The Media and Intra-Party Democracy: 'New' Labour and the Clause Four Debate in Britain

Democratization

Volumn 5, Issue 2, 1998, Pages 42-61

  Wring, Dominic ^a  

^a LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0001807196     PISSN: 13510347     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/13510349808403558     Document Type: Article

References (87)

1. Robert Michels, Political Parties (New York: Dover, 1959; first published 1915).
2. Robert McKenzie, British Political Parties (London: William Heinemann, 1963); Eric Shaw, Discipline and Discord in the Labour Party (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988).
3. Robert McKenzie, British Political Parties (London: William Heinemann, 1963); Eric Shaw, Discipline and Discord in the Labour Party (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988).
4. Dominic Wring, 'From Mass Propaganda to Political Marketing: The Transformation of Labour Party Election Campaigning', in Colin Rallings et al. (eds.), British Parties and Elections Yearbook 1995 (London: Frank Cass, 1996).
5. Bernard C. Cohen, The Press and Foreign Policy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1963), p. 13, cited in L.J. Martin, 'Recent Theory on Mass Media Potential in Political Campaigns', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, No.427 (1976), pp.123-33.
6. Bernard C. Cohen, The Press and Foreign Policy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1963), p. 13, cited in L.J. Martin, 'Recent Theory on Mass Media Potential in Political Campaigns', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, No.427 (1976), pp.123-33.
7. M. McCombs and D. Shaw, 'The Agenda-setting Function of the Mass Media', Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol.36 (1972), pp.176-87.
8. Steven Lukes, Power: A Radical View (London: Macmillan, 1974).
9. Lewis Minkin, The Labour Party Conference (Manchester: Manchester University Press, revised edition, 1980); Thomas Koelble, The Left Unravelled (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1990).
10. Lewis Minkin, The Labour Party Conference (Manchester: Manchester University Press, revised edition, 1980); Thomas Koelble, The Left Unravelled (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1990).
11. Henry Drucker, Doctrine and Ethos in the Labour Party (London: Allen & Unwin, 1979).
12. In his pioneering study of political organisation, Ostrogorski used the phrase 'auxiliaries' in describing the newspaper allies of a party. See M. Ostrogorski, Democracy and the Organisation of Political Parties (New York: Haskell, 1902 reprinted 1970).
13. Leon Epstein, Political Parties in Western Democracies (London: Pall Mall, 1967).
14. Angelo Panebianco, Political Parties: Organisation and Power (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p.198.
15. Tribune (2 Sept. 1988).
16. Note the increasing prominence of the National Policy Forum, an organization which meets in between Annual Conferences to discuss party initiatives under direction from the leadership.
17. Lewis Minkin, The Contentious Alliance (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1992), p.630.
18. Eric Shaw, The Labour Party since 1979 (London: Routledge, 1994), pp.57-9.
19. Blair regularly attempts to neutralize the charge that he is an autocrat by attacking those who he believes preach about the politics of Labour leadership 'betrayal', The Guardian (27 July 1995).
20. Andy McSmith, John Smith (London: Mandarin, 1996).
21. Arthur Scargill, 'Future Strategy for the Left', unpublished paper, Nov. 1995.
22. The relationship between The Guardian and Labour has been examined in the left-wing satirical magazine Casablanca ('Who Guards the Guardian?: Part Two', Oct./Nov. 1992, p.7) and regularly by Hugh MacPherson in his parliamentary column for Tribune. Two recent studies also mention the link: Richard Heffernan and Mike Marqusee, Defeat from the Jaws of Victory (London: Verso, 1992), pp.219-20; Shaw, The Labour Party since 1979, p.126. That said, relations between the paper and Labour have been more strained since the promotion of Alan Rusbridger to the editorship in 1995.
23. The relationship between The Guardian and Labour has been examined in the left-wing satirical magazine Casablanca ('Who Guards the Guardian?: Part Two', Oct./Nov. 1992, p.7) and regularly by Hugh MacPherson in his parliamentary column for Tribune. Two recent studies also mention the link: Richard Heffernan and Mike Marqusee, Defeat from the Jaws of Victory (London: Verso, 1992), pp.219-20; Shaw, The Labour Party since 1979, p.126. That said, relations between the paper and Labour have been more strained since the promotion of Alan Rusbridger to the editorship in 1995.
24. Daily Mirror (5 Oct. 1995).
25. Patrick Seyd and Paul Whiteley, Labour's Grassroots (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992), p.37.
26. John Gorman, Images of Labour (London: Scorpion, 1985).
27. Richard Rose, Influencing Voters (London: Faber & Faber, 1967).
28. Nicholas O'Shaughnessy and Dominic Wring, 'Political Marketing in Britain', in Henry Tarn (ed.), Marketing, Competition and the Public Sector (Essex: Longman, 1994).
29. Colin Hughes and Patrick Wintour, Labour Rebuilt (London: Fourth Estate, 1990).
30. Cited in Eric Shaw, 'Programmatic Change in the Labour Party 1984-94', paper presented at the Party Politics Conference, Manchester University, Jan. 1995.
31. Bob Wybrow, 'The 1992 General Election and Its Impact on the Image of Public Opinion Surveys', paper presented at the General Election Conference, Essex University, September 1992.
32. Brian Brivati, 'Clause for Thought', History Today, No.143 (October 1993), pp.7-10.
33. Steven Fielding, 'Mr Benn and the Myth of Clause Four', Parliamentary Brief, April 1995, p.38.
34. Anthony Crosland, The Future of Socialism (London: Jonathan Cape, 1956).
35. The Guardian (28 April 1992).
36. The Times (18 May 1992).
37. The Independent (2 Feb. 1993).
38. The Times (9 Feb. 1993).
39. Jack Straw, Policy and Ideology (Blackburn: Blackburn Labour Party, 1993).
40. Fabian Society, A New Constitution for the Labour Party: The Report of the Archer Committee (London: Fabian Society, 1993).
41. The Times (23 Feb. 1993).
42. Neil Kinnock, Tomorrow's Socialism, Part Two: Rethinking the Future, broadcast on BBC2, 11 Feb. 1994.
43. B. Jones, 'Common Ownership: Relic or Asset?', Renewal, Vol.1, No.3 (July 1993), pp.55-61.
44. John Rentoul, Tony Blair, p.413.
45. Breakfast with Frost, broadcast on BBC1, 12 June 1994.
46. New Statesman and Society (17 June 1994).
47. The Guardian (8 Oct. 1994).
48. New Clause Four Campaign, The New Clause IV, campaign leaflet, 1995.
49. Tribune Group, Beyond Clause Four (London: Tribune Group of MPs, 1994).
50. John Solomon, 'Confused', Fabian News, Vol.107, No.4 (Aug. 1995), pp.22-23.
51. Midnight Special, broadcast on Channel Four, 4 Oct. 1995.
52. What's Left Network, Network News, No. 1 (Jan. 1995).
53. Tribune (20 Jan. 1995).
54. Defend Clause Four Campaign, Defend Clause 4, Defend Socialism Newsletter, 1 (Winter 1995).
55. The Guardian (26 Jan. 1995).
56. Daily Telegraph (6 Feb. 1995).
57. Daily Mail (6 Feb. 1995), cited in Greg Philo 'Political Advertising and Popular Belief', in Greg Philo (ed.), Glasgow Media Group Reader, Volume Two (London: Routledge, 1995).
58. Daily Mail (6 Feb. 1995), cited in Greg Philo 'Political Advertising and Popular Belief', in Greg Philo (ed.), Glasgow Media Group Reader, Volume Two (London: Routledge, 1995).
59. Tony Blair, Face the Future: the 1945 Anniversary Lecture (London: Fabian Society, 1995). The opening part of the series was widely commented upon in the media, for example see The Guardian (28 Sept. 1992). The first pamphet was solely authored by Giles Radice and entitled Southern Discomfort (London: Fabian Society, 1992). The others, written with Stephen Pollard, were called More Southern Discomfort (1993)
60. Tony Blair, Face the Future: the 1945 Anniversary Lecture (London: Fabian Society, 1995). The opening part of the series was widely commented upon in the media, for example see The Guardian (28 Sept. 1992). The first pamphet was solely authored by Giles Radice and entitled Southern Discomfort (London: Fabian Society, 1992). The others, written with Stephen Pollard, were called More Southern Discomfort (1993)
61. Tony Blair, Face the Future: the 1945 Anniversary Lecture (London: Fabian Society, 1995). The opening part of the series was widely commented upon in the media, for example see The Guardian (28 Sept. 1992). The first pamphet was solely authored by Giles Radice and entitled Southern Discomfort (London: Fabian Society, 1992). The others, written with Stephen Pollard, were called More Southern Discomfort (1993)
62. Tony Blair, Face the Future: the 1945 Anniversary Lecture (London: Fabian Society, 1995). The opening part of the series was widely commented upon in the media, for example see The Guardian (28 Sept. 1992). The first pamphet was solely authored by Giles Radice and entitled Southern Discomfort (London: Fabian Society, 1992). The others, written with Stephen Pollard, were called More Southern Discomfort (1993)
63. and Any Southern Comfort (1994).
64. In an occasionally illuminating study of New Labour, former parliamentary frontbench researcher Leo McKinstry (Fit to Govern? London: Bantam Press, 1996, p.112) makes mention of the way the series had a marked influence on the Blair leadership.
65. Fabian Society, The Fabian Society, recruitment leaflet, 1995.
66. Labour Party, National Executive Report (London: Labour Party, 1992).
67. Tribune (3 March 1995).
68. Daily Telegraph (6 Feb. 1995).
69. The Guardian (22 April 1995); Daily Mirror (22 April 1995).
70. The Guardian (22 April 1995); Daily Mirror (22 April 1995).
71. Tribune (10 March 1995).
72. The Guardian (25 Jan. 1995).
73. Daily Mirror (22 April 1995).
74. Labour Co-ordinating Committee, Labour Activist, Special Conference edition (29 April 1995).
75. The Guardian (3 Feb. 1995).
76. Incidentally a move later endorsed by an editorial in The Guardian (30 May 1995), a newspaper not generally thought of as required reading amongst the largely blue-collar membership of the union.
77. The Guardian (10 Jan. 1995). Interestingly, reflecting the notion that a sense of timing means everything, there had been remarkably little comment when the same advert appeared in Tribune the previous November. Certainly it did not lead individual signatories to ask for their names to be removed from the statement as happened on this occasion. Indeed the advert caused so much consternation amongst Labour MEPs that half of them immediately wrote a letter to The Guardian in support of Blair. This duly formed the basis of a frontpage story on the day the letter was published, the signatories' 30 or so names gaining a mention in the article as well as the actual correspondence section.
78. The Guardian (12 Jan. 1995).
79. Socialist Campaign Group News (Feb. 1995)
80. The Observer (22 Jan. 1995).
81. Daily Mirror (23 Jan. 1995); The Guardian (23 Jan. 1995).
82. Daily Mirror (23 Jan. 1995); The Guardian (23 Jan. 1995).
83. The Guardian (11 March and 27 March 1995).
84. The Observer (5 Feb. 1995).
85. The Guardian (3 April 1995).
86. It should not be overlooked that the motions before the two meetings differed quite considerably: whilst the 1994 Annual Conference had called for a simple restatement of faith in the original Clause Four, the 1995 special delegate meeting was limited to speeches and a vote on whether to accept or reject the new version. Nothing was said of the older text. Blair had thus succeeded in turning the debate into a 'valence issue' rather than one of real contention. That said a noticeable and influential group of opponents including union leaders Rodney Bickerstaffe and Bill Morris held out against the change at the special conference staged on a Saturday afternoon which, underlining its high media profile, gained live coverage on BBC2.
87. Michael Foley, The Rise of the British Presidency (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1993).