Politics and Social Policy

Conservatives: 1979-97

Favoured New Right Policy = Thatcher banned teaching of homosexuality in schools and defined divorce as a social problem and with Child Support Agency she enforced absent fathers to pay maintenance payments. Opposed state intervention and encouraged self sufficiency

HOWEVER, divorce was made easier and they gave illegitimate children the same rights as those born to married parents.

New Labour: 1997-2010

Saw family as the bedrock of society and saw a family headed by married heterosexual parents as best for children. Introduced parenting orders to enforce this

Acknowledged women could go to work and introduced longer maternity leave = helped lone parents return to work

Made steps to support alternatives to nuclear family such as the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and giving unmarried parents the same rights to adopt as married.

Coalition Govt: 2010-15

Led to coalition of 2 types of conservatives - modernisers and traditionalists. Reflected in the policy as there was the 2013 Marriage Act but also cuts in welfare. There was also a somewhat controversial 2011 Troubled families programme which created more stigma.

How has politics changed since the beginning?

Alternatives to the nuclear family have become more accepted by governments and reflects societal change. Even in the modern govts however, the NR ideology of welfare still seemed to be an issue.