Power and Political Economy from Thatcher to Blair

Power and Political Economy from Thatcher to Blair PDF Author: Robert Ledger
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000352323
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description
This book investigates the policies of the Thatcher, Major and Blair governments and their approaches towards concentration of economic and political power. The 1979–2007 British governments have variously been described as liberal or, to use a political insult and a favourite academic label, neoliberal. One of the stated objectives of the Thatcher, Major and Blair governments—albeit with differing focal points—was to disperse power and to empower the individual. This was also a consistent theme of the first generation of neoliberals, who saw monopolies, vested interests and concentration more generally as the ‘great enemy of democracy’. Under Thatcher and Major, Conservatives sought to liberalize the economy and spread ownership through policies like Right to Buy and privatisation. New Labour dispersed political power with its devolution agenda, granted operational independence to the Bank of England and put in place a seemingly robust antitrust framework. All governments during the 1979–2007 period pursued choice in public services. Yet our modern discourse characterises Britain as beset by endemic power concentration, in markets and politics. What went wrong? How did so-called neoliberal governments, which invoked liberty and empowerment, fail to disperse power and allow concentration to continue, recur or arise? The book will be of interest to students and scholars of contemporary British history, political economy and politics, as well as specific areas of study such as Thatcherism and New Labour.

Power and Political Economy from Thatcher to Blair

Power and Political Economy from Thatcher to Blair PDF Author: Robert Ledger
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000352323
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 120

Get Book

Book Description
This book investigates the policies of the Thatcher, Major and Blair governments and their approaches towards concentration of economic and political power. The 1979–2007 British governments have variously been described as liberal or, to use a political insult and a favourite academic label, neoliberal. One of the stated objectives of the Thatcher, Major and Blair governments—albeit with differing focal points—was to disperse power and to empower the individual. This was also a consistent theme of the first generation of neoliberals, who saw monopolies, vested interests and concentration more generally as the ‘great enemy of democracy’. Under Thatcher and Major, Conservatives sought to liberalize the economy and spread ownership through policies like Right to Buy and privatisation. New Labour dispersed political power with its devolution agenda, granted operational independence to the Bank of England and put in place a seemingly robust antitrust framework. All governments during the 1979–2007 period pursued choice in public services. Yet our modern discourse characterises Britain as beset by endemic power concentration, in markets and politics. What went wrong? How did so-called neoliberal governments, which invoked liberty and empowerment, fail to disperse power and allow concentration to continue, recur or arise? The book will be of interest to students and scholars of contemporary British history, political economy and politics, as well as specific areas of study such as Thatcherism and New Labour.

The End of Decline

The End of Decline PDF Author: Brian Brivati
Publisher: Politico's Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Great Britain
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
"The End of Decline" explores the historical significance of New Labour and puts forward an argument, which is simple and positive and therefore deeply unfashionable. It is that the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are responsible for the ending of decline in Britain. They owe Thatcher a great debt, but it is they, rather than Thatcher, who have made Britain the first among equals in Europe. They have helped to create a renaissance in British art and culture, and also in sport, culminating in the awarding of the 2012 Olympic Games to London. In short, Britain has cured itself of the so-called 'British disease' and has become much more comfortable, imaginative and successful: it is now a country which is envied rather than pitied; in growth, no longer in decline. Despite many problems in the welfare state, the polarisation on the Iraq War and suicide bomb attacks, Britain is now confident in three vital areas: political economy, culture and our role in the world. We have confidence in our institutions, celebrate our culture and hold our head high.

Fiscal Policy Convergence from Reagan to Blair

Fiscal Policy Convergence from Reagan to Blair PDF Author: Arthur T. Denzau
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780415758703
Category : Fiscal policy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book charts the rise of consensus politics over the last two decades that has seen Republican and Conservative economic policy under Reagan, Bush, Thatcher and Major change little with Democrat and 'New' Labour under Clinton and Blair.

The Thatcherite Offensive

The Thatcherite Offensive PDF Author: Alexander Gallas
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004292217
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
In The Thatcherite Offensive, Alexander Gallas shows that Thatcherism’s unity as a political project lay in the fact that the Thatcher governments profoundly shifted class relations in Britain in favour of capital and restructured the institutions underpinning class domination.

The Conservative Party

The Conservative Party PDF Author: Tim Bale
Publisher: Polity
ISBN: 0745648584
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 489

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Book Description
The Conservatives are back - but what took them so long? Why did the world's most successful political party dump Margaret Thatcher only to commit electoral suicide under John Major? Just as importantly, what stopped the Tories getting their act together until David Cameron came along? The answers are as intriguing as the questions.

Thatcherism: Personality and Politics

Thatcherism: Personality and Politics PDF Author: R. Biddiss
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1349186872
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
'Thatcherism', as attitude of mind and style of action, has dominated the agenda and tone of British politics during the 1980s. Supporters and critics alike have acknowledged the bold scope of the campaign launched by the Prime Minister 'to change the heart and soul' of the nation. Here nine contributors, of differing political persuasion, come together to offer a variety of approaches to, and conclusions about, 'the Thatcher Phenomenon'. Their essays review the concept of Thatcherism; its impact on the Conservative Party and on the forces of Opposition; its effect on Cabinet government and on society at large; its significance in terms of economic and foreign policy; and the validity of the claim that its record entitles it to enjoy some truly historic status.

John Major: An Unsuccessful Prime Minister?

John Major: An Unsuccessful Prime Minister? PDF Author: Kevin Hickson
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
ISBN: 1785902717
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of one of the most momentous general elections this country has ever seen. John Major's defeat in 1997 ended a record eighteen years of Tory government, prompting accusations of failure and ignominy. A controversial leader, Major oversaw numerous crises in international and domestic policy. Between 1990 and 1997, he presided over Britain's participations in the Gulf War, the start of the Northern Ireland peace process, the Maastricht Treaty negotiations and, famously, Black Wednesday and Britain's exit from the ERM. Towards the end, Major's government was split over Europe and ridden with allegations of sleaze. Widely criticised by the media and politicians from all parties, Major went on to be crushed by Tony Blair and New Labour in the 1997 general election. An Unsuccessful Prime Minister? is the first wide-ranging appraisal of John Major's government in nearly two decades. This book reconsiders the role of John Major as Prime Minister and the policy achievements of his government. Major's government faced many more constraints and left behind a more enduring legacy than his critics allowed at the time or since.

Turnaround

Turnaround PDF Author: Peter Blair Henry
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465031919
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
Thirty years ago, China seemed hopelessly mired in poverty, Mexico triggered the Third World Debt Crisis, and Brazil suffered under hyperinflation. Since then, these and other developing countries have turned themselves around, while First World nations, battered by crises, depend more than ever on sustained growth in emerging markets. In Turnaround, economist Peter Blair Henry argues that the secret to emerging countries’ success (and ours) is discipline—sustained commitment to a pragmatic growth strategy. With the global economy teetering on the brink, the stakes are higher than ever. And because stakes are so high for all nations, we need less polarization and more focus on facts to answer the fundamental question: which policy reforms, implemented under what circumstances, actually increase economic efficiency? Pushing past the tired debates, Henry shows that the stock market’s forecasts of policy impact provide an important complement to traditional measures. Through examples ranging from the drastic income disparity between Barbados and his native Jamaica to the “catch up” economics of China and the taming of inflation in Latin America, Henry shows that in much of the emerging world the policy pendulum now swings toward prudence and self-control. With similar discipline and a dash of humility, he concludes, the First World may yet recover and create long-term prosperity for all its citizens. Bold, rational, and forward-looking, Turnaround offers vital lessons for developed and developing nations in search of stability and growth.

Neoliberalism: A Very Short Introduction

Neoliberalism: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Manfred B. Steger
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019956051X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
In its heyday in the late 1990s, neoliberalism emerged as the world's dominant economic paradigm. But the global financial crisis of 2008-9 fundamentally shocked a globalized economy built on neoliberal assumptions. This VSI examines the origins, core claims, and considerable variations of neoliberalism with examples from around the world.

Heroes or Villains?

Heroes or Villains? PDF Author: Jon Davis
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191613444
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Tony Blair was the political colossus in Britain for thirteen years, winning three elections in a row for New Labour, two of them by huge majorities. However, since leaving office he has been disowned by many in his own party, with the term 'Blairite' becoming an insult. The election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Party leader in 2015 seemed to be, if not an equal, at least an opposite reaction to Blair's long dominance of the centre and left of British politics. Drawing on new contributions from most of the main players in the Blair government, including Tony Blair himself, Jon Davis and John Rentoul reconsider the history and common view of New Labour against its record of delivering moderate social democracy. They show how New Labour was not one party but two, and how it essentially governed as a coalition, much like the government that followed it. This book tells the inside story of how Tony Blair worked out, late in the day, his ideas for improving the NHS and school reform; how he groped towards, and was eventually defined by, a foreign policy of liberal interventionism; how he managed a difficult relationship with his Chancellor for ten years; and how Gordon Brown finally took over just as the boom went bust and the New Labour era came to an end. Rentoul and Davis reveal how the governing tribes dealt with each other in the New Labour years: not simply the 'Blairites' and the 'Brownites', but the 'temporary' ministers and the 'permanent', under-reported civil servants who worked alongside them. Many of the arguments that raged within and around the Blair government of 1997-2007 remain very much alive: reform of public services; the right course for the divided Labour Party; and the Iraq war. The Blair Government Reconsidered aims at a balanced account of how decisions were made, to allow the reader to make up their own mind about controversies that still dominate politics today.