The
Blairite Third way
The
General election of 1997 was a turning point in the British political scene. In
fact, the Labour routed the Conservatives and left them in ruin after 18 years
of Tory rule. The Labour party , in power , with a massive majority , sat the
main pillar for a new economic and political orientation known as the Third way
under the patronage of the former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Blair’s
victory marked the Labour’s shift to the middle. The reason for having created
New Labour is to meet the challenges of a different world. it was neither “ old
left” nor “ Conservative right” , it is rather a new distinctive approach based
on ideas and ideals not on an out-dated ideology.
Labour’s
response after the fourth successive defeat in 1992 was to cease to be a
socialist party. In fact Labour was widely perceived as being orientated
towards a socialist perspective as the government took responsibility for
unemployment, health care and housing. Subsequently, the Labour party decided to
end its commitment to Socialism that had been hindering its electoral victory. Within
this political wave of New Labour, principles of private enterprise and tightly
controlled state spending had to be embraced and applied.
A
prominent reason that accounted for Blair’s victory was the collapse of the
Soviet Union in the aftermath of the Cold War with the Right losing its
rallying external threat of Communism and the Left its primary example of
socialist success. With the demise of the ideological conflict, the British had
no alternative but to move to the centre.
More
importantly, the arrogance of the Conservative Government helped it to ignore
the opposition’s arguments. Tories, indeed, considered themselves as having the
unique ability to identify and defend British interests.
Tony
Blair, ultimately victorious, paved the way for new policies known as the Third
way. It was economically shaped by Thatcherism.
Post-war Labour fundamentally recognised the
relationship between state and society in Britain and introduced a number of
reforms in education, social security and welfare in an attempt to lay the
foundations for a new, more caring society.
In
essence, the Third way was a re – evaluation of social democracy reaching deep
into the values of the Left to develop new approaches. Its foremost values were
Democracy, liberty, justice, mutual obligation.
He was in favour of an economy and society that combines the individual
choice of the free market and the social opportunities of the welfare state. Tony
Blair adhered to the idea of the enabling state, in other words, the passive
welfare which encourages dependency was replaced by active welfare which
encourages initiative, independence and enterprise. Evidently, the state’s role
is to encourage employment rather than welfare dependency. Thus, the goal of
welfare state is not to redistribute income but to ensure and increase more
opportunities for all.
Additionally,
the third way stands for a modernized social democracy since it is passionate
in its commitment to social justice and the goals of the centre-left.
Therefore, It is based on the principle that Government and industry must work
together to achieve key objectives aimed at enhancing the dynamism of the
market.
Interestingly
enough, it is a “third way” because it moves decisively beyond an Old Left
preoccupied by state control, high taxation and producer interests; and a New
Right treating public investment.
the
Third way did modernize the Labour Party
providing stable economic growth with low inflation, as well as promoting dynamic and competitive business
and industry at home and abroad.
Yet,
it was argued, while pointing to Conservative reforms regarding education, and welfare,
that ‘New Labour’ is simply a progression of Thatcherism with a sharp
decrease in welfare payments and a shift from welfare capitalism to Neo –
liberalism . In fact, he proved an allegiance to old Thatcherism against labour
by advocating the expansion of multinational corporations which are enterprises
operating in several countries but managed from one country.
To
sum up, the General election of 1997 witnessed the return of the Labour moving
to the centre and the emergence of a new social policy that of the Third way
where welfare is guaranteed by the state. It was an extension of Thatcherism
but with a new spirit of change and reform.