The roots of New Labour [antikvár]

Foreword Phil Wilson was one of the first people I met when I travelled to Sedgefield in search of a parliamentary seat over 15 years ago. He belonged to a small group of members who helped convince the local party to select me as their candidate. For that, I owe him, and them, a personal debt of gratitude. But I also owe them ail a bigger debt for the rôle they have played in helping to modernise our party. It suits our critics, inside and outside our ranks, to suggest New Labour is somehow a recent invention of a metropolitan-based elite, foisted on an unwilling party. As this pamphlet makes clear, it is just not true. New Labour has its roots solidly in the traditional Labour area of the North East I am lucky to represent. It dérivés from an acceptance that we had lost touch with the needs and ambitions of the people we sought to represent. It followed a récognition that the world was changing quickly and, while retaining our traditional values, our party had to modernise to modernise our country. And it sterns from the firm belief that to do our job properly as a party, we had to reach out to more people in all we did. This pamphlet charts how we built a modern, inclusive, mass party in Sedgefield and how the lessons we learnt helped modernise Labour nationally. It also stresses the importance of continuing to modernise, of increasing the involvement of members, and ensuring they play a full rôle in community life. It's a message as relevant today as 15 years ago. Rt Hon Tony Blair MP Prime Minister & Leader of the Labour Party