| Unit name | The Fall of Old Labour |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLI31371 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Wickham-Jones |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will examine the nature and development of "Old Labour" in British politics between 1945 and 1983. The first part of the unit will involve an introduction to various theoretical debates about the potential and objectives of social democracy, its organisation and electoral strategy. The second part will look at the politics of the Labour party. It will analyse Labour's policy proposals, ideological commitments, internal currents, electoral strategy and performance in office. A particular focus will be on the "fall" of "Old" Labour, a decline culminating in electoral collapse at the 1983 general election. What kind of a party was "Old" Labour and why did it encounter such profound difficulties in electoral competition? The unit will include a role play session concerning the IMF crisis of 1976 and will spend time examining primary sources including recently released Cabinet papers from the 1974-1979 Labour government.
