Blair’s Policies- Old Labour or New Labour?
Tony Blair was the new leader of the Labour Party who modernised the party alongside Jim Smith and
Neil Kinnock. He took over as leader when Smith died. Their brand of the Left was known as the “Third
Way” The Third Way was like a middle ground between Socialist Social Policies and a Neo Liberal
Economic Policy. It brought the Labour Party far closer to the centre ground. Blair even continued some
of Thatcher/ Major’s reforms such as lack of regulation or Laissez Faire economics although he did also
increase public spending and taxes- he largely ditched Keynesian economics.
Blair’s Policies which were Traditional Labour Blair’s Policies which were New Labour
Blair’s Policies 1997-2007
• Minimum wage created (with criticism)
• Employment Relations Act 1999 - enhances workers’ rights of trade union recognition and
parental leave
• Part privatised sectors of the NHS and outsourced services to private providers e.g. Nuffield.
• Record increases in spending on education and health
• £300 million of taxpayers money compensates Railtrack shareholders in 2002
• Crime and Disorder Act 1998 -introduced the UK’s first child jail for 12-14 year olds, curfews for
under-10s, electronic tagging of 10 year olds, etc.
• 1997 cut lone parents benefit 1999 cut disability benefit.
• Top up tuition fees from £1100 per year to £3000
• Privatised air traffic control, London tube services.
• Goals to eradicate child and elderly poverty
• Railtrack forced into administration in 2001 - “de-privatisaton”
• Brown’s 2002 budget added 1 penny in the pound into National Insurance to help fund the NHS
• Radical constitutional reforms: devolution, local government, Lords, Bill of Rights, Freedom of
Information Act, etc.
• Anti-Terrorism laws are draconian and breach civil liberties
• Welfare to work reform- meant there were compulsory interviews and training courses for those
on unemployment benefit.
• Ban on fox hunting
• £100 bn invested in public services e..g education and health
Tony Blair was the new leader of the Labour Party who modernised the party alongside Jim Smith and
Neil Kinnock. He took over as leader when Smith died. Their brand of the Left was known as the “Third
Way” The Third Way was like a middle ground between Socialist Social Policies and a Neo Liberal
Economic Policy. It brought the Labour Party far closer to the centre ground. Blair even continued some
of Thatcher/ Major’s reforms such as lack of regulation or Laissez Faire economics although he did also
increase public spending and taxes- he largely ditched Keynesian economics.
Blair’s Policies which were Traditional Labour Blair’s Policies which were New Labour
Blair’s Policies 1997-2007
• Minimum wage created (with criticism)
• Employment Relations Act 1999 - enhances workers’ rights of trade union recognition and
parental leave
• Part privatised sectors of the NHS and outsourced services to private providers e.g. Nuffield.
• Record increases in spending on education and health
• £300 million of taxpayers money compensates Railtrack shareholders in 2002
• Crime and Disorder Act 1998 -introduced the UK’s first child jail for 12-14 year olds, curfews for
under-10s, electronic tagging of 10 year olds, etc.
• 1997 cut lone parents benefit 1999 cut disability benefit.
• Top up tuition fees from £1100 per year to £3000
• Privatised air traffic control, London tube services.
• Goals to eradicate child and elderly poverty
• Railtrack forced into administration in 2001 - “de-privatisaton”
• Brown’s 2002 budget added 1 penny in the pound into National Insurance to help fund the NHS
• Radical constitutional reforms: devolution, local government, Lords, Bill of Rights, Freedom of
Information Act, etc.
• Anti-Terrorism laws are draconian and breach civil liberties
• Welfare to work reform- meant there were compulsory interviews and training courses for those
on unemployment benefit.
• Ban on fox hunting
• £100 bn invested in public services e..g education and health
