Assessing the Effectiveness of Tony Blair as a Domestic Policy Maker
Assess the effectiveness of Tony Blair as a domestic policy maker. We have got ‘New Labour’ now, but to what extent have we really got ‘New Britain’?
It could be argued that Tony Blair’s New Labour movement was successful due to his expertise in policy making. Blair, Labour leader from 1994 – 2007, made large reforms in domestic policy, concerning social, economic and constitutional factors. Whether this effective policy-making actually produced a ‘New Britain’, is a debatable subject. After the Thatcher and Major governments, one could argue that this change was radical enough to produce a relative ‘New Britain’, one differing from the more conservative policies of the previous years, and the more ideologically driven parties of the past. This pragmatism shown in Blair’s third way movement benefited the Labour party greatly and such benefits can still be seen resonating. Through policy creation, Blair succeeded to move the whole party to a more central position on the political spectrum, increasingly pro-market and radical enough to attempt constitutional reform. However Blair wanted to move politics beyond left and right, and create versatility within the House of Commons. The proof that such reforms changed the politics of Britain for good can be seen in the challenging major parties of today, whose policy interests vary daily. The transition from ideology to this pragmatic form of government was due to convincing and shrewd policy creation from Blair, which defined New Labour and created ‘New Britain’.
One main aspect of Blair’s policy making that was particularly successful was his welfare and social policy. Blair, some fifty years after the post-war Labour government, spoke about the triumphs of Atlee’s agenda; the creation of the National Health Service, the implementation of Beveridge’s National Insurance scheme and an aim for full, nationwide employment. After commenting that this administration was the ‘best peacetime government this century’,
It could be argued that Tony Blair’s New Labour movement was successful due to his expertise in policy making. Blair, Labour leader from 1994 – 2007, made large reforms in domestic policy, concerning social, economic and constitutional factors. Whether this effective policy-making actually produced a ‘New Britain’, is a debatable subject. After the Thatcher and Major governments, one could argue that this change was radical enough to produce a relative ‘New Britain’, one differing from the more conservative policies of the previous years, and the more ideologically driven parties of the past. This pragmatism shown in Blair’s third way movement benefited the Labour party greatly and such benefits can still be seen resonating. Through policy creation, Blair succeeded to move the whole party to a more central position on the political spectrum, increasingly pro-market and radical enough to attempt constitutional reform. However Blair wanted to move politics beyond left and right, and create versatility within the House of Commons. The proof that such reforms changed the politics of Britain for good can be seen in the challenging major parties of today, whose policy interests vary daily. The transition from ideology to this pragmatic form of government was due to convincing and shrewd policy creation from Blair, which defined New Labour and created ‘New Britain’.
One main aspect of Blair’s policy making that was particularly successful was his welfare and social policy. Blair, some fifty years after the post-war Labour government, spoke about the triumphs of Atlee’s agenda; the creation of the National Health Service, the implementation of Beveridge’s National Insurance scheme and an aim for full, nationwide employment. After commenting that this administration was the ‘best peacetime government this century’,
References: Coates, D. & Lawler, P. (eds) 2000. New Labour In Power. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Driver, S. & Martell, L. 1998. New Labour: Politics After Thatcherism. Cambridge: Polity Press. Heywood, A. 2002. Politics Second Ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Powell, Martin A (ed). 1999. New Labour, new welfare state?: the "Third Way" in British social policy. Bristol: Policy.