Inside New Labour

Since Labour lost office in 2010 the spate of memoirs about the New Labour era has been uneven in quality, but at their best they provide rival insider accounts by the actors themselves of the events in which they were involved. A variety of memoirs are considered, in particular those focusing on the three chief architects of New LabourBlair, Brown and Mandelsonand the complicated political and personal relationships between them. The memoirs throw new light upon Gordon Brown's campaign to oust Tony Blair as prime minister, and the reasons why Blair did not seek to move Brown as chancellor. They provide reflections on the nature of political leadership and the different styles and policy priorities of Blair and Brown, why the New Labour years ended in such a major defeat, and why the New Labour project lasted as long as it did.