In developing policies New Labour draws on often contradictory and conflicting traditions of social democracy, social conservatism, Thatcherism and pragmatism (Smith 2001). Discuss.

In May 1997, following New Labour’s landslide victory in the General Election, everyone was fascinated by the new government and how it might change the country after 18 years of Conservative rule. There was a strong feeling of expectation about what the new administration might do. It was as new a government as had been. Not for more than half a century had a Prime Minister been so new to office in such an absolutely literal sense (Rawnsley, 2000 p.17)

Labour and Blairism swept to office in 1997, with Blair defiantly stating that they had campaigned as New Labour and that they would govern as New Labour. So what exactly does this mean, and in what ways, if at all, has New Labour differed from both its preceding neo-liberal governments under Thatcher and Major and its historical counterparts of previous Labour governments?…(short extract)