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The Reunion

Factual: Life Stories

Series which reunites a group of people intimately involved in a moment of modern history

BBC Radio 4 LW

The Reunion: New Labour

14/09/2014

New Labour

BBC Radio 4 - The Reunion, New Labour

Sue MacGregor reunites some of the key people behind the creation of New Labour.

Sue MacGregor brings together six people who each played a key part in one of the most significant changes to any political party - the creation of New Labour.

When Tony Blair delivered the phrase: 'New Labour, New Britain!' to the 1994 party conference, his first as leader, it was the result of a decade of change within the party. Kinnock had rebranded it, introducing the rose as party emblem and had distanced the Labour Party from its far-left factions.

When John Smith came in, he launched the 'Prawn Cocktail Offensive' of the City and tackled the Union block vote, pushing through reform in 1993. His sudden death ushered in a new, young leader, Tony Blair, who swiftly removed the reference in the party's constitution to 'common ownership of the means of production' and New Labour was born.

20 years on, Sue MacGregor brings together some of the key people involved in the New Labour 'Project'.

Peter Mandelson is one of its founding architects. He relaunched the Party under Kinnock, bringing in ad-man Philip Gould with his focus groups and marketing techniques.

Anji Hunter was at Tony Blair's side from 1987 until 2001. Starting as his research assistant, she ran his office when he was Leader of the Opposition, becoming Director of Government Relations for Blair's government in 1997.

Regional Party organizer, Margaret, now Baroness McDonagh, helped expel the so-called 'loony-left' from the party in the 80s, pushed through the changes to Clause 4 and would later become the Labour Party's first female General Secretary.

Margaret Beckett was Deputy Labour Leader under John Smith and shadow Health Secretary under Tony Blair.

Peter Hyman was one of Blair's strategy men and speech-writers; and Sue, now Baroness Nye, kept Neil Kinnock's diary, before becoming Gordon Brown's right-hand woman for the next 18 years.

Producer: Rose de Larrabeiti
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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