New Labour, New Britain?

Glen O'Hara is Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Oxford Brookes University. A former journalist, he is the author of a series of books and articles about modern Britain, including The Paradoxes of Progress (2012) and The Politics of Water in Post-War Britain (2017). He is a regular commentator on British politics and public policy in the press, including the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Telegraph, Times Higher Education and the New European.

One of the Financial Times' best new books on politics‘Glen O'Hara convincingly paints a picture of Tony Blair's decade in power that is far more positive than his critics would have you believe.’Robert McNamara, The Irish Times'We may think we know just how badly Britain was governed after 2010. But it is good to be reminded of how much was thrown away.'Ros Taylor, The New World'O’Hara, a historian, offers a balanced and meticulously researched reassessment of Blair’s domestic legacy and reaches more charitable judgments.'Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs‘With customary wit and skill, Glen O’Hara has written the definitive history of the New Labour years. He delves deep in order to reassess the Blair government’s record across the landscape of domestic and foreign policy. The result is a compelling and stimulating work that fulfils the highest standards of contemporary historical scholarship.’Patrick Diamond, co-author of Labour's Civil Wars: How Infighting Has Kept the Left from Power (and What Can Be Done About It)‘A brilliant reassessment of a defining era in UK political history.’Richard Toye, author of Age of Hope: Labour, 1945, and the Birth of Modern Britain‘Glen O’Hara’s meticulous assessment of the Blair years explores the policy and ideology of New Labour while also capturing the people at its heart. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand Labour's view of its own recent history.’Charlotte Lydia Riley, author of Imperial Island‘The new Labour government will have much to learn from this account of the challenges of taking power after years of Conservative misrule. O'Hara offers a judicious, balanced and nuanced assessment of the New Labour years, addressing debates, divisions and delivery records in all major aspects of domestic policy. The book conveys the complexity without getting lost in the weeds. It benefits from previously unavailable documentation, including the author's interview with Tony Blair himself.’Simon Szreter, co-author of After the Virus: Lessons from the Past for a Better Future'Stands out for its analytical rigour, methodological robustness, and contemporary relevance.’Ugur Tekiner, Political Studies Review

• 1 From Blair to Bliar2 An end to boom and bust?3 From poverty to exclusion4 Saving the NHS?5 ‘Education, education, education’6 ‘Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’7 Housing: chasing demand, falling short8 ‘We were all New Labour now’9 New Labour as historyIndex