New Labour and Thatcherism: Political Change in Britain

An understanding of New Labor must take into account the profound influence exerted on contemporary British politics by the politics of Thatcherism. In presenting a framework for understanding political and party change this book explains why the socio-economic program of the Blair government is structured within a neo-liberal paradigm, and explores how in rejecting its collectivist, Old Labor past, New Labor has moved dramatically away from its social democratic traditions.

History

Heffernan, Richard

Europe

PALGRAVE~MACMILLAN

Defeat from the Jaws of Victory: Inside Kinnock's Labour Party

"Defeat from the Jaws of Victory" takes the reader behind closed doors to witness the Labour Party hierarchy in action - rigging votes, stage-managing meetings, dispensing patronage to favourites, and settling scores with enemies. Riding high on the backlash against the Bennite rebellion of the early 1980s, Neil Kinnock built the most autocratic regime in Labour's history. Centralizing power in his private office, he destroyed the Party's democratic structures, stripped it of anti-establishment policies and purged it of radical members whilst allowing a new careerist clique to install itself in every nook and cranny of the Labour machine. Under his aegis the party lost tens of thousands of members, ran up a #2.5million overdraft and proved incapable of removing an unpopular Tory government, even in the midst of the worst recession since the War. Using extensive research in Labour's archives, interviews with shadow cabinet members, Labour Party employees and rank and the file activitists, "Defeat from the Jaws of Victory" is packed with hitherto untold stories, revealing anecdotes, and concise analysis.

Politics & Social Sciences

Marqusee, Mike

Politics & Government

Verso Books

“I’m in it to win. That’s my attitude to life and to politics.”—Neil Kinnock, December 1989Defeat from the Jaws of Victory takes the reader behind closed doors to witness Kinnock’s Labour hierarchy in action—fixing votes, stage-managing meetings, dispensing patronage to favourites and settling scores with enemies.Riding high on the backlash against the Bennite rebellion of the early 1980s, Kinnock went on to build the most autocratic regime in Labour’s history. Centralizing power in a vastly expanded private office, he destroyed the party’s democratic structures, stripped it of any trace of radical policy, and purged it of hundreds of dissident members. Every nook and cranny of the Labour machine was filled with careerists whose primary qualification was personal loyalty to their leader. Under Kinnock’s aegis the party ran up a £2.5 million overdraft, and proved incapable of removing an unpopular Tory government in the midst of the worst recession since the war.Heffernan and Marqusee employ extensive research in Labour’s archives and interviews with leading MPs, party employees and constituency members to chronicle, with unsparing accuracy, a decade-long drive for power which was ruthless, reactionary and, in the final analysis, spectacularly unsuccessful.

Verso

Developments in British Politics 8

For over twenty years, Developments in British Politics volumes have provided accessible state- of-the-art coverage of key issues and changes. Developments 8 continues the same tradition but with a new editorial team as well as a new set of specially-commissioned chapters by leading authorities. New features in this edition include a wide ranging analysis of key debates on British politics and an assessment of the likely shape of British politics after Tony Blair.

Hay, Colin

Cowley, Philip

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Books by Heffernan, Richard