Why The Third Way Works for Labour Party UK

Watched an interview with Jack Straw, UK on BBC Network

Knowing how frustrated we get with DLC, Thirdway--and
knowing Tony Blair often consulted with Bill Clinton
when Tony Blair changed Labour focus to the Third Way.

Blair knew and it was reasonable to think Labour had to
become more Business Friendly if Labour was to have staying
power as a Party.

Very Interestingly, This was a Labour of Love as he and
Gordon Brown paired up to make changes.

Here is the Clincher, Both Browne and Blair are fully committed
to SOCIAL JUSTICE. As they worked, their active principle
was to help Business without throwing the Worker under the
Bus. Business had to make concessions as well as Labor.

In order to avoid, large dislocations of pain for workers,
good unemployment wages(insurance) is provided. If a worker
does lose his job, his unempoyment wages kick in. Jack Straw
explained that both Prime Ministers having such a strong
committment to Social Justice has made Globalization more
tolerable in England. As an after thought--their Christian
Principles guide their commitment to Social Justice.

Could our Leaders take a lesson???

The DLC might as well be a branch of the GOP. They are all for throwing the worker under the bus.

Howard Dean was DLC
John Edwards was DLC

Not all DLCers can be painted by the same brush

How are campaigns funded in Britain? Nuf' said!

It's a country I know very well.

Most left-leaning folks are very disappointed with Blair and Brown for following Bush and Cheney into Iraq back in 2003. Plus there are a whole bunch of other issues. Like spending $ billions on building more nuclear weapons systems that won't protect the UK from real threats like terrorism and climate change.

Talking of climate change, carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing for the 10 years that the Labour Party has been running things (despite the fact that they claim to take the issue more seriously than the US Federal Govt.).

I guess Jack Straw did not mention that since the Labour Party took over the government in May 2001, the rich have been getting a lot richer and the gap between rich and poor has been getting wider. in this context - "Social Justice" is a marketing slogan (like "Compassionate Conservatism").

On the plus side, unemployment has been relatively low over the past 10 years (compared against the 1980s). But now you have more than 2 million workers from places like Poland and the Baltic States that joined the European Union in 2004 - so they now have the right to work in the UK. So competition for jobs is still very tough for a lot of people.

Also on the plus side - a lot of money has been invested in the public education system that is accessible to everyone. Although now students have to pay college tuition fees (which was not the case under Thatcher in the 1980s).

Finally - access to healthcare is better than in the USA. Unless you need a dentist. In which case you need private insurance or pay everything on your own credit card. That's because most dentists won't work within the government system (National Health Service). They claim it is too bureaucratic and impossible for them to make a decent living.

That's one of the reasons why Brits have such bad teeth! B-)

New Labour looked good at the start, but it morphed into something else and moved right under Blair. Kind of like the Democratic Party. The LibDems are looking stronger each election.

etc. Protecting workers as deals are made for Business.

The other aspects of British system were not my focus.

Now that you mention Health Care---I am sure the 40+million
Americans who have no health care would not turn their nose
up if they had this much from our system.