The Battle of Ideas in the Labour Party : From Attlee to Corbyn and Brexit

From Attlee to the birth of New Labour, and the advent of Corbynism, this book gives a lively account of the ideological developments and dramas in the Labour Party in recent decades. Batrouni delves into the totemic battles between hard and soft left, examining the destructive and creative elements of key periods of Labour’s ideological exhaustion and ideational confusion. Providing powerful insights from interviews with some of the most influential thinkers, advisors and MPs in the party, he goes on to examine the phenomenal emergence of Corbynism, the impact of Brexit and what lies ahead for the party. Front Cover The Battle of Ideas in the Labour Party Copyright information Table of contents List of abbreviations Acknowledgments Introduction Ideas What is an idea? Tiers of ideas 1 The Battle of Ideas in the Labour Party, 1945–92 The 1945 Attlee government: liberal ideas Crosland, revisionism and Bevanism 1970s socialism: the Alternative Economic Strategy Kinnock and the ‘right’ fightback 2 The Rise of New Labour: Electoral Concerns Trump Ideology The Smith years Blair’s leadership Communitarianism Stakeholder capitalism New Labour’s idea in power: the Third Way 3 Bridging the Divide: Ed Miliband and Ideas Blue Labour Political aim Englishness Small-c conservatism Masculinity Nostalgia Blue Labour’s demise One Nation Shifting the paradigm One Nation: Blue Labour incarnate? Demise of One Nation Conclusion 4 Pre-distribution Theory of pre-distribution Income inequality The failure of the New Labour model Labour’s new thinking Political appeal Downfall Impact: Policy and manifesto Conclusion 5 Corbynism: The Left’s Resurgence Anti-austerity It’s not Corbyn, it’s McDonnell The failed experiment The entrepreneurial state 21st century socialism and re-nationalization Quiet Bennism The Labour ‘right’ under Corbynism Corbynism’s battles Conclusion 6 Corbynism: Brexit and Globalization Globalization, neoliberalism and economic nationalism State aid Trumpism and Corbynism Brexit The split Conclusion References Anonymous Interviews Index Back Cover This book surveys and lays bare the internal battle in the United Kingdom's Labour party over ideas since the mid-1990s to the present day. It focuses on the leadership periods of Tony Blair, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, especially the latter two. They represent the renewal of debating, openly, ideas in the party post-New Labour, as opposed to an almost exclusive focus on electoral, pragmatic, concerns under New Labour. It will highlight these debates, the influential thinkers, advisers, MPs and other critical actors involved. Corbyn, with his spectacular rise to becoming leader, has breathed new life into the lefts ideas and swung the pendulum within the party back towards prioritizing ideology over electoral concerns. Using Interviews With Key Thinkers In The Party, This Book Gives A Lively Account Of The Ideological Developments And Dramas In The Labour Party In Recent Decades. It Delves Into The Totemic Battles Between Hard And Soft Left, Examines Key Periods Of Labour’s Ideological Exhaustion And Ideational Confusion, And Analyses The Impacts Of Corbynism.