The New Labour Experiment: Change and Reform Under Blair and Brown

The book provides a clear assessment of the New Labour public policies and their outcomes in Britain under the leadership of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown from 1997-2009. Authors Florence Faucher-King and Patrick Le Galès argue that New Labour, in contrast to its European counterparts, developed a right-wing economic policy program based upon light financial regulation and strict macroeconomic management. Blair and Brown developed a large controlling bureaucracy, making Britain's government one of the most centralized in the world.

While some progressive policies were implemented, Faucher-King and Le Galès point to an overarching program of authoritative controls, massive surveillance, and illiberal social policies. Profound reforms were therefore linked to a new bureaucratic revolution that has subsequently been rejected by the British people. According to the authors, the financial crisis and the collapse of part of the banking system have signaled the end of the New Labour project.

Author: Florence Faucher-King, Patrick Le Galés
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Published: 02/12/2010
Pages: 200
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780804762359

Review Citation(s):
Choice 09/01/2010
Reference and Research Bk News 05/01/2010 pg. 172

About the Author
Florence Faucher-King is a research director at the Centre for Political Research at Sciences Po, and Fellow of the Max Kade Center for European and German Studies, Vanderbilt University. Patrick Le Galès is a research professor at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) at Sciences Po, and professor at King's College London.