Has Labour Abandoned Its Socialist Principles Politics Essay

Has Labour Abandoned Its Socialist Principles Politics Essay Many consider New Labour to be operating under a deceptive title due to the fact that the party has abandoned so many of the principles traditionally associated with Labour policies. The foundation of the long-established socialist principles, which formed the basis of old Labour policies, was clause IV of the 1918 Labour constitution. Common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange was the single socialist slogan which underpinned the ethos of old Labour; equality. Historically the party was broadly in favour of socialism as set out in Clause Four of the original party constitution and advocated socialist policies such as public ownership of key industries, government intervention in the economy, redistribution of wealth, increased rights for workers, the welfare state, publicly-funded healthcare and education. Beginning in the late-1980s under the leadership of Neil Kinnock, and subsequently that of John Smith and Tony Blair however the party moved away from socialist positions, adopting free market policies, leading many observers to describe the Labour Party as Social Democratic or Third Way rather than democratic socialist. Blairism has been viewed as a continuation of traditional social democracy, concealed by better marketing and a modernized image. After 1918 the Party traditionally presented its policies as socialist, emphasizing the importance of a large state-controlled sector of the economy, relatively high levels of taxation, and comprehensive state-organized welfare provision. In office, the 1945-50 government of Clement Attlee is widely credited with successful radical reform which epitomized much of this progressive agenda. The Attlee Government created a mixed economy through the nationalization of a number of strategic industries and public utilities, as well as Keynesian ideas of economic management. A welfare state was established involving a commitment to full employment, universal social security, free universal state-funded health care and extensive state-funded social housing. Attlee also laid down a foreign and defence policy based on NATO, bilateral cooperation with the United States, and the development of nuclear weapons. Such approaches set the framework for government for the next twenty to thirty years. The general picture, however, was that Labour governments were haunted by caution and failure. The inter-war minority governments lacked political power and were heavily influenced by the desire to show that they were fit to govern. Critics of the 1945 Attlee Government highlight that actually it should have gone a lot further in nationalization and in introducing greater industrial democracy. Post-war governments commonly were unable to develop state intervention as they were beset by economic crises. Both the 1945-50 and 1966-70 Labour governments were forced to devalue the pound. The Labour governments 1974-9 presided over the shock-waves from the oil crisis following the Arab-Israeli war and domestic industrial relations problems. Inflation rose to over 25 per cent and unemployment to over 1 million. Labour was forced to seek a loan from the International Monetary Fund in 1976, and left government 1979 tarnished by the image of the winter of discontent, 1978-9, when Britain was h it by a wave of strikes. Labours common experience was to enter office with big plans and high expectations, only to retreat a few years later overwhelmed by events. Labours new leader, Michael Foot, belonged to the hard left wing of the party. He was not seen as a moderniser. Labour remained committed to a mixed economy and nuclear disarmament. Four top Labour Party figures, left to right: Bill Rodgers, Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins and David Owen quit the Labour Party in 1981 to form the new centre party; the Social Democratic Party or SDP. Twenty eight other Labour MPs also joined. The 1983 election was a disaster for Labour. Mrs Thatcher, buoyed up by her victory in the Falklands War of 1982, won a landslide victory with a 143 seat majority (compare this with a 178 majority for Blair in 1997). After the election, Neil Kinnock took over the leadership with a mission to modernise the party and make Labour electable again.He ditched the policy of nuclear disarmament and made it clear that Mrs Thatchers anti-strike laws would not be reversed. The Blair New Labour project was shaped by the partys experience of eighteen frustrating years in opposition, during which time profound changes in the UK were brought about by the Thatcher and Major governments. Labour found itself having to adjust to, even accommodate Thatcherism, following four successive general election defeats. The party was also angered by what it saw as the deleterious effects of Conservative rule, in terms of widening inequality and deepening social division. The process of Labour party modernisation that began with Neil Kinnock in 1983 was driven by electoral imperatives that became stronger with each subsequent defeat. As revised Clause 4 indicated, Labour had come to accept that the economy should be regulated by the market and not by the state. Blairism therefore built on Thatcherism and did not try to reverse it. This particularly applied in relation to the core elements of economic Thatcherism- privatization, union power, taxation and degulation. Beyond this, the first Blair government granted semi-independence to the Bank of England in the setting of interest rates. A major distinction between Old Labour and New Labour was the latters enthusiasm for reforming the constitution. During Blairs first government, 1997-2001, a bold series of constitutional reforms were introduced. These reflected a liberal desire to strengthen checks and balances by fragmenting government power and to bolster individual rights. However, many have argued that Labours conversion to constitutional liberalism was only partial. For example, plans to consider alternatives to the Westminster voting system were quickly dropped and enthusiasm for constitutional reform declined after 2001. Blairs approach to welfare was different from both the Thatcherite emphasis on standing on your own two feet and the social-democratic belief in cradle to grave support. This was reflected in unprecedented increases in health and education after 1999, the wider use of targeted benefits (as opposed to universal benefits), an emphasis on the idea of welfare-to-work and attempts to reform the public services. Blairs belief in welfare was based on what has been called social entrepreneurialism, the idea that the public services should be more market-orientated and consumer responsive. Public-private partnerships, such as private finance initiatives (PFIs), were also more widely used to, for example, build schools and hospitals. A key Blairite belief has been the idea that rights should always be balanced against responsibilities. In this sense, Blairism was influenced communitarianism. The desire to strengthen social duty and moral responsibilities was reflected in the so-called respect agenda, under which new public order laws were introduced (introducing ASBOs), the prison population rose steeply and a series of new anti-terrorism laws were passed. This also led to allegations that New Labour had endangered a range of vital civil liberties. Labours historical core vote (industrial working class union members) has also been shrinking since 1970s. The unions helped create the Labour Party. Blair has cast aside tradition in the quest for votes. Traditional blue collar union membership has declined since 1970s, whilst professional white collar unions have grown. Labour now needed to attract more funding from rich donors. This has often led to accusations of corruption. Public perception of unions in 1980s was negative. Union activity seen as militant by many. In 1997 it was revealed that Bernie Ecclestone had loaned Labour  £1m. It was believed that he had done so to ensure that a future Labour government would not ban tobacco sponsorship of Formula 1 racing. In 2002, Indian steel tycoon, Lakshmi Mittal gave Labour  £125,000, it was thought, in return for Tony Blairs help in buying a Romanian steel company. From 2005-07 a criminal investigation probes whether  £14m of loans to Labour were given by wealthy businessmen in return for peerages (seats in the House of Lords) Even now there is huge disagreement over where Labour stands ideologically, despite the insistence of both Blair and Brown that the emphasis has always been upon the restoration of traditional Labour values of fairness, justice and social inclusion. There had been an earlier attempt to update Labours ideology while in opposition in the 1950s, which had focused very heavily upon the need to bring about greater equality of outcome through the tax and benefit system. In conclusion, there is little agreement over the extent to, and even the ways in which Labour has changed. New Labour could be seen as bringing socialism up to date the values havent changed (social justice, equality of opportunity, community, partnership, rights); instead, its policies acknowledge that society has changed. New Labour is thus in the tradition of democratic socialism, but with a much reduced stress on unions, public ownership, state provision, and even redistribution. Alternatively New Labour could be seen as a radical transformation, from democratic socialism to social democracy.

On Common Ground Essay examples -- Personal Narrative History Papers

On Common Ground The beeping of the metal detector set his mind in motion. And when he carefully uncovered a small metal button, it whispered softly, speaking of a great general, â€Å"He possessed every virtue of the great commanders, without their vices.† April 12, 1861- â€Å"At 4:30 a.m. Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard open fire with 50 cannons upon Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina; the Civil War begins† (historyplace). There are about twenty lots in our neighborhood; all consist of close to three and a half acres. Most of the lots have houses now, all of them are big and well kept; a perfect place to raise an upper-middle class family. Just outside of Richmond, the Boscobel neighborhood gives individuals a constant taste of the southern country air, a place to grow a garden, to sit out on the porch at night and look at the stars.†¦ The neighbors are kind as they greet one another in passing. Families come together for picnics and cook-outs and mothers go on walks together with their dogs while the kids are in school. The kids of the neighborhood love to play by the creek in the back yard. They build forts and huts, find pretend food and crayfish in the creek, and play hide-and-seek in the woods beyond the creek. It is the peaceful, everyday life in the Boscobel neighborhood. April 17, 1861- â€Å"Virginia secedes from the Union, followed within five weeks by Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina, thus forming an eleven state Confederacy† (historyplace). April 17, 1861- The Daily Richmond Examiner reads: The great event of all our lives has at last come to pass. A war of gigantic proportions, infinite consequences and indefinite duration is on us, and will affect the interests and happiness of ev... ...e tried to instill in you. Never forget where these things came from. I trust you now to be on your own, to live out what I have taught you and to teach others these virtues that have been passed down.† Works Cited Atherholt, Patricia. Interview. Telephone Interview. 30 March 2002. Historyplace.com. The History Place- US Civil War 1861-1865. The History Place, 1996. Daniel, John M. I. New York: Arno & The New York Times, 1868. reprinted, 1970. Graham, O. Lee. Interview. Telephone Interview. 1 April 2002. Jones, John Williams. I. Written approximately 1864. . 17 April 2002. Swank, Walbrook D. I. Charlottesville: Papercraft Printing & Design Company, Inc., 1991. Saverino, Chris. Interview. Telephone Interview. 29 March 2002. Weigley, Russell F. I American Council of Learned Societies, Oxford University Press, 2000

“Be Strong,” the psycho woman said

â€Å"Stuart you must learn to look on the bright side.† What bright side? I'm a sixteen year old lad and my cat has just died. Big deal you might think. But you weren't the one in the washing machine, spinning round ten times a second! Poor cat. Dad thinks I'm mad. That's why he sent me to the psycho woman in the first place. Well she's a psychologist, and ok that wasn't the only reason. My real mom had an affair and ran away with the postman. He just happened to be my dad's brother, that's all. Which sent me â€Å"Off the rails.† Or so they told me. I mean I'm not a train. I kept getting into trouble at school. You know, mixing with the wrong people, skipping classes at school, Stealing sweets, that kind of thing. Nothing really. What did they expect? Me to just except my moms gone and that I probably wont see her again. Plus the fact we wont get our mail delivered any more! No, I shouldn't joke about it. There is a bright side! I'm laughing about it already. I've just realised I come from a broken home. Prison here I come! That was four months ago, and dads already got a new woman. ‘Ginger Gill!' Bet you can't guess what colour her hair is? There I go taking the mick again. Dad said I shouldn't: â€Å"It'll come back on you one day,† he bellows. Anyway I have a right, who calls there kid Stuart? I hate my name. After thinking long and hard, I have decided I am a tiny bit crazy. But only a bit. Who isn't? Talking of crazy people: we live in front of a once nice green field, in Cornwall. I say once because ‘travellers' moved in last week. Actually they are gypsies, but ‘travellers' is the more polite way to say they are scruffy, no-hopers. I'm too cruel. Also, of course that's what they call them on the news, so it has to be more polite. I kind of got talking to one of the gypsy girls, whilst walking my aunties dog, Bessie. She's around my age (the girl not Bessie!) and quite good looking. But also a bit weird. She can't pronounce her ‘R's', which is amusing. She was telling me about her grandmother, Rose. Or â€Å"Wose†, as she pronounces it. She said Rose could see into the future, and has been known to predict peoples' lives. Very likely. She thought I should see her grandmother, as she could help me, more than any head doctor could. As if I need help. She was fascinating I thought. That's a lie. It was boring. She was boring. The only thing she said that remotely interested me was that one of her other ‘gypo' relatives, held the world record for the loudest burp. Now that was fascinating! It was when I got home, that I really took what the girl had said to me in. (‘the girl'-I didn't catch her name! Oh well, ‘gypsy girl' will do.) Maybe Rose could help me? After all I would like a few questions answered: Where is my mom? How could she leave me? Why did Casper (the cat) get into the washing machine? Why doesn't ‘Ginger Gill' dye her hair? There I go again! And most importantly, why is abbreviation such a long word? The next day, I wagged school. The psycho woman is really helping, don't you think? Anyway I paid my gypsy friend another visit. This time I was introduced to her grandmother ‘Wose'. I mean Rose. I suppose I hoped she would be scruffy looking, with a crystal ball and a glass eye. But no, she looked pretty normal. As normal as a gypsy can look. Someone stop me! She was in her early sixties, I would say. She had long dark brown hair, covered in hair clips and beads. There had to be over one hundred. How did she hold up her head? She had a deep, manly voice, which was freaky. Disappointingly, both her eyes were real. I didn't have chance to speak to her, as she had a headache, and went to bed. I'd have a headache, with all those hair accessories on my head. Me and Crystal, that was her name, I discovered, spoke for hours after. Today she didn't seem so boring and dull. She said she hates living in a caravan. Who wouldn't? She told me that her mom had died of cancer the previous year, and really missed her. Which made me feel stupid. I was upset that my mom had left, and the cat had died, well killed. She made me realise I should be grateful for who I am and what I have. See I can be serious. Crystal had arranged for me to visit ‘Gypsy Rose', for one of her fortune-telling sessions. I really didn't know what to expect. What if she told me my mom had become a stripper and was living under the sea? Ok, so that was not exactly going to happen. But she could tell me somethings I don't want to hear. On the other hand, she could tell me Casper is ‘cat heaven's' answer to Brad Pitt. Either way I knew from tomorrow, my life would change. Who knows? I might even find out why abbreviation is such a long word!

Franklin Delano Roosevelt essays

Franklin Delano Roosevelt essays Throughout history, many men and women have been recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve their country, whether civilian or military. For some that is not enough. It is these people that are remembered for generations by their extraordinary actions. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the most important figure in American history because he guided America through its darkest moments. During the extent of his Presidential career, FDR wittily captured the hearts of the American people and used his power to lead the United States out of the Great Depression, guided the United States and Allies to victory in WWII and he established the United Nations. What makes his accomplishments all the more remarkable is that he did it all while fighting polio. In 1929 the stock market crashed, resulting in the Great Depression, AmericaÕs worst economic catastrophe. ÒBy 1932, national income had plunged by more than half, and unemployment had soared to include one-quarter of the entire work forceÓ (1,25). It was estimated that 27.5 million Americans had no regular income, and more than 1 million roamed the country as hoboes due to unemployment (1,25). At the time, Roosevelt was chief executive of New York and he watched as Hoover did nothing to rescue the United States out of depression (1,25). But he was not to sit idly. FDR chose to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, President Theodore Roosevelt, and ran on the democratic ballot for the presidency. In 1933, he overthrew the incumbent, Hoover, and was elected President . Unlike Hoover, FDR was a servant of the people. People of the time only saw,Ó the radiant smile, the eyes flashing with good humor, the cigarette holder held at a jaunty angle, the good nature d toss of the head, the buoyant optimism, [and] the serene confidence with which he met economic catastrophe and international crisisÓ (7, 98). By the time Roosevelt entered office, America was ...

Medevil Times essays

Medevil Times essays After the year 1000, conditions in Europe again changed-this time for the better. The Vikings no longer endangered life and property. The Muslims no longer threatened western Europe. Instead, the European Christians carried war to the Muslim lands in the east with a series of "wars for the cross," or Crusades. But the most important change after 1000 resulted from the success that kings in several countries had in bringing the feudal lords under control and checking private wars. France Louis VI (1081-1137)-called Louis the Fat-heaved his bulky body into the saddle and personally led campaigns to punish cruel lords who abused their power. His grandson, Philip 11 (1165-1223), or Philip Augustus, appointed special officials, called bailiffs, who traveled within their districts keeping watch on the lords somewhat as Charlemagne's agents had done. It is interesting to note that a later king, Louis IX (1214-70), found it necessary to appoint other officials to keep check on the bailiffs-watchers to watch the watchmen. Louis IX was so religious that the Church in 1297 declared him a saint. Louis did his best to see that no man was treated unfairly in his realm. He would seat himself beneath a tree and invite anyone who had been unable to get justice from his lord or the regular courts to come and state his case. Philip IV (1268-1314), called Philip the Fair because of his fine looks, was not so good a man as Saint Louis. However, he did even more to make the king the real ruler of the kingdom. England The kings of England gained greater power over their feudal lords than did the French monarchs. This was partly because William I (1027?-87) was a duke of Normandy who had won the English crown by conquest. He took care that his local lords did not have too much independence or power. William the Conqueror did not want any other duke or lord to do what he had done. William's son Henry I (1068-1135) and great-grandson Henry II ...

Philosophy 100 (2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy 100 (2) - Essay Example There is no way to gain knowledge without something actually being believed, in other words. However, obviously there is not any way to gain knowledge by merely believing something. A viable explanation has to be provided for these beliefs. As an example, if a person who is sick believes that they will get better, this will simply not do a single thing to help the person get better. The person might get better, or the person might not get better. Simply believing something obviously has no real effect in the tangible world. A person who is sick and taking antibiotics to get better has a justifiable reason to believe that they will get better. First, the person has taken antibiotics before, and they got better after taking the antibiotics. Second, the person feels exactly lie the last time that they were sick, and they are being prescribed the same exact dosage of antibiotic. Since the conditions are identical to the last time, the person has a justifiable reason to believe the use of the antibiotics will make them better. Plato’s theory of reality serves to inform and compliment his theory of knowledge. Plato believed in Truth; he believed that it existed somewhere in the universe regardless of whether or not we are able to ever achieve it. Plato held a dualistic view of reality. First, there is the visual, that which is experienced through a posteriori, which is merely just a reflection of Truth. Second, there are the eternal Forms, which is knowledge that is gained a priori. Consider an example of a tree. Somewhere in the universe there exists in some form the Form of Tree, and it is because that we have knowledge of this form that we are able to recognize a tree when we see one, despite the fact that no two trees look alike. When we see trees, they are merely reflections of the Form of Tree. This can be seen in Plato’s allegory of the cave. The prisoners in the cave are merely viewing shadows of objects and naming them.

Artical Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Artical - Article Example Individuals not familiar with the search engines might feel more comfortable by going to one place for information. In the end, the researchers proved five out of seven hypotheses. There were several flaws to this article. The first is the low amount of participants in the study. The second was the variety of the participants. All of the users of Second Life were already familiar and at ease with computers. The hypotheses put forth by the researchers could be biased the type of participants chosen for the study. A better selection of age, job occupation, computer skills, and other gender might have disproved some of the hypotheses. Until this range of participants is widen, the true value of Second Life might remain unknown. The last critique is also negative. When researching Second Life, the researchers did not consider the avatars made in Second Life might not be realistic. If an individual in the fasion business New York is dealing with an auction house in Paris, they might want to reduce their weight or make themselves more attractive. Also the laws governing cyberspace are slow to catch up with real live laws. Deceptive advertising or business practice would be hard to prosecute. Avatars should never replace human interaction. Second Life is operated in many countries. It would be impossible to enforce any law on this group. These subjects should be addressed in further