f&h politics

What is New Labour & how did they change social policy?

A rebranded version of the Labour Party. 1997-2010

Traditional values in a modern setting. More individualistic and socially liberal

New Labour’s Child Tax Credit Policy

Introduced in 2003

stated depending on the amount of children you had it reduced the amount of tax you paid slightly. This is paid to the main carer of the children, usually the mother.

Criticism of New Labour’s Child Tax Credit Policy

New Right argue that it undermined family privacy and that Labour was constructing a 'nanny state’ that interfered largely in family life.

Conservative social policy views

• Preference for traditional nuclear families

• Encouraging individual and parental responsibility

• Concern that the welfare system might encourage non-traditional family forms and irresponsible behaviour

Conservative governments history 2010-2022

• 2010 - 2015 the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government.

• In 2015, David Cameron won a small Conservative majority at the general election and resigned in 2016 where Theresa May took over but resigned in 2019. (both leaving because brexit drama)

• The Conservatives have not won a general election victory since December 2019

Austerity - coalition social policy

• After the financial crisis of 08-09, the coalition introduced austerity to reduce national debt.

• Bradshaw argues that these cuts disproportionately affect the poor and lead to broken homes.

• Child poverty grew by 1.6% across the period.

Socially Liberal traits

• Willing to provide help from the state/government

• Open to a range of family types

• Believe people can choose the best thing for themselves

• Think of individual needs

Socially Conservative traits

• Want to preserve tradition and traditional values

• Want to preserve the traditional, heterosexual nuclear family.

• Want the family to be self-reliant

• Think of the family as a unit

criticisms of Conservative Govts 1979-1997

• Marxists argue NR policies just cut state expenditure to avoid taxing the rich - benefitting the ruling class

• Despite their best efforts to preserve the nuclear family, this period saw the largest growth in family diversity

criticisms of New Labour 1997-2010

• Some argue they didn’t go far enough on gay rights

• Whilst they were more open to other family types, they hadn’t really moved on from nuclear family being the ideal

Criticisms of coalition Govt 2010-2015

• No sense of consistency in social policy passed - main focus has been spending cuts

• Inequality of approach to same sex and opposite sex couples

• Public attitudes potentially don’t reflect changes - e.g. fathers not taking advantage of parental leave