In the amended, and current, values the constitution of the Labour party states that it is a democratic socialist party that believes “power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many not the few”. This article historically refers to part of the 1918 text of the UK Labour party’s written constitution, which had set out the aims and values of the party. The same story also quoted Labour activists saying Blair would be ‘forgiven if he delivers’. It was revised in 1995 by then leader Tony Blair. Jeremy Corbyn's office is moving frantically to downplay a grassroots Labour move to bring back Labour's original 'clause 4' of the party's constitution. “His leadership would be the opposite of top-down changes,” the spokesperson said. Labour’s 1918 constitution. Clause Four only helps Tories, says Blair: The Guardian, 1 December 1994. In an article in the Manchester Guardian, it was said this was the first time a party had declared it’s “definitely socialistic” principles. Tony Blair with Gordon Brown and Margaret Beckett at their 1997 election manifesto launch. In a Guardian interview soon after the vote, Blair admitted that by ammending the party’s constitution he was taking ‘one hell of a risk’. On Tuesday 4 October 1994, Tony Blair used his leader's speech to announce the revision of Clause IV. Unfortunately for Blair, the unreconstructed Leftists decided to stick around Credit: Toby Melville/ REUTERS I t was always going to be an easy target once the … A hundred years ago this month, the Labour Party adopted its famous clause four – a declaration of aims and principles, which Rob Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal, tells us committed the party to “the socialist transformation of society”. Tony Blair was born at the Queen Mary Maternity Home in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Under Tony Blair's leadership it was jettisoned to make way for the New Labour party in 1995. Clause IV, originally written in 1917, was overhauled by Tony Blair in 1995. Tony Blair’s decision to abolish Clause 4 resulted in tens of thousands of activists leaving the Labour Party in disgust. After losing the 1959 general election, and in the era of the cold war, Hugh Gaitskell, the then Labour leader, thought public opposition to nationalisation had led to the party’s poor performance. It stated things like “To secure for all the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry” and “equitable distribution” which shows its strong ties with the working man. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Tony Blair doesn't 'spend a lot of time' thinking about his legacy. Press at the time wrote of how significant the new constitution of the post-war political party was. I’m interested in the idea that we have a more inclusive, clearer set of objectives. But a spokesman later clarified his position, maintaining that Corbyn was not saying he wanted a return to “the old clause IV” and that he did not want “a big ‘moment’ such as that”. Manchester Guardian, 27 February 1918. Reforming leader Blair kept his pledge to modernise Labour by amending Clause Four, Labour’s commitment to public ownership of key industries, Last modified on Thu 26 Mar 2020 14.19 GMT. This was an important step to change the party into "New Labour". Its text crucially now states that the party is committed to a “dynamic economy”, with the new clause IV stating that: Labour will work in pursuit of these aims, with trade unions, co-operative societies and other affiliated organisations and also with voluntary organisations, consumer groups and other representative bodies. In 2015, dark horse candidate Jeremy Corbyn announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Labour Party. The debate over Clause 4 of the party's constitution was considered the crucial test of whether its members would commit to Mr Blair's project. For Tony Blair, the ideas embedded in Clause 4 have become an embarrassment. Manchester Guardian, 27 February 1918. This is a stain on our movement. Mr. Blair immediately launched his campaign for the modernisation of the Labour Party, determined to complete the shift further towards the political centre which he saw as essential for victory. Mr Blair's campaign for a new Clause IV will culminate in a special conference in London at the end of April. On winning the vote, Blair had gone one better than Hugh Gaitskell and Neil Kinnock, both men having failed to dismantle Clause Four when they led the party. Retrieved 18 November 2006. Tony Blair’s ‘Clause 4 moment’ was highly controversial in the party when it was passed at a special conference in 1995, shortly after Blair became leader of the party. to the 1994 party conference, his first as leader, it was the result of a decade of … 37. Asked if he wanted to restore the clause to the party’s constitution, he said: I think we should talk about what the objectives of the party are, whether that’s restoring the clause IV as it was originally written or it’s a different one, but I think we shouldn’t shy away from public participation, public investment in industry and public control of the railways. Let no one say radical politics is dead. Tony Blair immediately challenged the party to ditch its most iconoclastic policy; the Clause 4 commitment to public ownership. Labour’s 1918 constitution. But Labour has played down possible changes to Clause 4, insisting the claims were “jumping the gun”. At the time, the Defend Clause IV campaign said: “There is little in Blair’s proposed new clause to which Liberal Democrats or even many Tories could not subscribe.”. The risk he was referring to was the damage he might inflict on the party, ‘wounding it’ even, as some party members told the Observer in this piece from 1995. This article historically refers to part of the 1918 text of the UK Labour party’s written constitution, which had set out the aims and values of the party. The Corbynista candidate wants to rewrite Clause 4 … The reason why clause IV was historically noteworthy was because it was seen as the party’s commitment to socialism. The commitment to organise and maintain a political Labour party in parliament and in the country, as well as promoting the “political, social and economic emancipation of the people” were among other clauses in the text. 1. His ‘Clause Four Moment’ changed Labour from a party that championed unions, the lower classes and socialist thinking into a party that wanted to work with the ambitious middles classes and a party that wanted to foster a liberal, outward looking economy. This just means support for capitalism - something any Tory could support. Corbyn suggested in an interview with the Independent on Sunday, that he could consider bringing back the original clause IV as part of a commitment to take some “necessary things” into public ownership. To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service. Speaking afterwards, Blair said: ‘Let no one say radical politics is dead. Tony Blair, the last elected labour Prime Minister was the Iron Ladies’ chief ideological heir. Johnston Press plc. ^ "Blair's birthplace is bulldozed in Edinburgh". The left fought back, however, and defeated moves for change: symbolically, in fact, it was agreed that the clause was to be included on party membership cards. 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