From old to new: a third way or the end of alternative politics? the case of the British Labour Party

Abstract

This thesis critically analyses the ideological transformation of the British Labour Party. Following an investigation of the nature and basic dimensions of party’s conventional ideology, the main focus will be on the fundamental transformation that occurred in the mid 1990s under the leadership of Tony Blair. The thesis argues that contemporary Labour Party does not offer a political vision beyond the new-right, rather its electoral success lies in its reconciliation with the basics of Thatcherism in an era when the Conseiwative Party lost its popularity.