Policy Press
Two The changed landscape
Abstract
This chapter looks at family policy as administered by New Labour. It provides an overview leading to the consideration of influences, motives, failures and options for the future direction of travel in subsequent chapters. The core elements of governmental activity are summarised, and then the principal differences with what went before are drawn out in a section entitled ‘So what was different?’. The themes of social liberalism and support and control inform the discussion.
Social liberalism in government has been on the increase throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. But it has not increased consistently over time; there have been fits and starts, with two major spurts, one in the 1960s and early 1970s, and the other during the period of the New Labour administration. Principally in relation to family policy, social liberalism is concerned with matters of gender equality and the accommodation of different family formations and ways of living.
The growth in social liberalism has been in evidence not only in the UK, but also in Europe, where the thrust of family policy has been particularly concerned with the reconciliation of emergent work patterns as caring and paid employment have become more evenly shared between the sexes. The Council of Europe, for example, focused its review of European family policy on this theme, reflecting the preoccupation of member states (Committee of Experts on Social Policy for Families and Children, 2009).
The UK was part of this movement and now has one of the longest periods of maternity leave in Europe. The incremental array of measures taken by the New Labour government, such as the 2002 Employment Act and the 2006 Work and Families Act, has resulted in maternity pay being available for nine months with the right to additional unpaid leave for up to a year.
Abstract
This chapter looks at family policy as administered by New Labour. It provides an overview leading to the consideration of influences, motives, failures and options for the future direction of travel in subsequent chapters. The core elements of governmental activity are summarised, and then the principal differences with what went before are drawn out in a section entitled ‘So what was different?’. The themes of social liberalism and support and control inform the discussion.
Social liberalism in government has been on the increase throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. But it has not increased consistently over time; there have been fits and starts, with two major spurts, one in the 1960s and early 1970s, and the other during the period of the New Labour administration. Principally in relation to family policy, social liberalism is concerned with matters of gender equality and the accommodation of different family formations and ways of living.
The growth in social liberalism has been in evidence not only in the UK, but also in Europe, where the thrust of family policy has been particularly concerned with the reconciliation of emergent work patterns as caring and paid employment have become more evenly shared between the sexes. The Council of Europe, for example, focused its review of European family policy on this theme, reflecting the preoccupation of member states (Committee of Experts on Social Policy for Families and Children, 2009).
The UK was part of this movement and now has one of the longest periods of maternity leave in Europe. The incremental array of measures taken by the New Labour government, such as the 2002 Employment Act and the 2006 Work and Families Act, has resulted in maternity pay being available for nine months with the right to additional unpaid leave for up to a year.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of abbreviations iv
- About the author v
- Acknowledgements vi
- Introduction 1
- The changed landscape 17
- What was at the root of it? 39
- The legacy and the Coalition government 61
- What was wrong? 77
- Looking to the future 105
- Conclusion: the proposal and future scenarios 133
- References 151
- Index 167
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of abbreviations iv
- About the author v
- Acknowledgements vi
- Introduction 1
- The changed landscape 17
- What was at the root of it? 39
- The legacy and the Coalition government 61
- What was wrong? 77
- Looking to the future 105
- Conclusion: the proposal and future scenarios 133
- References 151
- Index 167
