School of Politics and International Relations

Politics expert curates public exhibition at the People's History Museum

Political history expert Professor Steven Fielding has curated a new 20th anniversary exhibition on a key point in Britain's modern democratic history.

The 1997 general election saw a rebranded 'New' Labour Party end 18 years of Conservative government. With a 179 seat majority in the House of Commons, the election laid the foundations for an unprecedented 13 years in office for the party.

Yet in 1992, experts said Britain had become a one-party state: after losing four elections in a row Labour was finished as a party of power. Within five years however, Tony Blair proved them wrong and led the party to office on the back of one of its biggest ever victories.

Such was the optimism of the time, when Blair asked on the morning of Friday 2 May 1997 when the scale of Labour's victory was fully apparent, "A new dawn has broken, has it not?", many believed a New Britain was really about to be built.

New Dawn? The 1997 Election, in conjunction with the People's History Museum, Manchester, will explore this vital but controversial political event, helping visitors reflect on the issues it raises and examine an election that feels much further in the past than just two decades.

The exhibition will run from Saturday 25 March until Sunday 4 June 2017 from 10am-5pm daily, with more information available on the museum website.

You can follow @newdawn1997 for a day-by-day retelling of the campaign.

A public conference will also be held at the museum on Saturday 3 June, and will seek to understand the causes and consequences of the election. Papers are invited that discuss not just the Labour party, New Labour and Tony Blair but British politics as a whole, as well as where 1997 might fit into an understanding of broader social, economic and cultural developments.

Steven is a member of the Centre for British Politics, which promotes high-quality research on British politics, develops new modes of understanding the subject and encourages a better popular understanding of politics in Britain.

"The 1997 general election was one of the most dramatic in British history," says Steve. "And the government elected on 1 May, 20 years ago, remains as controversial as ever. It is therefore important to cut through the hype and misconceptions of left and right to assess how and why such a remarkable election happened – and soberly ask what were its consequences? Our New Dawn? project will help us see this remarkable political event with clearer eyes."

Posted on Friday 10th March 2017

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