Blairism Explained

In British politics, Blairism is the political ideology of Tony Blair, the former leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister between 1997 and 2007, and those that support him, known as Blairites. It entered the New Penguin English Dictionary in 2000.^[1] Elements of the ideology include investment in public services, expansionary efforts in education to encourage social mobility, and increased actions in terms of mass surveillance alongside a ramping up of law enforcement powers, both of these latter changes advocated in the context of fighting organized crime and terrorism. Blairites have additionally been known for their contrast with the traditional support for socialism by those believing in left-wing politics, with Blair himself and others speaking out against the nationalisation of major industries and against also heavy regulations of business operations. On foreign policy, Blairism is supportive of close relations with the United States and liberal interventionism, including advocacy for both the Iraq war and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).

Ideology

See also: Third Way.

Politically, Blair has been identified with record investment into public services, an interventionist and Atlanticist foreign policy, support for stronger law enforcement powers, a large focus on surveillance as a means to address terrorism and a large focus on education as a means to encourage social mobility. In the early years (circa 1994–1997), Blairism was also associated with support for European integration and particularly British participation in the European single currency, though this waned after Labour took office.

The term is used in particular in contrast to Brownite, to identify those within the Labour Party who supported Gordon Brown rather than Blair. However, with Blair and Brown typically in agreement on most political issues^[2] (from Iraq to public sector reform), some commentators have noted that "the difference between Brownites and Blairites [...] is more tribal than ideological".^[3] This is believed to stem from a personal disagreement between Blair and Brown over who should run for the leadership following the death of John Smith in 1994. Though Brown was originally considered the senior of the two, he waited until after Smith's funeral to begin campaigning, by which point Blair had gathered too much momentum to be defeated.^[4] However, in his book Whatever it Takes, Steve Richards offered an alternate view: that there were significant disagreements between the two about relative poverty, the level of public spending and the potential for choice in public services.^[5]

In a 1999 article, The Economist stated:

Blair's tenure is known for an expansion of LGBT rights, such as the introduction of civil partnerships. Blair told the LGBT organisation Stonewall that "what has happened is that the culture of the country has changed in a definable way" and that "it's a thing that doesn't just give me a lot of pride, but it has actually brought a lot of joy". Blair has also stated that he got up off his seat and danced upon seeing the first civil partnership ceremonies on television.^[6]

Relationship to prior administrations

See also: Blatcherism. The Daily Telegraph stated in April 2008 that Blair's programme, with its emphasis on "New Labour", accepted the free-market ideology of Thatcherism. The article cited deregulation, privatisation of key national industries, maintaining a flexible labour market, marginalising the role of trade unions and devolving government decision making to local authorities as evidence. He also sought a closer, better relationship with Europe, and considered joining the Euro currency, but Gordon Brown was not in favour.^[7]

In the BBC Four documentary film Tory! Tory! Tory!, Blair is described as personally admiring Margaret Thatcher deeply and making the decision that she would be the first outside person he formally invited to visit him in 10 Downing Street.^[8]

Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major, who Blair defeated in a landslide at the 1997 general election; was one of the original figures behind the Northern Ireland peace process that Blair continued and both of them campaigned together in support of the Good Friday Agreement.

Blair privately called Thatcher "unhinged", a description that later became public knowledge.^[9] Blair criticised the Thatcher government's record on poverty and made that a key issue for Labour economic policy. He made the goal to eradicate child poverty in Britain within 20 years based on the fact that one-third of British children were in poverty post-Thatcher compared to the 9% rate in 1979 (although these statistics are disputed).^[10]

In a 2001 speech to a Conservative election rally, Thatcher called New Labour 'rootless and soulless' saying at least Old Labour stood for certain principles, that respected them, and also said Blair does not truly believe in liberty. She also claimed the Labour government would give up the British pound to join the Euro.^[11]

Blair also abolished Section 28 and created more pro-European initiatives compared to Thatcher.

In his 2010 autobiography, A Journey, Blair remarked:

Relationship to later administrations

See also: Blair–Brown deal.

Impact on the Labour Party

The Labour Party leadership of Jeremy Corbyn was seen as a departure from Blairism, and a return of Old Labour, and was described as a 'return of the 1940s Labour Party' by The Guardian, with its emphasis on re-nationalisation of energy, water, and railways and massive public investment in housing and the NHS. Jeremy Corbyn was critical of Blair's involvement in Iraq and voted against it at the time, garnering much support particularly from the youth vote. Labour increased its vote share by over 9% in 2017, costing Theresa May her majority in Parliament, but with the party split by Brexit policy and identitarian infighting, it lost the 2019 election to Boris Johnson's Conservatives.^[12]

Since the election of Keir Starmer as Leader of the Labour Party in 2020, some in the British media have noted the ideological shift from the left back to the centre, allowing comparisons to be drawn between the current policy platform of the Labour Party and its Shadow Ministers (some of whom served in the cabinets of Blair and Brown) and that of New Labour.^[13]

The November 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle was seen to be giving more power to Blairites in the Parliamentary Labour Party. This was criticised by former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell.^[14] In May 2022, on the 25th anniversary of Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 election, Blair in a video looked back at the victory and his achievements and showed his support for Starmer.

The 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle was seen as giving even more power to Blairites within the Labour Party.^[15]

Blairites

Other than Blair himself, the following prominent Labour politicians are often considered Blairites, but may not identify themselves as such:

• Alastair Campbell^[16] – Blair's spokesman and campaign director (1994–1997), Downing Street Press Secretary and as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesperson (1997–2000), Downing Street Director of Communications and spokesman for the Labour Party (2000–2003). Campaign director for Blair's third election win in 2005.
• Andrew Adonis – former Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Economic Delivery and former Transport Secretary^[17]
• Valerie Amos – Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, British High Commissioner to Australia and the first black woman to serve in the Cabinet^{[18] [19] [20]}
• Hilary Armstrong – former Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chief Whip^{[21] [22]}
• Hazel Blears – former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government^{[23] [24]}
• David Blunkett – former Home Secretary
• Stephen Byers – former Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and former MP^{[25] [26]}
• Ben Bradshaw – former Culture Secretary^{[27] [28] [29]}
• Liam Byrne – former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary.^[30]
• Charles Clarke – former Home Secretary and former MP who lost his seat at the 2010 general election^[31]
• Charles Falconer – former Lord Chancellor^{[32] [33]}
• Caroline Flint – former Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change^{[34] [35]}
• Tom Harris – former MP^[36]
• Patricia Hewitt – former Secretary of State for Health and former MP^{[37] [38]}
• Margaret Hodge – former chair of the Public accounts committee^[39]
• Geoff Hoon – former Secretary of State for Defence
• Tristram Hunt – former MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central^{[40] [41]}
• Owen Smith – former MP for Pontypridd and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.^[42]
• John Hutton – former Secretary of State for Defence, MP and head of a commission into public sector pensions for the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition^[43]
• Tessa Jowell – former Culture Secretary
• Alan Johnson – former Home Secretary^[44]
• Darren Jones – Chief Secretary to the Treasury^[45]
• Sally Keeble – former MP for Northampton North^[46]
• Ruth Kelly – former Cabinet minister and economist^[47]
• Liz Kendall – Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and 2015 Labour Party leadership candidate
• Oona King – Former MP for Bethnal Green and Bow who lost her seat to George Galloway and the defeated candidate to be Labour's candidate for the Mayoralty of London^{[48] [49] [50] [51] [52]}
• Peter Mandelson – former First Secretary of State and spin doctor^{[53] [54] [55]}
• Wes Streeting – Secretary of State for Health^[56]
• Alan Milburn – former Secretary of State for Health, MP and Social Mobility Tsar under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
• David Miliband – former Foreign Secretary and defeated 2010 Labour Party leadership candidate
• Estelle Morris – former Secretary of State for Education and currently a peer^[57]
• Sally Morgan – former director of Government Relations, Minister for Women and chair of Ofsted
• Jim Murphy – former Secretary of State for Scotland and Leader of the Scottish Labour Party 2014–15.^[58]
• James Purnell – former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
• John Reid – former Home Secretary^[18]
• Jacqui Smith – former Home Secretary^[59]

See also

• Brownism
• Centrism in the United Kingdom
• Clintonism
• Thatcherism
• Third Way

Notes and References

1. News: Ezard. John. Blairism, noun: very difficult to define. 3 March 2016. The Guardian. 4 August 2000.
2. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/will_hutton/2006/06/post_164.html How to bear Blair: become a Blairite
3. http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=327&id=1578582001 Jack the Knife goes for the clearout kill
4. https://www.theguardian.com/weekend/story/0,,1310965,00.html Will he? Won't he?
5. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/oct/03/whatever-it-takes-steve-richards-book-review
6. News: Blair proud of gay rights record. BBC News. 22 March 2007.
7. News: Margaret Thatcher, inspiration to New Labour. 30 June 2011. The Daily Telegraph. London. 17 April 2008.
8. [BBC Four]
9. News: 4 November 2011. In conversation with... Matthew Parris. Total Politics. 19 August 2010. Iain Dale. Iain Dale. I think he was unhinged. That's the same word Tony Blair used of Margaret Thatcher. I think Tony Blair was a bit unhinged too. I think Margaret Thatcher had her unhinged moments.. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130420121545/http://www.totalpolitics.com/articles/5038/in-conversation-with-matthew-parris.thtml. 20 April 2013.
10. News: The Economist. Tony Blair's war on poverty. 23 September 1999. 5 November 2011.
11. https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/108389 Speech to Conservative Election Rally in Plymouth ("The Mummy Returns")
12. Web site: Jeremy Corbyn's Labour manifesto harks back to 1940s | Larry Elliott. 21 November 2019. The Guardian.
13. Web site: Keir Starmer is an unconvincing Blairite with an authenticity problem | John Rentoul. 8 August 2021. The Independent. London.
14. John McDonnell. johnmcdonnellMP. 1465414551965425664. Reviving the careers of former Blairite ministers & simply reappointing existing Shadow Cabinet ministers to new posts does give the impression of Christmas Past not Christmas Future..
15. Web site: Chaplain . Chloe . 2023-09-04 . Keir Starmer purges soft left and surrounds himself with Blairites for General Election push . 2023-09-04 . inews.co.uk . en.
16. News: Alastair Campbell's principles for politics today . The Economist.
17. News: Nisbet. Robert. Ex-Labour Peer Delighted To Head Tory Project. 2 April 2016. Sky News. 30 October 2015.
18. Book: Anthony Seldon. Blair Unbound. 4 September 2008. Simon and Schuster. 978-1-84739-499-6. 334.
19. News: Morris. Nigel. Amos takes post as first black woman in Cabinet. 2 April 2016. The Independent. London. 12 May 2003.
20. News: Greer. Germaine. The Westminster pack has the scent of its favourite prey again. 2 April 2016. The Daily Telegraph. London. 18 May 2003.
21. News: Where the Blairite loyalties lie. 2 April 2016. The Daily Telegraph. London. 14 May 2006.
22. Book: Peter Dwyer. Sandra Shaw. An Introduction to Social Policy. 15 March 2013. SAGE Publications. 978-1-4462-8084-3. 28.
23. News: Revealed: how Cabinet Blairites plotted to topple Brown . Patrick . Hennessy . Kite, Melissa . The Daily Telegraph. 6 June 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090609050629/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon-brown/5463596/Revealed-how-Cabinet-Blairites-plotted-to-topple-Brown.html . dead . 9 June 2009 . 6 January 2010 . London.
24. News: Hazel Blears savages Gordon Brown over 'lamentable' failures . Toby . Helm . Hinsliff, Gaby . . 3 May 2009 . 6 January 2010 . London.
25. News: Blairites plot to hasten Gordon Brown's exit . Sam . Coates . . 4 August 2008 . 6 January 2010 . London.
26. News: Stephen Byers: the ultra-Blairite who was a constant thorn in Gordon Brown's side . Patrick . Sawer . The Daily Telegraph. 14 November 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091117114418/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/6569084/Stephen-Byers-the-ultra-Blairite-who-was-a-constant-thorn-in-Gordon-Browns-side.html . dead . 17 November 2009 . 6 January 2010 . London.
27. News: Feeny. David. Labour must return to 'aspirational Blair years', say senior party figures. 2 April 2016. The Guardian. 9 May 2015.
28. News: Ben Bradshaw: Glad to be 'more Wagner than Wenger'. 2 April 2016. The Independent. London. 27 June 2009.
29. News: Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw defies Labour whip on economy vote. 2 April 2016. Western Morning News. 14 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151016190348/http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Exeter-MP-Ben-Bradshaw-defies-Labour-whip-economy/story-27988138-detail/story.html. 16 October 2015. dead.
30. News: What happened to the Blairites?. 2 April 2016. BBC News. 30 March 2010.
31. News: Charles Clarke: Labour heading for 'utter destruction' under Gordon Brown . Andrew . Porter . Kirkup, James . The Daily Telegraph. 3 September 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080906195834/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/2676342/Charles-Clarke-Labour-heading-for-utter-destruction-under-Gordon-Brown.html . dead . 6 September 2008 . 6 January 2010 . London.
32. News: Wilkinson. Michael. Andy Burnham aide 'dismissing women' in Labour leadership sexism row. 2 April 2016. The Daily Telegraph. London. 24 July 2015.
33. Book: Steven Foster. The Judiciary, Civil Liberties and Human Rights. 2006. Edinburgh University Press. 978-0-7486-2262-7. 53.
34. News: Caroline Flint defends Hazel Blears in expenses row . Alice . Thomson . Sylvester, Rachel . . 23 May 2009 . 6 January 2010 . London.
35. News: Loyalists urge PM to sack Flint amid fears she will quit . Paul . Waugh . Cecil, Nicholas . Evening Standard. London. 4 June 2009 . 6 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100509055247/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23703884-loyalists-urge-pm-to-sack-flint-amid-fears-she-will-quit.do . 9 May 2010 . dead .
36. Web site: Tom Harris. The Telegraph.
37. News: Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt call for secret ballot to settle leadership debate . Hélène . Mulholland . . 6 January 2010 . 6 January 2010 . London.
38. News: Blair's reshuffle could bring policy shifts. 2 April 2016. New Straits Times. 30 July 1998.
39. News: Curtis. Polly. Margaret Hodge named head of public accounts committee. 2 April 2016. The Guardian. 10 June 2010.
40. News: Toby. Young. Well done Tristram Hunt. Chalk one up for the Hons!. https://web.archive.org/web/20131007155531/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100240190/well-done-tristram-hunt-chalk-one-up-for-the-hons/. dead. 7 October 2013. The Daily Telegraph. London. 2 April 2016.
41. News: Labour party maps out a purple path to power . London . The Guardian . Patrick . Wintour . 14 September 2011.
42. Web site: Owen Smith wants Labour to remember its Blairite heritage . 16 September 2016 .
43. News: Andrew Grice: We are all Brownites now, say the Blairites with relief . Andrew . Grice . The Independent. 29 June 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080520195841/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/andrew-grice-we-are-all-brownites-now-say-the-blairites-with-relief-455132.html . dead . 20 May 2008 . 6 January 2010 . London.
44. News: Assinder. Nick. Blair and Brown look to future. 2 April 2016. BBC News. 19 March 2007.
45. News: Ballinger . Alex . Bristol's newest MP just revealed his political hero, and it's controversial . 15 March 2019 . Bristol Post . 2 July 2017.
46. Book: Andrew Rawnsley. The End of the Party. 30 September 2010. Penguin Books Limited. 978-0-14-196970-1. 457.
47. News: Ruth Kelly: chequered career of the Blairite star who fell to earth . Siobhan . Kennedy . . 25 September 2008 . 6 January 2010 . London.
48. News: Leftly. Mark. Sadiq Khan wins Blairite Baroness Oona King's support in race to be London mayor. 2 April 2016. The Independent. London. 16 May 2015.
49. News: Barkham. Patrick. How Oona got her groove back. 2 April 2016. The Guardian. 13 September 2007.
50. Book: Steven Kettell. Dirty Politics?: New Labour, British Democracy and the War in Iraq. 14 May 2006. Zed Books. 978-1-84277-741-1. 167.
51. Book: Kristina Riegert. Politicotainment: Television's Take on the Real. 2007. Peter Lang. 978-0-8204-8114-2. 44.
52. Book: Oona King. House Music: The Oona King Diaries. 18 February 2013. A&C Black. 978-1-4088-3728-3. 238.
53. News: The Blairites reign supreme . Steve . Richards . Steve Richards . . 18 October 1999 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110101122557/http://www.newstatesman.com/199910180004 . 6 January 2010 . 1 January 2011 .
54. News: Return of the Blairites spells trouble for David Cameron . Janet . Daley . The Daily Telegraph. 11 January 2009 . 6 January 2010 . London.
55. News: Pompous Blairites like David Miliband and Peter Mandelson make me cringe . Paul . Routledge . . 13 November 2009 . 6 January 2010 .
56. Web site: Is Wes Streeting the next Labour leader? . New Statesman . 25 January 2022.
57. News: Estelle Morris: classroom to cabinet . BBC News . 8 June 2001.
58. News: Which cabinet ministers are supporting Gordon Brown? . London . The Guardian . David . Hencke . 4 June 2009.
59. News: First woman at the Home Office: Jacqui Smith . Nigel . Morris . The Independent. 29 June 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080411213653/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/first-woman-at-the-home-office-jacqui-smith-455173.html . dead . 11 April 2008 . 6 January 2010 . London. A more fluid approach is needed.