Лингво страноведенье / Q- 31 labour party

Question 31 The Labour Party( Tony Blair’s reforms).

History – formed at the beginning of the century from an alliance of trade unionists and intellectuals. First government in 1923.

Traditional outlook –left of the center, stands for equality , for the weaker people in society and for more government involvement in the economy; more concerned to provide full social services than to keep income tax law.

Since 1979 opposition to Conservative reforms, although has accepted many of these by now; recently emphasis on community ethics and loose links with trade unions.

Organization –in theory, policies have to be approved by annual conference; in practice, leader has more power than this implies.

Voters – working class, plus a small middle-class intelligentsia.

Money- more than a half from trade unions.

The LP was founded by James Keir Hardie in1892 at the Trades Union Congress as a result of the movement for independent political working class representation in Parliament. It has traditionally gathered its support from the trade unions, the working class and some middle-class backing.

The LP is less disciplined but possibly more democratic, with more open disagreements between the leadership and other party members. It is the party of social justice, though its emphasis is less on equality than on the achievement of wellbeing and opportunity for all members of society. It tends to put the collective wellbeing of society above individual freedom, in the economic sphere at any rate. Traditionally it has been committed to public ownership of major industries, and to economic planning. The trade union movement, which founded the LP, remains influential in the evolution of the party policy.

Labour’s annual conference is the supreme policy – making body of the party, and the parliamentary leaders are expected to follow its general policies when in power or in opposition. At each conference the unions and other sections of the party elect their twenty-eight representatives on the National Executive Committee (NEC), which makes decisions week by week. The NEC includes the leader and, usually, several ministers or shadow ministers(when in opposition).

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