A series of significant internal changes transformed the British Labour Party in the years following 1983. This article is among the first to probe the women and politics dimension of these reforms, focusing on three main questions: first, what benefits accrued to Labour and organized feminism as a result of changes introduced after 1983? Second, what costs were incurred by both sides due to party reform, and how might these disadvantages affect their longer-term relationship? And third, how were initial New Labour government decisions viewed by women’s group activists? The article concludes that although the 1997 elections did not produce a policy nirvana for British feminism, their initial effects augured reasonably well for movement interests.
Anderson, P. and N. Mann (1997). Safety First: The Making of New Labour. London: Granta.
2.
Baldwin, T. (1998). “Labour Party Fiddles Figures to Hide Party Exodus.”Sunday Telegraph, (21 June), 1.
3.
Baldwin, T. , G. Wilson and G. Neale (1998). “Cabinet Tells Blair: Ditch the Lobbyists.”Sunday Telegraph, (12 July), 1.
4.
Bashevkin, S. (1996). “Tough Times in Review: The British Women’s Movement During the Thatcher Years.”Comparative Political Studies, 28 (4): 525-552.
5.
Bashevkin, S. (1998). Women on the Defensive: Living Through Conservative Times. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
6.
Bevins, A. (1997). “Rage, Resignations and Rebellion: Blair Breaks His Party’s Heart.”The Independent, (11 December), 1.
7.
Blair, T. (1996). New Britain: My Vision of a Young Country. London: Fourth Estate.
8.
Blair, T. (1998). “What the Third Way Stands For.”Globe and Mail, Toronto, (21 September), A13.
9.
Bradberry, G. (1998). “Blair’s Laddish New Labour.”The Times, (24 November), 17.
10.
Brown, C. (1998). “Blair Tightens Grip as Brown Feels Squeeze.”The Independent, (28 July), 1.
11.
Castle, B. (1997). “Chance to Set New Pension Standards.”The Guardian, (26 August), 15.
12.
Cohen, N. (1998). “Just Don’t Call Derek a Tory.”The Observer, (12 July), 32.
13.
Coote, A. (1999). “It’s Lads on Top at Number Ten.”The Guardian, (11 May).
14.
Coote, A. and B. Campbell (1987). Sweet Freedom: The Struggle for Women’s Liberation. Oxford: Blackwell.
15.
Denver, D. (1998). “The Government that Could Do No Right.” In New Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls (A. King, ed.), pp. 15-48. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House.
16.
Eagle, M. and J. Lovenduski (1998). High Time or High Tide for Labour Women?London: Fabian Society.
17.
Giddens, A. (1998). The Third Way: Renewal of Social Democracy. London: Polity Press.
18.
Glendinning, C. and J. Millar (eds.) (1992). Women and Poverty in Britain: The 1990s. New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
19.
Hallett, C. (ed.) (1996). Women and Social Policy: An Introduction. London: Prentice-Hall.
20.
Hattersley, R. (1997). “Never Mind the Leak: Listen to the Leaker.”The Guardian, (22 December), 8.
21.
Hattersley, R. (1998). “Don’t Pretend You Want to Help the Poor, Frank.”Sunday Telegraph, (22 March), 30.
22.
Henke, D. and M. White (1997). “Rebels Close in on Harman.”The Guardian, (20 November), 1.
23.
Jones, G. (1998). “Sackings Weaken Brown Power Base.”Daily Telegraph, (28 July), 5.
24.
Jones, N. (1997). Campaign 1997: How the General Election Was Won and Lost. London: Indigo.
25.
King, A. (1998). “Why Labour Won—At Last.” In New Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls (A. King, ed.), pp. 177-208. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House.
26.
Layard, R. (1997). What Labour Can Do. London: Warner Books.
27.
Mandelson, P. and R. Liddle (1996). The Blair Revolution: Can New Labour Deliver?London: Faber and Faber.
28.
McDougall, L. (1998). Westminster Women. London: Vintage.
29.
McSmith, A. (1994). John Smith: A Life. London: Verso.
30.
McSmith, A. (1996). Faces of Labour: The Inside Story. London: Verso.
31.
McSmith, A. (1998). “The Crony Connection.”The Observer, (12 July), 3.
32.
McSmith, A. and A. Barnett (1998). “Sainsbury Funds Draper Magazine.”The Observer, (12 July), 6.
33.
Minkin, L. (1991). The Contentious Alliance: Trade Unions and the Labour Party. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
34.
Morrison, J. (1999). “Third Official Falls to Loan Scandal.”Globe and Mail, Toronto, (5 January).
35.
Mouland, B. (1997). “Blair’s Babes.”Daily Mail, (8 May).
36.
Panebianco, A. (1988). Political Parties: Organization and Power. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
37.
Panitch, L. and C. Leys (1997). The End of Parliamentary Socialism: From New Left to New Labour. London: Verso.
38.
Perkins, A. (1999). “So Far, So What?”The Guardian, (29 April).
39.
Rentoul, J. (1997). Tony Blair. London: Warner Books.
40.
Richards, S. (1996). “Interview: Clare Short.”New Statesman, (9 August), 24-26.
41.
Rowbotham, S. (1989). The Past is Before Us: Feminism in Action Since the 1960s. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
42.
Seager, A. (1999). “Britain Cuts Income Tax.”Globe and Mail, Toronto, (10 March 1999), A17.
43.
Seyd, P. (1998). “Tony Blair and New Labour.” In New Labour Triumphs: Britain at the Polls (A. King, ed.), pp. 49-74. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House.
44.
Shaw, E. (1996). The Labour Party Since 1945. Oxford: Blackwell.
45.
Smyth, G. (1996). “‘The Centre of My Political Life’: Tony Blair’s Sedgefield.” In The Blair Agenda (M. Perryman, ed.), pp. 63-75. London: Lawrence and Wishart.
46.
Sopel, J. (1995). Tony Blair: The Moderniser. London: Bantam Books.
47.
Stephenson, M. A. (1998). The Glass Trapdoor: Women, Politics and the Media During the 1997 General Election. London: Fawcett.
48.
Webster, P. and J. Sherman (1997). “Minister Goes in Revolt on Lone Parents.”The Times, (11 December), 1.
49.
Webster, W. (1990). Not a Man to Match Her: The Marketing of a Prime Minister. London: Women’s Press.
50.
White, M. (1998). “Blair Balances the Power.”The Guardian, (28 July), 1.
51.
Wilkinson, H. (1998). “The Day I Fell Out of Love with Blair.”New Statesman, (7 August), 9-10.
52.
Wilson, E. (1977). Women and the Welfare State. London: Tavistock.
53.
Wilson, E. (with A. Weir) (1986). “The British Women’s Movement.” In Hidden Agendas: Theory, Politics and Experience in the Women’s Movement (E. Wilson with A. Weir, ed.), London: Tavistock.
54.
Wintour, P. and A. Browne (1998). “Good Trick If They Really Can Pull It Off.”The Observer, (22 March), 20-21.
55.
Young, H. (1991). One of Us: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher. London: Pan Books.
