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Servants Of The People: The Inside Story Of New LabourEditions
Review
Andrew Rawnsley is a journalist who, because he was seen as ‘on message’, was given unprecedented access to the inner circle of New Labour. He has written an entertaining account, which – if true – offers a valuable insight into the relationships which drive Tony Blair’s government. One reason for accepting the truth of what he has to say is his obvious sympathy with ‘the project’, and his contempt for Conservatives: for example, according to the author, in the Pinochet affair, New Labour delivered a lesson on ethics to the rest of the world… Really? And he regales the reader with a list of the government’s stunning achievements, which a more critical mind might have questioned. But in fairness to him, he does more than enough to expose the bitter rivalries, the lack of policy in key areas, and the obsession with popularity and focus groups. There are some nice touches: when Peter Mandelson resigns from the DTI over his home loan, his resignation begins, ‘I can scarcely believe I am writing this letter…’ As the author points out, he wasn’t writing the letter – Alistair Campbell was. I also thought that describing Mandelson’s outburst against General Pinochet as having ‘a passion which suggested sincerity’ was harsh, but amusing. Footnotes: they make a book look serious, and give the writer the opportunity to show off research. But this book, whatever its other merits, is not an academic analysis of the workings of government, and when the most intriguing passages invariably lead to a note which says ‘Private information’, I feel a bit cheated (or is that 'socially excluded'?). I think they should have been left out until the sources could be named, whenever that might be; otherwise, it looks as though the author is just showing off about how many terrifically important people he knows. Finally, perhaps the rush to get this opus into print meant that one or two vital stages in the proof-reading process were omitted – try as I might, I can’t find anyone, even on the extreme Left, who’s ever heard of ‘infuriation’ (p.180), especially when it’s mounting, or indeed of ‘wroughtness’, but, hey – New Labour, New Language. - review by Dan Fenton |
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John Sandoe [Books] Ltd |
In the very small world peopled by journalists and politicians, this book caused something of a sensation on its publication. In the best traditions of New Labour, its contents had been widely leaked beforehand and, of course, the most interesting passages had been serialised in the press. A more serious look at the way Blair operates comes in Peter Hennessy’s excellent and thoughtful study, The Prime Minister: The Office And Its Holders Since 1945 
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