Faces of Labour - Andy McSmith

With a substantial lead in the opinion polls, the Labour Party looks set to take over the reins of Britain's government within a year. Ironically, just at the point when Labour appears to be a government-in-waiting, it has never been more difficult to judge exactly what we can expect from Labour in government. New slogans and buzz words appear on almost a daily basis, as the Labour Party continues to redefine itself after two decades in opposition. In this analysis, Andy McSmith brings an expert eye to bear on the enormous changes Labour has undergone on the long road back to Number 10. A former press officer and now a political correspondent for the Observer , Andy McSmith gives an account—both as an insider and as a critical observer—of what is really going on in the Labour Party. McSmith describes the transition from a party dominated by the radical left into a social democratic party. He reassesses the tensions between Old and New Labour, focusing on individuals whose careers throw different aspects of a complex story into sharp relief. McSmith gives his account of the key figures in the Labour hierarchy, including: Peter Mandelson—the man described as Tony Blair's Rasputin; John Prescott; Robin Cook; Clare Short; and, of course, Tony Blair himself. He also looks at those on the underside of the party—figures such as Ted Grant—guru of the Militant Tendency; and the late Jim Murray, a Tyneside shop steward who, by combination of pure chance and the power of the block vote, once held the future of Labour in his hands. Andy McSmith is the author of John Smith: A Life 1938–94 and Kenneth Clarke: A Political Biography .