Constitution-Making and the Labour Party

Since coming to power in 1997 the Labour government’s programme of constitutional reform represents an historic challenge to both British constitutional doctrine and Labour Party orthodoxy. Mark Evans examines the nature and extent of this challenge and argues that the New Constitutionalism is a key element of a policy agenda that in its most crucial aspects reflects the continuing transformation of the British industrial welfare state into a competition state. The text analyses key areas of reform under the Blair government from the perspective of Labour Party history and contemporary policy analysis.