Conversation corner
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New Labour as a model?
Date2006/10/27 14:29 by: carlI'm interested: do people think that New Labour is a model for socialist parties, which could or should be applied to other countries? I guess the question also is: how successful do you think they have really been?
Personally I can see a lot of good in what's been quietly achieved with tax credits, tax cuts for low income earners, Sure Start schemes and the extra money for schools and hospitals. I am also sure there are plans for more initiatives to help the poorer sectors of society.
The really bad parts for me has been the regression back to a pre-Gorbachev style of control within the Labour Party itself, foreign policy has become a disaster since Robin Cook moved, failure to find a consistent and workable transport policy (railways especially) - whilst the environment hasn't been the big priority we were told it would be.
So a mix of good and bad, but I'm quite sure the good wouldn't have happened otherwise... -
Re:New Labour as a model?
Date2006/10/27 14:46 by: MichaelI have the feeling that the time for "New Labour" is already running out. "New Labour" and socialist parties concentrating on the so called center of societies is already something OLD.
Times have changed. Members are leaving socialists parties in big numbers, we are speaking of hundreds of thousands. Underpriveliged people do not feel represented anymore by socialist parties. Most of party representatives are coming from liberal middle class families. This all is New Labour and this development has been typical for almost all European socialist parties, not only in UK.
But times are getting harder and people with a sensitive "sin" can already feel how the pendular is starting to swing back. It's time for social conflict again. For strikes, demonstrations, hard works and clear fronts.
New Labour is already out of date and those will be the leading figures in the next years who already recognise it and who react.
Those who still believe in New Labour will soon be as outdated.
