New Labour's Old Roots: Revisionist Thinkers in Labour's History 1930-1997 - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0907845894 ISBN 13: 9780907845898

Publisher: Imprint Academic, 2004

Synopsis

New Labour was not conjured up out of thin air ― it only looks like that because of the party's amnesia concerning its intellectual development. This book provides extracts from fifteen thinkers located within the revisionist tradition as an antidote to that amnesia. It is an 'all star cast’ from Labour’s history, from Tawney, Jay and Gaitskell to Gordon Brown.The collection shows that revisionism is not a body of doctrine but a cast of mind that distinguishes between core values (ends) and policy instruments (means) ― revisionist thinkers do not shrink from abandoning any policy that fails to deliver the desired ends. In the contentious debates about the future of public services, the Blair government is determined to avoid the confusion of means and ends. These essays show this determination to be deep-rooted in Labour thinking and to be focused on the commitment to equality.

About this title

About the Author

Patrick Diamond is Lecturer in Public Policy at Queen Mary, University of London and Vice-Chair of Policy Network, an international think-tank. He is former Head of Policy Planning in 10 Downing Street.

Edition details

• Publisher: Imprint Academic
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0907845894
• ISBN 13: 9780907845898
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 200
• Editor: Diamond Patrick