'Labour's domestic policies should be remembered in a positive light.'
Assess the validity of this view (25 marks)
Labours victory in the 1997 election was first thought to be the U-turn of the socio-economic transformation that the Nation endured after 18 years of conservative premiership. However, these thoughts were quickly extinguished as the Labour party and Tony Blair took the neoliberalist ideals of the conservative party and intensified them. The rebranded new Labour looked to reform Britain in its own rendition of neoliberalism, the party executed this by making promises to the people promises to reform Education, Healthcare and Crime. Labour was able to meet their targets set and therefore their domestic policies were extensively
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This is shown in the pledge card which was drawn up by the Labour party in a ploy to sway voters to adhere to their party. The pledge card identified way in which they would improve public services. The card contains 5 pledges in which the Labour party claimed would implement during their tenure as the leading party. Some of the pledges were as follows; ‘Cut class sizes to 30 or under for 5,6 and 7-year-olds’ ‘no rise in income tax rates’ and ‘Fast-tract punishment for persistent young offenders. As a result of these pledges the Labour party had many expectations to live up to however by 2001 all five of the pledges had been met. The British public were mesmerised by the measures taken by Blair and the Labour party to implement their domestic policy. The toughness on crime, investment in health & education was seen as such a positive by the public it warranted a re-election in 2001. This tell us that the view is valid as the British public were in owe off the Labour parties initial domestic policies. The pledges which were made by the party and were also exceeded by the party were so well accepted that the Labour leader Tony Blair was re-elected & therefore the domestic policies of the Labour party should be remembered in a positive