How ‘new’ was New Labour?
It’s an interesting question and I think I would like to argue that new labour wasn’t new. It is clear that Blair moved the party towards electoral successs and did this by adopting pro market language and committing Labour to the 1997 Tory spending targets (not to frighten the markets), and by removing clause 4.(which was remarkable), but different times demand different responses and all political parties change. They have to to win elections. Moreover, Labour under Callaghan and Healey adopted pro market language following IMF bailout and even before. This is one example of new labour not being new. Maybe the departure from nationalisation was new?
