The Labour Party

Britain’s first Labour government took office on 22 January 1924. Its centenary provides an opportunity to reassess the party's performance over the last 100 years, and with an election pending, the character and purpose of the modern party.

Labour defined the dominant political settlement of much of the Twentieth Century: the welfare state. It has achieved much in pursuit of material change, social reform and equality. It has challenged patriarchy, racism and the legacy of imperialism, promoted human rights and delivered democratic and constitutional renewal. Yet any honest assessment must acknowledge a century littered with failures and missed opportunities.

In this compelling book, Jon Cruddas, one of the country's foremost experts on Labour politics, details the vivid personalities and epic factional battles, the immense achievements and profound disappointments that define a century of Labour. Uniquely framed around competing visions of socialist justice within the Party, he provides a way to rethink Labour history, the divisions and factions on the left and to reassess key figures at the helm of the movement from Keir Hardie through to Keir Starmer.


Watch the video link Blair's Victory as New Labour 1997 He almost seems to be  celebrating a victory over 'old Labour as much as the Conservatives.


A Brief History of Labour

1900            The  founding of the party as candidates run in elections

1906         The party officially comes into existence

    

The Labour Party was founded in 1900, having grown out of the trade union movement and socialist parties of the 19th century. It overtook the Liberal Party to become the main opposition to the Conservative Party in the early 1920s, 

1906-45 The party is periodically in and out of government, either as a minority government or in coalition with other parties forming two minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in the 1920s and early 1930s

1924         The First Labour Government

1945-51  Labour gains power on its own for the first time and with a huge majority. Led by Clement Attlee


1951-97         Labour is in and out of power under  Harold Wilson and James Callaghan, Labour again governed from 1964 to 1970 and 1974 to 1979

1997-2010 Labour is in power continuously.  Tony Blair took Labour to the centre as part of his New Labour project which governed under Blair and then Gordon Brown from 1997 to 2010. 


What is 'Old Labour' 

After the mid-1990s, the basic principles of the 'traditional' Labour Party became known as 'Old Labour', because so-called 'New Labour' had come into existence.

The central ideas were collectivism and socialism which were to be realise through a welfare state, public ownership of major parts of the economy, progressive taxation, and management of the economy-particularly through the principles of Keynesianism 

.

Nationalisation, the creation of the NHS and Welfare State

At the 1945 general election in opposition to Churchill's Conservatives.  Labour won a landslide victory, winning just under 50% of the vote with a majority of 159 seats.

Although Clement Attlee was no great radical himself, Attlee's government proved one of the most radical British governments of the 20th century, enacting Keynesian economic policies, presiding over a policy of nationalising major industries and utilities including the Bank of England, coal mining, the steel industry, electricity, gas, and inland transport (including railways, road haulage and canals). It developed and implemented the "cradle to grave" welfare state conceived by the economist William Beveridge. To this day, most people in the United Kingdom see the 1948 creation of Britain's National Health Service (NHS) under health minister Aneurin Bevan, which gave publicly funded medical treatment for all, as Labour's proudest achievement

From 'Old' to 'New Labour'


To broaden its support, the Labour Party began to move away from its hard left position of the early 1980s. This involved a gradual recognition that, as the old industrial base of the country disappeared and people became more affluent, policies that appealed solely to the traditional working class would not be enough to win a general election. It took two more defeats, in 1987 and 1992, and the leadership of Neil Kinnock and John Smith and finally the election of a forceful new leader, Tony Blair, to complete this process. The party dropped unpopular policy proposals, crucially revising Clause 4 of its constitution in 1995 so that it was no longer committed to nationalisation. The role played by the trade unions in the party was downgraded, and the party leadership developed links with the business community. At the same time, Labour became more pro-European as the EU adopted policies that protected workers' rights, such as the Social Chapter.

The party was rebranded as 'New Labour' and, under the influence of progressive thinker Anthony Giddens, aimed to find a 'third way' between old-style socialism and free-market capitalism.

A strong emphasis was placed on managing the media to project a more modern image, and great efforts were made to ensure that Labour demonstrated unity and discipline. Aided by the disintegration of John Major's Conservative government, Blair won a landslide victory in May 1997.

He was re-elected twice more before making way for the succession of his long-serving Chancellor and fellow architect of New Labour, Gordon Brown, in June 2007.

New Labour: a departure from socialism?


The term 'New Labour' refers to the rebranding of the party's image and a  change in the philosophy and policies. As a reaction to four consecutive election defeats the Labour party broke with 'Old' Labour ideas, as shown in  the removal of clause 4 from the party constitution. The party was transformed beginning under the leadership of Neil Kinnock then John Smith (1992-94) and finally Tony Blair (1994-2007). The party adopted the so-called 'post-. Thatcher consensus' 

New Labour also followed a set of ideas known as the 'third way', an idea developed by sociologist Anthony Giddens in the early 1990s. The third way refers to a centre path steered between the old Labour tradition, which was partly socialist in essence, and the New Right policies  of the Conservative Party in the 1980s.

Key distinctions and similarities between traditional (`Old) and 'New' Labour


          New Labour stresses individualism, whereas Old Labour stresses collectivism.

          Old Labour sought to modify and regulate capitalism, creating a mixed economy of both public and private sector. New Labour accepts free-market capitalism and encourages it.

          Old Labour saw the state as a key means by which society can be improved. New Labour sees the role of the state as merely enabling individuals to prosper.

          Old Labour saw society in terms of class conflict, whereas New Labour thinks class is insignificant and that individual interests are more important than class interests.

          Old Labour sought to promote economic and social equality, whereas New Labour sees inequality as natural and something that can be tolerated as long as there is equality of opportunity and opportunities are enhanced.

The main similarities are summarised below. Both Old and New Labour believe:

The creation of New Labour aroused intense controversy. Many traditional socialists rejected these modernising efforts as a betrayal of their heritage. They felt that Blair was too much at home with business leaders and too enthusiastic for the values of the market. His building of close links with the US government, culminating in the 2003 Iraq War, further damaged his credentials as a progressive figure. On the other hand, Blair's supporters argued that New Labour was a necessary adaptation to a changing society and that, in the words of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, it embodied 'traditional values in a modern setting'.

What were the key features of New Labour in power?

·      Emphasis on wealth creation rather than redistribution The New Labour governments sought to reduce poverty but did not make the elimination of inequality a priority. For example, they introduced a national minimum wage, a long-standing ambition of the Labour Party, but at a less generous level (f3.60 an hour for adults) than the trade unions wanted. Blair in particular regarded individual aspiration to a better standard of life, achieved through a person's efforts, as entirely natural.

·      People need to be aware of their responsibilities to the community as well as their rights 

A key Blairite belief was the idea that rights should always be balanced against responsibilities. In this sense, Blairism was influenced by communitarianism. The desire to strengthen social duty and moral responsibilities. The prison population in 2005 rose to over 76,000, mostly owing to the increasing length of sentences. Following the September 11 attacks, the Labour government attempted to emphasise counter-terrorism measures. From 2002, the government followed policies aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour; in the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act, New Labour introduced Anti-Social Behaviour Orders Blair declared that a Labour government must be 'tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime' — willing to punish criminal behaviour, while continuing to tackle poor social conditions.

·      Responsibility in handling the national finances  New Labour maintained Conservative spending plans in their first two years in office and, during this time, Gordon Brown earned the reputation as an "Iron Chancellor" with his "Golden Rule" and conservative handling of the budget  However, the increase in National Insurance contributions in 2002, led to the largest ever rise in spending on the NHS.

New Labour accepted the economic efficiency of markets and believed that they could be detached from capitalism to achieve the aims of socialism while maintaining the efficiency of capitalism. Markets were also useful for giving power to consumers and allowing citizens to make their own decisions and act responsibly. New Labour embraced market economics because they believed they could be used for their social aims as well as economic efficiency. The party did not believe that public ownership was efficient or desirable, ensuring that they were not seen to be ideologically pursuing centralised public ownership was important to the party. 

·      Enlisting the public sector to deliver public services For example, Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts were awarded to private firms to build new schools and hospitals.

·      Influence of liberal ideology on Labour thinking This showed in devolution — the transfer of central government functions to new representative bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — and the passage of the Human Rights Act. However, New Labour governments proved willing to curb civil liberties in their campaign against crime and terrorism, extending the time that suspects could be detained before being charged, widening police powers and proposing the introduction of identity cards.

Labour under Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband: politics after the crash

The financial crisis and recession in 2008-09 triggered a change in policy by the Brown government. The Treasury injected funds into the banking system to stimulate economic activity. Additionally, the government either nationalized or partly nationalized the most vulnerable banks to rebuild confidence. In a departure from his earlier pledge, Brown introduced a new 50 per cent tax band for individuals earning over £150,000 annually, signaling Labour's push for wealthier individuals to share the burden of addressing the economic crisis. Brown advocated for sustaining public spending, opposing severe cuts proposed by the Conservatives, which he argued would deprive the economy of resources and extend the downturn. Despite criticism suggesting a shift away from New Labour ideology, these actions were emergency measures taken during a period of heightened financial uncertainty. They differed significantly from the ideologically motivated emphasis on public ownership during the 'Old Labour' era. Miliband's victory in the leadership election was widely seen as a win for the Brownite faction within the Labour Party, as he declared the end of New Labour.


Under Ed Miliband's leadership, Labour maintained aspects of New Labour policies while slightly shifting to the left. Miliband and his Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, emphasized the importance of restoring Labour's reputation as a capable economic manager. The challenge for Miliband as party leader was to offer an alternative to the Coalition's budget cuts without being labeled as 'deficit deniers'. They acknowledged the need to reduce borrowing levels and criticized the Coalition for excessive deficit reduction measures. Miliband's early critiques of the Coalition centered on their lack of a growth strategy, especially as the recession proved more severe and prolonged than expected. As the UK economy began to recover in 2014, Labour shifted their focus to concerns about living standards and criticized the economic recovery for benefiting only a few. In the 2015 general election, Labour pledged to reduce the deficit annually and balance the budget promptly, aiming to avoid additional borrowing for new expenses. However, this commitment drew criticism for not taking the deficit seriously enough while failing to propose an alternative to austerity. Labour under Miliband appeared to endorse a form of 'austerity-lite'. Campaign adviser David Axelrod, hired for the 2015 campaign, expressed skepticism about Labour's strategy, emphasizing the need for a more compelling message to win back support from the white working-class voters.


The sense of desperation which gripped the Labour party as the 2015 election approached became apparent when   in a car park in Hastings, Miliband unveiled an 8ft 6in slab of limestone, into which had been carved Labour’s six election pledges. The mockery was so intense that the location of the “Ed Stone” became the subject of frenzied media speculation after the election. 

By 2015 there was pressure for Labour to adopt a much more radical approach. Some party members attributed the landslide victory of the SNP in Scotland, where Labour was left with just one Westminster seat, to the party being insufficiently left wing.


 labour under Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn’s victory in the 2015 Labour leadership election was one of the most unexpected events in modern politics. Corbyn was a veteran of Labour’s ‘hard’ left; he had never held ministerial or shadow ministerial office; and he had frequently been at odds with the Labour leadership. Indeed, he represented a wing of the party that had appeared to have been in virtual internal exile since the rise of New Labour. Corbyn’s success derived from a combination of Miliband’s switch to a ‘one member one vote’ leadership election process that placed the outcome squarely in the hands of party members (together with ‘affiliated supporters’ and ‘registered supporters’) and the influx into the party in the run-up to 


Why did Jeremy Corbyn arouse such enthusiasm in the Labour Party?

Labour's policies in the Corbyn era

·      Economic policy 

A National Investment Bank. The renationalisation of the railways, a policy the New Labour governments refused to adopt. Instinctively supporting intervention of an Old Labour kind. He was opposed  to austerity, characterising it as a 'political choice' that harmed the most vulnerable members of society, rather than an 'economic necessity'.

·      NHS & Welfare policy Corbyn strongly opposed benefit cuts. As a socialist, he regarded the poor as the victims of capitalism, who are entitled to public support. An extra £6 billion a year would be pumped into the NHS, and spending on social care would be boosted by £2.1 billion; hospital parking charges would be scrapped. 

·      Law and order policy Corbyn was opposed to the more hard-line policies of the New Labour era, such as increased powers to combat terrorism and the introduction of identity cards. This became a less controversial policy area within the Labour Party: both Blairites and Corbynites found common ground in opposing government cuts to police numbers, which they described as jeopardising public safety.

Nationalisation. The railways, the Royal Mail, the water industry and, and in the future the energy industries would be renationalised. 

Education  A NHS-style service for education would be established, with a commitment to increase spending on education and early years in total by more than £25 billion (the biggest single cost would come from the scrapping of university tuition fees). 

Employee rights. Zero-hours contracts and unpaid internships would be banned, and the minimum wage would rise to at least £10 an hour by 2020. All existing EU rights and protections would be retained. 

·      Foreign policy Corbyn consistently voted against the use of force, and favoured the withdrawal of the UK from NATO's military structure and the abolition of the Trident nuclear weapons system, again placing him at odds with New Labour. He and his then Shadow Foreign Secretary, Hilary Benn, took opposing positions in the December 2015 Commons vote on military intervention against 'Islamic State' terrorism. The party was so divided on the issue that Corbyn had to allow his MPs a free vote. 


Corbyn was a life long sceptic about the benefit of belonging to the EU but he followed the mainstream of his party in supporting continued British membership of the EU, emphasising its positive role in protecting workers' rights, but more enthusiastic Labour pro-Europeans felt that he campaigned in a lukewarm manner in the 2016 referendum.

Keir Starmer Following Labour's worst election result since the second world war, Keir Starmer replaced Jeremy Corbyn as leader. He has indicated a move away from Corbyn's policies- with an emphasis on pragmatism and realism- which may mean a move away form left wing socialism.




Labour leader Kier Starmer

Named after the legendary first leader of the Labour Party, Keir Hardie, Starmer is the son of a nurse and toolmaker who became an eminent lawyer and QC, latterly as Director of Public Prosecutions and the Head of the Crown

Prosecution Service. He became an MP in 2015 and Labour leader in 2020.

Jeremy Corbyn was elected Leader of the Labour Party in 2015. Corbyn was in many ways the accidental leader. In the 2015 Labour leadership contest, he made it on to the ballot paper only with the help of several MPs who did not even vote for him but wanted to 'widen  the debate.” Even his closest allies did not expect Corbyn to win.  However after he became leader the party's membership increased sharply, both during the leadership campaign and following his election. Taking the party to the left, he advocated renationalising public utilities and railways, a less interventionist military policy, and reversals of austerity cuts to welfare and public services. Although critical of the European Union, he supported continued membership in the 2016 referendum. After Labour MPs sought to remove him in 2016, he won a second leadership contest, defeating Owen Smith. In the 2017 general election, Labour increased its share of the vote to 40%, with Labour's 9.6% vote rise being its largest improvement since the 1945 general election. Under Corbyn, Labour achieved a net gain of 30 seats and a hung parliament, but the Conservative Prime Minister, Theresa May, formed a minority government and the party remained in Opposition. 

 He enthused a younger generation about politics and hands over the largest party in western Europe with more than 500,000 members. He listened to them, unlike most of his predecessors, who regarded them as irritating flies. In 2017, he raised hopes that the genuine excitement about his remarkable campaign might translate into a remarkable victory. But he fell just short. All he can look back on is a brilliant defeat.

2019 general election and resignation of Corbyn

In May 2019, Theresa May announced her resignation and stood down as Prime Minister in July, following the election of her replacement, former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.[Corbyn said that Labour was ready to fight an election against Johnson.

The 2019 Labour Party Manifesto included policies to increase funding for health, negotiate a Brexit deal and hold a referendum giving a choice between the deal and remain, raise the minimum wage, stop the age pension age increase, nationalise key industries, and replace universal credit. Due to the plans to nationalise the "big six" energy firms, the National Grid, the water industry, Royal Mail, the railways and the broadband arm of BT, the 2019 manifesto was widely considered as the most radical in several decades, more closely resembling Labour's politics of the 1970s than subsequent decades.

The 2019 general election was the worst defeat for Labour since the 1930s. At 32.2%, Labour's share of the vote was down around eight points on the 2017 general election and is lower than that achieved by Neil Kinnock in 1992, although it was higher than in 2010 and 2015. In the aftermath, opinions differed to why the Labour Party was defeated to the extent it was. The Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell largely blamed Brexit and the media representation of the party. Tony Blair argued that the party's unclear position on Brexit and the economic policy pursued by the Corbyn leadership were to blame.

Corbyn himself was re-elected for Islington North with 64.3% of the vote share and a majority of 26,188 votes over the runner-up candidate representing the Liberal Democrats, with Labour's share of the vote falling by 8.7%. Labour MPs were elected in 202 seats, their lowest representation since 1935 and fourth successive election defeat, although the party's share of the vote was higher than in 2015 and 2010. The Guardian described the results as a "realignment" of UK politics as the Conservative landslide took many traditionally Labour seats in England and Wales.   Cornyn insisted that he had "pride in the manifesto" that Labour put forward and blamed the defeat on Brexit. According to polling by Lord Ashcroft, Corbyn was himself a major contribution to the party's defeat.



Following Labour's heavy defeat at the 2019 general election, Jeremy Corbyn announced that he would stand down as Leader of the Labour Party. Starmer announced his candidacy in the ensuing leadership election on 4 January 2020, winning multiple endorsements from MPs, as well as from the trade union Unison. .He went on to win the leadership contest on 4 April 2020, beating Long-Bailey and Nandy, with 56.2% of the vote in the first round, and therefore also became Leader of the Opposition. In his acceptance speech, he said would refrain from "scoring party political points" and that he planned to "engage constructively with the government", having become Opposition Leader amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 Labour conference began with rule changes which would make the election of another left wing leader almost impossible. Under the reforms, leadership hopefuls will now have to secure the support of 20% of the party's MPs (up from the current 10%) before becoming an official candidate in a leadership contest. And a "registered supporters" scheme, which allowed people to pay a one-off fee to vote in a Labour leadership election, has been scrapped. Sir Keir's reforms have also made it harder for current Labour MPs to be de-selected, by raising the threshold for triggering a selection contest.

Kier Starmer

Early in his leadership, Keir Starmer was keen to push away comparisons with predecessors, especially questions over whether his ideas and ambitions were more aligned to Jeremy Corbyn’s socialist agenda or to Tony Blair’s much more ‘centrist’ interpretation of the party’s values. Descriptive words about Starmer such as ‘thoughtful’ and ‘serious’ tended to proliferate — as did a sense that while there was a genuine desire to tackle inequality and poverty and to improve people’s lives, the means to do so remained steadfastly unclear.

In a 2020 BBC interview, political editor Laura Kuenssberg highlighted the difficult job that Starmer faced. He needed to ‘distance himself’ from the failure of Labour under Corbyn, as symbolised by the 2019 election manifesto, while not alienating many of the Labour voters who believed strongly in that agenda and who would still form the bedrock of the party’s support in a 2024 general election.

The main directions of Keir Starmer’s first years as leader revolve around putting an end to the damaging factional rivalry within the Labour Party, rooting out the destructive forces of anti-Semitism that had plagued the party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and establishing his own distinctive agenda.

Ending division and uniting the party Division and factional rivalry are characteristics of all long-standing political parties, the modern Labour Party more so than most. Controlling the rise and fall of key organisations that exist under Labour’s broad umbrella has posed a challenge for all Labour leaders, with battle lines currently drawn between ‘hard left’, socialist, Corbyn-supporting groups, and those that champion the centre- left aspirations of more moderate members. Ending the rivalry and uniting most groups within the party around an agenda that is internally supported and externally electable is the single most important challenge for Keir Starmer.

While the group expulsions only affected around 1,000 individual party members, Starmer’s intention to steadily move the party ‘back’ to the centre, working closely with Labour to Win, and promoting into the shadow cabinet MPs with centre-left credentials at the expense of ‘left-wing’ former Corbyn-allies such as RebeccaLong Bailey, appears to be increasingly evident.

‘Rooting out’ anti-Semitism

On accepting the leadership, Keir Starmer condemned what he referred to as the ‘stain’ of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party and avowed his intention to ‘tear out this poison by its roots’. In holding meetings with Jewish groups (including the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Labour Movement) within days of his election, Starmer was praised in a joint statement by those groups as having achieved ‘in four days more than his predecessor in four years in addressing anti-Semitism within the Labour Party’.

Since then, Keir Starmer has responded assertively to a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into allegations of anti-Semitism and harassment within Labour Party. It gave a damning verdict and highlighted breaches of the Equality Act amid ‘a culture within the party which, at best, did not do enough to prevent anti-Semitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it’.

In response, Keir Starmer released a detailed plan for tackling anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, committing again to the already-established independent complaints process and to addressing the ‘backlog’ of anti-Semitism cases. In addition, high-profile suspensions of members, including Jeremy Corbyn, and a robust challenge to allegations that anti-Semitism in the party is ‘exaggerated’ have led many Jewish groups to continue to praise Starmer’s approach.

Delivering a distinctive agenda

In early 2020, Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign focused upon ‘Ten Pledges’ based on what he referred to as ‘the moral case for socialism’. The pledges included increasing tax on the top 5% of earners, abolishing Universal Credit (the unpopular welfare payment system established by the Conservative Party), and commitments to public service ownership, devolved power, tackling climate change, human rights and the rights of migrants.



Since then, and most notably in September 2021 ahead of the Labour Party Conference, Keir Starmer published an 11,500-word essay on what he stands for and how he wants to lead a UK that is ‘crying out for change’. In a bid to silence critics accusing him of lacking vision and direction, Starmer’s wide-ranging pamphlet had several targets, including:

■ An emphasis on ‘putting families first’ by highlighting better levels of ‘security and opportunity’ through sustained investment in skills and stable jobs. Branding prime minister Boris Johnson as ‘utterly unserious and completelyunprepared for the great challenges of our time’.

■ Accusing the Conservative Party and the SNP of being ‘in thrall to nationalism’ and stating that Labour’s stance could be ‘proudly patriotic’ while ‘rejecting the divisiveness of nationalism’.

Within the collection of policy priorities in the first 2 years of Starmer’s leadership, there were some more traditionally socialist strands. These were most evident in the commitment to higher taxes on the wealthy and on businesses, a  recommitment to nationalisation, and significant public investment in education and healthcare. However, alongside these sit some notable links to New Labour’s agenda such as constitutional reform, enhanced rights and devolution. The renewed focus on patriotism and the dropping of a previous Starmer pledge to reintroduce free movement within the EU as ‘impossible’ can be seen as policies designed to appeal to former Labour voters, particularly those concerned about their communities changing though unchecked immigration, and about wages being kept low by the availability of temporary workers from overseas.




At the Future of Britain conference, Starmer said Labour had had to make “really ruthless” decisions, including ruling out other unfunded spending commitments, since he took the reins to ensure it was in a good place to contest the next election. 

Reverse the commitment to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

Keir Starmer has doubled down on his decision not to scrap the two-child benefit cap, warning his party that there will have to be more tough choices if Labour is to win the next election.

The Labour leader, who faces pressure from senior party figures to row back from his position on the policy, instead told them they had to be even more focused and disciplined in the months ahead.

A clear break with Corbynism

The party  agreed to ban four groups, leading to the automatic expulsion of members – expected to reach 1,000, though this figure hasn’t been confirmed – on the party’s left. The groups are Socialist Appeal, a Trotskyist group considered a successor to Militant; Labour Against the Witchhunt, which believes many Labour antisemitism claims were fabricated for political reasons; Labour in Exile Network, a defender of those suspended or expelled from Labour; and Resist, the project of ex-MP Chris Williamson, intended to become a registered political party.

Shifts in influence among Labour factions

The early 2020s was a difficult time for any Opposition leader to gain traction. The health crisis and the low point for Labour of the 2019 general election certainly provided the most unstable of bases from which to launch a radical plan of action. Keir Starmer delivered an effective 2021 Conference speech, and was praised for tackling anti-Semitism within the party. In 2022 his standing in the country and the Labour Party's fortunes improved when the Conservative Party removed Boris Johnson shortly followed by Liz Truss. Labour seem on course for victory at the next election.

But the realistic possibility of winning at the next election has also seem Labour retreat from policies which might open then to Conservatives attacks.

Abolish tuition fees

Starmer promised to “end the national scandal of spiralling student debt” with a vow to abolish tuition fees. The commitment formed one of his 10 pledges, included to woo the left of the party during his run to become leader.

Changing his stance, Starmer said the country found itself in a “different financial situation”.


Green prosperity plan

At Starmer’s first in-person conference since winning the leadership contest, Labour vowed to invest £28bn a year in climate-related measures to protect the UK from disaster. In June, however, Labour delayed plans for a green prosperity fund to start in the first year of government, saying it would “ramp up” by the middle of a first parliament.

Blaming the Conservatives’ disastrous mini-budget for the delay, Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said the party must stick to its new fiscal rule, that debt must be falling as a share of national income after five years.


Common ownership

The launch of Great British Energy, a publicly owned energy run on clean UK power was announced at the last Labour conference. This huge commitment came after Starmer partially dropped one of his 10 pledges to nationalise industries such as energy companies, the Royal Mail and water companies.

Reeves said the policy was not compatible with the new fiscal rules she would introduce, with Labour keen to highlight that it still planned to nationalise the railways.

Raising income tax for the highest earners

The Labour leader vowed to reintroduce the top tax band for the country’s highest earners last September. Starmer criticised Conservative ministers for making the “hugely divisive” move of handing out a tax cut to the well-off.

But in an interview with the Telegraph, Starmer then suggested he wanted to lower taxation, but was not “looking to the lever of taxation”. Labour says it is still committed to scrapping non-dom tax status and cracking down on tax avoidance.

Defend migrants’ rights

Labour’s messaging on defending migrant rights has shifted under Starmer’s leadership. When standing to become leader, Starmer said: “I want families to be able to live together, whether that’s in Europe or here … We have to make the case for freedom of movement.”


May 2024 Ahead of a likely election in the Autumn Labour announced its six "first steps" (Actually happened on July 4th)

Clear echos of New Labour, Blair famously unveiled a “pledge card” of key promises in the lead-up to his landslide victory in 1997.  More evidence of Labour's move to the centre.