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{{short description|political ideology of Gordon Brown}}
{{Short description|Political ideology of Gordon Brown}}
{{about|politics of the British Labour Party|the attitudes of English church reformer Robert Browne|Brownist}}
{{about|politics of the British Labour Party|the attitudes of English church reformer Robert Browne|Brownist}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2013}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Gordon Brown sidebar}}
{{Gordon Brown sidebar}}
In [[Politics of the United Kingdom|British politics]], '''Brownism''' is the political ideology of the former leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] and [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Gordon Brown]] and those that follow him. Proponents of Brownism are referred to as '''Brownites'''.
In [[British politics]], '''Brownism''' is the [[social democratic]] political ideology of the former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] and leader of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] [[Gordon Brown]] and those that follow him. Proponents of Brownism are referred to as '''Brownites'''.


== Ideology ==
== Ideology ==
In an opiniated article, [[Anthony Giddens]] claimed that in contrast to [[Blairism|Blairite]], the adjective used to refer to the political ideology of [[Tony Blair]], Brownites tend to be less enthusiastic about market driven reforms such as tuition fees and foundation hospitals and more keen on the role of the state,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/05/labour-policy-policies-blair|title=The rise and fall of New Labour|publisher=New Statesman|date=17 May 2010|access-date=23 July 2010}}</ref> less critical of [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]'s links to the unions<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Nicholas|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5323960.stm |title=UK &#124; UK Politics &#124; Brownites v Blairites – the full story|work=BBC News|date=7 September 2006|access-date=23 July 2010}}</ref> and critical of media management techniques such as the use of spin doctors.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> [[Will Hutton]] opined: "Like [[Tony Blair]] [Gordon Brown] is a believer in a pluralist and fair society, social mobility, and marrying economic efficiency with social justice".<ref name="guardian2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/jun/21/post164 |title=How to beat Blair: become a Blairite &#124; Comment is free &#124; guardian.co.uk|work=The Guardian|date=21 June 2006|access-date=23 July 2010|location=London|first=Will|last=Hutton}}</ref>
Brownism is understood by [[Anthony Giddens]] and others as a [[social democratic]] ideology, characterised by its distinction from the ideology of [[New Labour]] under [[Tony Blair]], with Brownism generally understood as tolerating less enthusiasm about market driven reforms such as tuition fees and foundation hospitals, more keen on the role of the state,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/05/labour-policy-policies-blair|title=The rise and fall of New Labour|publisher=New Statesman|date=17 May 2010|access-date=23 July 2010}}</ref> and less critical of [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]'s links to the unions.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Nicholas|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5323960.stm |title=UK &#124; UK Politics &#124; Brownites v Blairites – the full story|work=BBC News|date=7 September 2006|access-date=23 July 2010}}</ref> Compared to [[Blairism]], Brownism places more emphasis on constitutional reform, advancing ideas of a "new constitutional settlement", alongside a "robust concern for redistributive politics" with commitments to reducing poverty and expanding the welfare state;<ref name="heppel">{{Cite book |last=Heppell |first=Timothy |title=How Labour Governments Fall: From Ramsay MacDonald to Gordon Brown |publisher=The Palgrave Macmillan |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-137-31421-5 |pages=141–149 |chapter=The Fall of the Brown Government, 2010}}</ref><ref name="ideas_puzzle">{{Cite book |last=Beech |first=Matt |title=The Brown Government: A Policy Evaluation |publisher=Routledge |year=2009 |isbn=9781317966685 |edition=1st |pages=8–13 |chapter=A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister}}</ref> [[Will Hutton]] opined: "Like Tony Blair [Gordon Brown] is a believer in a pluralist and fair society, social mobility, and marrying economic efficiency with social justice".<ref name="guardian2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/jun/21/post164 |title=How to beat Blair: become a Blairite &#124; Comment is free &#124; guardian.co.uk|work=The Guardian|date=21 June 2006|access-date=23 July 2010|location=London|first=Will|last=Hutton}}</ref>

Brownism retains much of the economic pragmatism of [[New Labour]], characterised by commitments to liberalised markets and "responsible capitalism", with light-touch approaches to financial regulation and tax. Brownite pragmatism was demonstrated during the 2008 Financial Crisis which occurred during the [[Premiership of Gordon Brown]], with the UK Government response comprising the nationalisation of the [[Royal Bank of Scotland]], [[Lloyds TSB]] and [[Northern Rock]] – with both conservative and left-leaning governments worldwide following this approach.<ref name="ideas_puzzle"/> Brown described "the values of fairness, stewardship and cooperation" as underpinning this approach to markets, and has criticised the "weaknesses of unbridled free markets".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-10-18 |title=Gordon Brown: Economy can emerge stronger |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3562880/Gordon-Brown-Economy-can-emerge-stronger.html |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=The Telegraph |language=en}}</ref>

On foreign policy, Brownism is characterised by "complexity, inter-connectedness, and cooperation", with focuses on improving globally under-developed regions, improving human rights, and global [[social justice]] – particularly through [[international aid]].<ref name="dyson-foreign-policy">{{Cite book |last=Dyson |first=Stephen |title=British Foreign Policy: The New Labour Years |date=1 January 2011 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |edition=1 |location=London |isbn=978-1-349-32763-8 |pages=64–65, 76–83 |chapter=New Labour, Leadership, and Foreign Policy-making after 1997}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Honeyman |first=Victoria |date=2017-04-01 |title=From liberal interventionism to liberal conservatism: The short road in foreign policy from Blair to Cameron |url=https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2015.46 |journal=British Politics |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=42–62 |doi=10.1057/bp.2015.46 |issn=1746-9198}}</ref> Brownism is additionally characterised by significantly greater hesitance towards [[liberal interventionism]] compared to [[Blairism]], with focuses on foreign policy advanced through cooperation, and hesitance towards conflict. It emphasises "duties to discharge and responsibilities to keep" where conflict does take place, and places greater distance towards [[US foreign policy]], while retaining commitments to [[Atlanticism]].<ref name="dyson-foreign-policy"/>

Brownism has been described as lacking an "ideological narrative", something that has been said to have damaged [[Gordon Brown]]'s "credibility as [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] leader". This has meant that scholars and observers have been able to describe Brownism as [[neoliberal]], while others have described it as [[social democratic]].<ref name="ideas_puzzle" />


== Relationship to prior administrations ==
== Relationship to prior administrations ==
{{see also|Blair–Brown deal}}
{{see also|Blair–Brown deal}}
Gordon Brown succeeded Blair as Prime Minister after Brown's long tenure as the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]. Although viewed in the media as somewhat personally close, Blair later wrote in his autobiography ''[[A Journey]]'' that a "maddening" Brown effectively [[blackmail|blackmailed]] him while he was in 10 Downing Street. Blair accused Brown of orchestrating the investigation into the [[Cash-for-honours scandal]] and stated that the personal animosity was so strong that it led him to frequent drinking, a big change for Blair. Blair also has told journalist [[Andrew Marr]] that as their years working together went on, co-operation become "hard going on impossible".<ref name=blackmail>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/7974336/Tony-Blair-Gordon-Brown-tried-to-blackmail-me.html|title=Tony Blair: Gordon Brown tried to blackmail me|access-date=30 June 2011|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=1 September 2010}}</ref>
Gordon Brown succeeded [[Tony Blair]] as Prime Minister after Brown's long tenure as the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]. Although viewed in the media as somewhat personally close, Blair later wrote in his autobiography ''[[A Journey]]'' that a "maddening" Brown effectively [[blackmail]]ed him while he was in 10 Downing Street. Blair accused Brown of orchestrating the investigation into the [[Cash-for-Honours scandal]] and stated that the personal animosity was so strong that it led him to frequent drinking, a big change for Blair. Blair also has told journalist [[Andrew Marr]] that as their years working together went on, co-operation became "hard going on impossible".<ref name=blackmail>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/7974336/Tony-Blair-Gordon-Brown-tried-to-blackmail-me.html|title=Tony Blair: Gordon Brown tried to blackmail me|access-date=30 June 2011|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=1 September 2010}}</ref>


Blair criticised the departure from much of [[New Labour]] ideology under [[Premiership of Gordon Brown|Gordon Brown's premiership]], who blamed it for [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]'s defeat in the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 General Election]]:
As stated before, both men had similar positions on actual issues and government policies. To the extent that they felt divided, it came mostly from differences in personality, background and managing style.<ref name=hutton>[http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/will_hutton/2006/06/post_164.html How to bear Blair: become a Blairite] [[Will Hutton]], [[Guardian Unlimited]] – [[guardian.co.uk|Comment is free]], 21 June 2006</ref>
<blockquote>Why did Labour lose the 2010 election? The answer to that, I'm afraid is obvious. Labour won when it was New Labour. It lost because it stopped being New Labour...Had he [Brown] pursued New Labour policy, the personal issue would still have made victory tough, but it wouldn't have been impossible. Departing from New Labour made it so. Just as the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 election]] was one we were never going to lose, 2010 was one we were never going to win – once the fatal strategic decision was taken to abandon the New Labour position.<ref name="heppel"/></blockquote>


== Brownites ==
== Brownites ==
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[[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP crop 2.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Ed Miliband]]]]
[[File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP crop 2.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Ed Miliband]]]]
[[File:Anas Sarwar MSP.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Anas Sarwar]]]]
[[File:Anas Sarwar MSP.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Anas Sarwar]]]]
* [[Douglas Alexander]] – former [[Secretary of State for International Development]] and [[Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs|Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs]]
* [[Douglas Alexander]] – former [[Secretary of State for International Development]] and [[Shadow Foreign Secretary]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 June 2007 |title=Profile: Douglas Alexander |url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/jun/28/labour.gordonbrown |first=Hélène|last= Mulholland|access-date=5 June 2024 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Ian Austin]] – former [[Regional minister|Minister for the West Midlands]]
* [[Ian Austin]] – former [[Regional minister|Minister for the West Midlands]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brownites ready to back leader from safe seats |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12496138.brownites-ready-to-back-leader-from-safe-seats/ |date=25 April 2005|access-date=5 June 2024|website=The Herald |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Ed Balls]] – former [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]] and [[Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families]]<ref name="Millie">Millie, Andrew, Moral politics, moral decline and anti-social behaviour, People, Place & Policy Online (2010): 4/1, p 7.</ref>
* [[Ed Balls]] – former [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]] and [[Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families]]<ref name="Millie">Millie, Andrew, Moral politics, moral decline and anti-social behaviour, People, Place & Policy Online (2010): 4/1, p 7.</ref>
* [[Nick Brown]] – former [[Chief Whip of the Labour Party|Opposition Chief Whip]] and [[Regional minister|Minister for the North East]]<ref name="thethirdman">: Life at the Heart of New Labour – Peter Mandelson</ref>
* [[Nick Brown]] – former [[Chief Whip of the Labour Party|Opposition Chief Whip]] and [[Regional minister|Minister for the North East]]<ref name="thethirdman">: Life at the Heart of New Labour – Peter Mandelson</ref>
⚫
* [[Tom Clarke (politician)|Tom Clarke]] – former [[Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport|Minister of State for Film and Tourism]]<ref name="clarke">news.yahoo.com/14/20100825 – cruddas-backs-david-miliband{{deadlink|date=June 2024}}</ref>
* [[Andy Burnham]] – [[Mayor of Greater Manchester]] and former MP for [[Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)|Leigh]]
* [[Yvette Cooper]] – Home Secretary and former Work and Pensions Secretary<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-03 |title=Labour Insiders Say Prioritising Talent Over Loyalty On His Front Bench Could Be Keir Starmer's Undoing |url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/labour-insiders-say-prioritising-talent-over-loyalty-on-his-front-bench-could-be-keir-starmers-undoing |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=Politics Home |language=en}}</ref>
⚫
* [[Tom Clarke (politician)|Tom Clarke]] – former [[Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport|Minister of State for Film and Tourism]]<ref name="clarke">news.yahoo.com/14/20100825 – cruddas-backs-david-miliband</ref>
* [[Alistair Darling]] – former [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-05-06 |title=Business View: Blair necessities put Brownite in the limelight |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/business-view-blair-necessities-put-brownite-in-the-limelight-6101637.html |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Alistair Darling]] – former [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]
* [[Donald Dewar]] – former [[First Minister of Scotland]] and former [[Scottish_Labour#Leader of the Scottish Labour Party|Leader of the Scottish Labour Party]]<ref name="thethirdman" />
* [[Donald Dewar]] – former [[First Minister of Scotland]] and former [[Scottish Labour#Leader of the Scottish Labour Party|Leader of the Scottish Labour Party]]<ref name="thethirdman" />
* [[Michael Dugher]] – former [[Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport|Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport]]
* [[Michael Dugher]] – former [[Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Labour leader calls on Brown's bruisers |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13037815.labour-leader-calls-browns-bruisers/ |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=The Herald |date=8 October 2011 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Nigel Griffiths]] – former [[Leader of the House of Commons|Deputy Leader of the House of Commons]]<ref name="thethirdman" />
* [[Nigel Griffiths]] – former [[Leader of the House of Commons|Deputy Leader of the House of Commons]]<ref name="thethirdman" />
* [[Harriet Harman]] – former interim [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]] and [[Shadow First Secretary of State|Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]<ref name="Mark Oliver and agencies" />
* [[Kevan Jones]] – former [[Minister of State for the Armed Forces|Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces]]<ref name="clarke" />
* [[Kevan Jones]] – former [[Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces|Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces]]<ref name="clarke" />
* [[Jim Knight]] – former [[Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform]] and [[Regional minister|Minister for the South West]]
⚫
* [[Spencer Livermore]] – [[Member of the House of Lords]]
* [[Jim Knight]] – former [[Minister for Employment (United Kingdom)|Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform]] and [[Regional minister|Minister for the South West]]
⚫
* [[Spencer Livermore, Baron Livermore|Spencer Livermore]] – [[List of members of the House of Lords|Member of the House of Lords]]
* [[Tony Lloyd]] – former [[Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]]<ref>{{cite web|last=White|first=Michael|authorlink=Michael White (journalist)|date=6 January 2010|title=Ballot call over Gordon Brown's leadership – what next?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jan/06/gordon-brown-leadership-ballot-call|access-date=24 November 2012|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
* [[Tony Lloyd]] – former [[Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]]<ref>{{cite web|last=White|first=Michael|authorlink=Michael White (journalist)|date=6 January 2010|title=Ballot call over Gordon Brown's leadership – what next?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/jan/06/gordon-brown-leadership-ballot-call|access-date=24 November 2012|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
* [[Damian McBride]] – former [[Downing Street Press Secretary]]
* [[Damian McBride]] – former [[Downing Street Press Secretary]]
* [[Kerry McCarthy]] – former [[Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]]
* [[Kerry McCarthy]] – former [[Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]]
* [[Ed Miliband]] – [[Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy|Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy]] and former [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]]<ref name="Millie" />
* [[Ed Miliband]] – [[Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero]] and former [[Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Leader of the Labour Party]]<ref name="Millie" />
* [[Susan Nye, Baroness Nye|Sue Nye]] – [[List of members of the House of Lords|Member of the House of Lords]]
* [[Sue Nye]] – [[Member of the House of Lords]]
* [[Rachel Reeves]] – [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]]
* [[Rachel Reeves]] – [[Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer]]
* [[Anas Sarwar]] – [[Scottish_Labour#Leader of the Scottish Labour Party|Leader of the Scottish Labour Party]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/20/scottish-labour-candidate-anas-sarwar-laughs-off-neoliberal-blairite-tag|title=Scottish Labour candidate Anas Sarwar laughs off 'neoliberal Blairite' tag|last=Carrell|first=Severin|date=20 September 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-04|url-status=live|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
* [[Anas Sarwar]] – [[Scottish Labour#Leader of the Scottish Labour Party|Leader of the Scottish Labour Party]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/20/scottish-labour-candidate-anas-sarwar-laughs-off-neoliberal-blairite-tag|title=Scottish Labour candidate Anas Sarwar laughs off 'neoliberal Blairite' tag|last=Carrell|first=Severin|date=20 September 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-04|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
* [[Siôn Simon]] – former MP for [[Birmingham Erdington (UK Parliament constituency)|Birmingham Erdington]]
* [[Siôn Simon]] – former MP for [[Birmingham Erdington]]
* [[Andrew Smith (British politician)|Andrew Smith]] – former [[Secretary of State for Work and Pensions]] and [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]]
* [[Andrew Smith (British politician)|Andrew Smith]] – former [[Secretary of State for Work and Pensions]] and [[Chief Secretary to the Treasury]]
* [[Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera|Shriti Vadera]] – former [[Department for Business, Innovation and Skills|Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills]]<ref name="Mark Oliver and agencies">{{cite news|author=Mark Oliver and agencies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/may/11/labourleadership.labour1 |title=Who are the Brownites? &#124; Politics |work=The Guardian|date= 11 May 2007|access-date=24 July 2010 | location=London}}</ref>
* [[Shriti Vadera]] – former [[Department for Business, Innovation and Skills|Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills]]<ref name="Mark Oliver and agencies">{{cite news|author=Mark Oliver and agencies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/may/11/labourleadership.labour1 |title=Who are the Brownites? &#124; Politics |work=The Guardian|date= 11 May 2007|access-date=24 July 2010 | location=London}}</ref>
* [[Emily Thornberry]] – [[Shadow Attorney General]] and former [[Shadow Foreign Secretary]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-05-18 |title=Amid the expenses fury, Aida Edemariam shadows her MP, Emily Thornberry |url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/19/emily-thornberry-islington-mps-expenses |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Emily Thornberry]] – [[Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy|Shadow President of the Board of Trade]] and [[Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade]]
* [[Charlie Whelan]] – former political director of the British trade union, [[Unite the Union]]
* [[Charlie Whelan]] – former political director of the British trade union, [[Unite the Union]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Is Charlie Whelan to leave Unite the Union? |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/70da6b4c-5c7b-380b-80ed-a158b790ef8a}}</ref>
* [[Tom Watson, Baron Watson of Wyre Forest|Tom Watson]] – former [[Chair of the Labour Party (UK)|Chair]] and [[Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK)|Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-06-02 |title=Series of political knocks took toll on loyal Brownite, Tom Watson |url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/jun/02/tom-watson-step-down-controversies |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Stewart Wood, Baron Wood of Anfield|Stewart Wood]], [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] peer and former member of the Council of Economic Advisers to [[HM Treasury]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/24/stewart-wood_n_3490390.html | title=Meet ed Miliband's Consigliere | date=24 June 2013 }}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 55: Line 63:
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{-}}
{{Clear}}
{{Gordon Brown|state=collapsed}}
{{Gordon Brown|state=collapsed}}
{{New Labour}}
{{New Labour}}
{{Social democracy}}

[[Category:Politics of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Politics of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Gordon Brown]]
[[Category:Gordon Brown]]
[[Category:Eponymous political ideologies]]
[[Category:Eponymous political ideologies]]
[[Category:New Labour]]
[[Category:New Labour]]
[[Category:Political party factions in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) factions]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) factions]]
[[Category:Political positions of British politicians]]

Latest revision as of 21:16, 22 October 2024

This article is about politics of the British Labour Party. For the attitudes of English church reformer Robert Browne, see Brownist.

This article is part of
a series about
Gordon Brown
Shadow Chancellor
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Policies
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Post–Prime Minister
Bibliography
Gordon Brown's signature

In British politics, Brownism is the social democratic political ideology of the former Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party Gordon Brown and those that follow him. Proponents of Brownism are referred to as Brownites.

Ideology

[edit]

Brownism is understood by Anthony Giddens and others as a social democratic ideology, characterised by its distinction from the ideology of New Labour under Tony Blair, with Brownism generally understood as tolerating less enthusiasm about market driven reforms such as tuition fees and foundation hospitals, more keen on the role of the state,[1] and less critical of Labour's links to the unions.[2] Compared to Blairism, Brownism places more emphasis on constitutional reform, advancing ideas of a "new constitutional settlement", alongside a "robust concern for redistributive politics" with commitments to reducing poverty and expanding the welfare state;[3][4] Will Hutton opined: "Like Tony Blair [Gordon Brown] is a believer in a pluralist and fair society, social mobility, and marrying economic efficiency with social justice".[5]

Brownism retains much of the economic pragmatism of New Labour, characterised by commitments to liberalised markets and "responsible capitalism", with light-touch approaches to financial regulation and tax. Brownite pragmatism was demonstrated during the 2008 Financial Crisis which occurred during the Premiership of Gordon Brown, with the UK Government response comprising the nationalisation of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and Northern Rock – with both conservative and left-leaning governments worldwide following this approach.[4] Brown described "the values of fairness, stewardship and cooperation" as underpinning this approach to markets, and has criticised the "weaknesses of unbridled free markets".[6]

On foreign policy, Brownism is characterised by "complexity, inter-connectedness, and cooperation", with focuses on improving globally under-developed regions, improving human rights, and global social justice – particularly through international aid.[7][8] Brownism is additionally characterised by significantly greater hesitance towards liberal interventionism compared to Blairism, with focuses on foreign policy advanced through cooperation, and hesitance towards conflict. It emphasises "duties to discharge and responsibilities to keep" where conflict does take place, and places greater distance towards US foreign policy, while retaining commitments to Atlanticism.[7]

Brownism has been described as lacking an "ideological narrative", something that has been said to have damaged Gordon Brown's "credibility as Labour leader". This has meant that scholars and observers have been able to describe Brownism as neoliberal, while others have described it as social democratic.[4]

Relationship to prior administrations

[edit]
See also: Blair–Brown deal

Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister after Brown's long tenure as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Although viewed in the media as somewhat personally close, Blair later wrote in his autobiography A Journey that a "maddening" Brown effectively blackmailed him while he was in 10 Downing Street. Blair accused Brown of orchestrating the investigation into the Cash-for-Honours scandal and stated that the personal animosity was so strong that it led him to frequent drinking, a big change for Blair. Blair also has told journalist Andrew Marr that as their years working together went on, co-operation became "hard going on impossible".[9]

Blair criticised the departure from much of New Labour ideology under Gordon Brown's premiership, who blamed it for Labour's defeat in the 2010 General Election:

Why did Labour lose the 2010 election? The answer to that, I'm afraid is obvious. Labour won when it was New Labour. It lost because it stopped being New Labour...Had he [Brown] pursued New Labour policy, the personal issue would still have made victory tough, but it wouldn't have been impossible. Departing from New Labour made it so. Just as the 2005 election was one we were never going to lose, 2010 was one we were never going to win – once the fatal strategic decision was taken to abandon the New Labour position.[3]

Brownites

[edit]

Other than Brown himself, the following prominent Labour politicians are often considered Brownites, but may not identify themselves as such:

Ed Balls
Harriet Harman
Ed Miliband
Anas Sarwar

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The rise and fall of New Labour". New Statesman. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  2. ^ Jones, Nicholas (7 September 2006). "UK | UK Politics | Brownites v Blairites – the full story". BBC News. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  3. ^ a b Heppell, Timothy (2013). "The Fall of the Brown Government, 2010". How Labour Governments Fall: From Ramsay MacDonald to Gordon Brown. The Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 141–149. ISBN 978-1-137-31421-5.
  4. ^ a b c Beech, Matt (2009). "A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister". The Brown Government: A Policy Evaluation (1st ed.). Routledge. pp. 8–13. ISBN 9781317966685.
  5. ^ Hutton, Will (21 June 2006). "How to beat Blair: become a Blairite | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Gordon Brown: Economy can emerge stronger". The Telegraph. 18 October 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b Dyson, Stephen (1 January 2011). "New Labour, Leadership, and Foreign Policy-making after 1997". British Foreign Policy: The New Labour Years (1 ed.). London: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 64–65, 76–83. ISBN 978-1-349-32763-8.
  8. ^ Honeyman, Victoria (1 April 2017). "From liberal interventionism to liberal conservatism: The short road in foreign policy from Blair to Cameron". British Politics. 12 (1): 42–62. doi:10.1057/bp.2015.46. ISSN 1746-9198.
  9. ^ "Tony Blair: Gordon Brown tried to blackmail me". The Daily Telegraph. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  10. ^ Mulholland, Hélène (28 June 2007). "Profile: Douglas Alexander". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
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  24. ^ "Meet ed Miliband's Consigliere". 24 June 2013.
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