The Unfinished Revolution

On 1 May 1997 a sea-change occurred in British politics. Not only had the Conservatives been comprehensively ejected from office after eighteen years in power; the Labour party which replaced them had itself changed irrevocably. Tony Blair's majority of 179 was the culmination of a long, hard struggle to modernise his party, and in so doing modernise the politics of his country. Philip Gould, one of the world's leading political strategists and polling advisers, has worked closely with the Labour leadership for eleven years, and has been a key adviser to Bill Clinton as well as a central figure in the creation of New Labour. Making full use of his unique vantage-point, Gould now describes the rise of New Labour since the dog-days of 1983 and explains how the transformation was achieved. In the process he explores the new political climate in Britain, and how the real modernisation is in old labels of 'left' and 'right' being transcended. Provocative and thought-provoking, Gould's book cuts through the shibboleths of old Labour and gives a fascinating insight into the future. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Blair's Britain.