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The discourse of globalisation and the logic of no alternative : rendering the contingent necessary in the political economy of New Labour

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Watson, Matthew and Hay, Colin. (2003) The discourse of globalisation and the logic of no alternative : rendering the contingent necessary in the political economy of New Labour. Policy and Politics, Vol.31 (No.3). pp. 289-305. ISSN 0305-5736

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/030557303322034956

Abstract

Although convincingly discredited academically, a crude 'business school' globalisation thesis of a single world market, with its attendant political 'logic of no alternative', continues to dominate the discourse of globalisation adopted by the British Labour Party. Here, we identify three separate, albeit reinforcing, articulations of the policy 'necessities' associated with global economic change. Labour's leaders are shown to have utilised a flexible synthesis of potentially contradictory ideas in constructing their chosen discourse of globalisation to guide the conduct of British economic policy following the Party's election victory in 1997. We conclude that Labour appealed to the image of globalisation as a non-negotiable external economic constraint in order to render contingent policy choices 'necessary' in the interests of electoral rejuvenation.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

J Political Science > JZ International relations
D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain

Divisions:

Faculty of Social Sciences > Politics and International Studies

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Labour Party (Great Britain), Globalization -- Economic aspects, Economics -- Political aspects, International economic relations, Great Britain -- Economic policy -- 1997-

Journal or Publication Title:

Policy and Politics

Publisher:

The Policy Press

ISSN:

0305-5736

Official Date:

1 July 2003

Dates:

Date	Event
1 July 2003	Published

Volume:

Vol.31

Number:

No.3

Page Range:

pp. 289-305

Identification Number:

10.1332/030557303322034956

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

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