Modernising the welfare state : the Blair legacy / edited by Martin Powell.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Powell, Martin A., 1961-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Labour Party (Great Britain).

Public welfare--Great Britain.

Public welfare.

Great Britain.

Great Britain--Social policy.

Social policy.

Great Britain--Politics and government--1997-2007.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

x, 290 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Bristol : Policy Press, [2008]

Summary:

Tony Blair was the longest-serving Labour Prime Minister in British history. This book, the third in a trilogy of books on New Labour edited by Martin Powell, analyses the legacy of his government for social policy, focusing on the extent to which it has changed the UK welfare state. Drawing on both conceptual and empirical evidence, the book offers forward-looking speculation on emerging and future welfare issues.

The book's high-profile contributors examine the content and extent of change. They explore which of the elements of modernisation matter for their area. Which sectors saw the greatest degree of change? Do terms such as 'modern welfare state' or 'social investment state' have any resonance? They also examine change over time with reference to the terms of the government. Was reform a fairly continuous event, or was it concentrated in certain periods? Finally, the contributors give an assessment of likely policy direction under a future Labour or Conservative government.

Previous books in the trilogy are New Labour, new welfare state? (1999) and Evaluating New Labour's welfare reforms (2002). The works should be read by academics, undergraduates and postgraduates on courses in social policy, public policy and political science.

Contents:

1 Introduction: modernising the welfare state / Martin Powell 1

2 The NHS after 10 years of New Labour / Calum Paton 17

3 Housing policy: coming in out of the cold? / Brian Lund 35

4 Social security and welfare reform / Stephen McKay, Karen Rowlingson 53

5 Social care under Blair: are social care services more modern? / Mark Baldwin 73

6 Education: from the comprehensive to the individual / Susan Martin, Yolande Muschamp 91

7 Controlling crime and disorder: the Labour legacy / Sarah Charman, Stephen P. Savage 105

8 Social investment: the discourse and the dimensions of change / Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Ruth Lister 125

9 Risk and the Blair legacy / David Denney 143

10 Going private? / Mark Drakeford 161

11 Choice in public services: 'no choice but to choose!' / Catherine Needham 179

12 The conditional welfare state / Peter Dwyer 199

13 The stages of New Labour / Ian Greener 219

14 Social Democratic reforms of the welfare state: Germany and the UK compared / Martin Seeleib-Kaiser 235

15 Conclusion: the Blair legacy / Martin Powell 255.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781847420404

1847420400

1847420397

9781847420398

OCLC:

178198246