SE Academic Review 2023

30 ST EDWARD’S, OXFORD

4 .

In 1997 the Labour Party as led by Tony Blair won the largest number of seats any party had since the Second World War after suffering 18 years in opposition (Morgan, 2010). This essay will not only discuss what led to the victory but also attempt to answer why Labour won with a landslide. The essay will discuss the exhaustion and unpopularity of the Conservative Party, New Labour’s centralist policies and the modernisation of the Labour Party and will conclude that whilst the election was won due to the unpopularity and exhaustion of the Conservatives, the landslide was achieved through the modernisation of Labour. in bringing about New Labour’s 1997 landslide? By Hugo Marston The Blair flair? To what extent was Labour’s modernisation the most significant factor

Introduction