British Party Politics and Ideology after New Labour

Now with a brand new preface examining how debates have changed since the 2010 general election, this volume provides a comprehensive analysis of recent ideological debates between and within the main political parties. It contains chapters from leading academics and responses from distinguished politicians. The book begins by debating the legacy of Tony Blair and asks if there was a decisive ideological shift away from Thatcherism following the landslide election victory in 1997. It then goes on to examine the major ideological controversies in the three main parties before 2010, including the idea of the Third Way and David Cameron's 'modernisation' of the Conservative Party after 2005. Finally, the book discusses a number of broader issues including the future of public services and the role of social justice in the decades ahead.

Dr Simon Griffiths is senior lecturer in British politics at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has also worked for various think tanks and public policy organisations.

Dr Kevin Hickson is senior lecturer in British politics at the University of Liverpool and has published widely on the ideologies of the three major parties.

Preface; D.Owen
Introduction; K.Hickson and S.Griffiths
PART I: DID BLAIR ADVANCE SOCIAL DEMOCRACY?; A.Finlayson, D.Kavanagh and J.Tonge
PART II: LABOUR AFTER BLAIR
1. Assessing the Impact of the Third Way; J.Atkins
2. What makes Progressive Ideology?: Lessons from the Third Way; W.Leggett
3. Response to Atkins and Leggett; T.Giddens
4. New Labour, New Liberalism and Revisionism's Second Wave; S.Griffiths
5. Response to Griffiths; R.Hattersley
6. Gordon Brown, 'Britishness' and the Negation of England; S.Lee
7. Response to Lee; A.Aughey
PART III: THE CONSERVATIVES UNDER CAMERON
8. Built on Sand? Ideology and Conservative Modernization under David Cameron; M.Garnett
9. Cameron, Modernization and Conservative Britain; P.Lynch
10. Response to Garnett and Lynch; A.Gamble
11. Mutualism and the Reinvention of Civil Society: A Conservative Agenda?; C.Ellis
12. Response to Ellis; D.Willetts
PART IV: WHERE NOW FOR THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS?
13. Icarus Turns Back: Liberal Democrat Constitutional Policy; M.Cole
14. The Liberal Democrats and the Role of the State; D.Brack
15. Response to Cole and Brack; A.Beith
PART V: CROSS PARTY DEBATES
16. Reforming Public Services: The Views of the Main Parties; R.Prabhakar
17. Response to Prabhakar; N.Thompson
18. The Continuing Relevance of Social Justice; R.Plant
19. Response to Plant; D.Willetts