economic crash
2008 climate change act, continued PPI, neighbourhood policing

Question 10

Kier Starmer Labour

Answer 10

Couldn’t really commit, going back to NL would frustrate members, OL would likely threaten parliamentary Labour Party
OL: public transport nationalisation, VAT private schools, inheritance tax on farmers
NL: privatisation, keeping child benefit cap, pro nato, return to PPP, raising minimum wage, pro business, welfare cuts in April 2025