Andrew’s Reviews > New Model Island: How to Build a Radical Culture Beyond the Idea of England > Status Update

Blair's forays into devolution and multiculturalism were far more complementary to neoliberalism than ever the Thatcherism ever was, fitting perfectly with the libertarian ideal of free borders for goods and labour and decentralisation of state power. Blair wasnt just Thatcher's heir, it was neoliberalism's, hence why the capitalist class had to shift its alligence to a Labour purged of any of its union or radical elements (Niven seems to almost presume that devolution was the fufilment of Campaign's agenda, which is just hilarious stupidity, and actively whitewashes how hostile it was to the New Left, Bennite agenda of devolution and House of Lords reform that he claims was part of NL's intital agenda in the first place!) to finish off its class project. Toryism had clearly ran itself into the ground precisely *because* of its very Thatcherite tendencies over Europe and 'Back to Basics', which made it impossible to stabilise itself as a project for neoliberal governance. Under Blair, we get the final legs of 'light toutch regulation', privatisation of key NHS services under PFI schemes and endless, bloated, nightmarish outsourcing schemes, and most importantly, BoE independence. Thatcher never achieved that. But Blair did. Devo, while nicer for the left and better for the peoples of those nations, wasnt done for any soft leftist agenda at all. In anyway. Christ this book is stupid.