Clause IV

Clause IV
(of Labour’s constitution)
   Many early socialists in the Labour Party saw socialism in terms of the original Clause IV of their Constitution: ‘To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange . . .’ For several years, Clause IV was a ‘sacred cow’ of the Labour Movement and the left of the party acted as its guardian. After World War Two, attempts were made to get Clause IV rewritten, for moderate, right-of-centre Labour MPs saw public ownership (nationalisation) as lacking in electoral appeal and no longer a statement of what many of them actually believed in.
   On becoming leader, Tony Blair boldly tackled the party’s Constitution, re-writing Clause IV. The 1995 version stresses community values such as equality of power, tolerance and respect, rights and duties, the emphasis being on society. It proclaims that ‘by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone so as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many not the few . . .’ Two distinctive features of the new clause reflect the Blairite outlook: the prominence given to enterprise, competition and the free market; and the moral dimension, with references to personal responsibility, the family and our duty to care for each other.

Glossary of UK Government and Politics . 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • clause — [klɔːz ǁ klɒːz] noun [countable] LAW COMMERCE a part of a written law, contract, or legal document that deals with a particular item or subject: • Clause 12 enables the Secretary of State to make orders to protect pension rights. asˈsignment… …   Financial and business terms

  • clause — [ kloz ] n. f. • XIIIe; « vers, rime » 1190; bas lat. clausa, de claudere « clore », lat. class. clausula ♦ Disposition particulière d un acte. ⇒ condition, convention, disposition. Les clauses d un contrat, d une loi, d un traité. Respecter,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • clause — / klȯz/ n: a distinct section of a writing; specif: a distinct article, stipulation, or proviso in a formal document a no strike clause in the collective bargaining agreement claus·al / klȯ zəl/ adj Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam… …   Law dictionary

  • Clause IV — historically refers to part of the 1918 text of the British Labour Party constitution which set out the aims and values of the party. Before its revision in 1995, its application was the subject of considerable dispute. Contents 1 Text 2… …   Wikipedia

  • Clause 49 — of the Listing Agreement to the Indian stock exchange comes into effect from 31 December 2005. It has been formulated for the improvement of corporate governance in all listed companies. In corporate hierarchy two types of managements are… …   Wikipedia

  • clause — CLAUSE. s. f. Disposition particulière faisant partie d un traité, d un Édit, d un contrat, et de tout autre Acte public ou particulier, etc. Clause expresse. Clause conditionnelle. Mettre, insérer, ajouter une clause dans un contrat, Glisser une …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • clause — Clause. s. f. Condition qu on met dans un traitté, dans un contract, dans un testament &c. Clause expresse. clause conditionnelle. clause dérogatoire. mettre, inserer, adjouster, glisser une clause. on y a mis des clauses avantageuses pour luy.… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Clause — Clause, n. [F. clause, LL. clausa, equiv. to L. clausula clause, prop., close of ? rhetorical period, close, fr. claudere to shut, to end. See {Close}.] 1. A separate portion of a written paper, paragraph, or sentence; an article, stipulation, or …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clause — ist die Wortgruppe im Satz, die aus einem finiten Verb (Personalform eines Verbs) und den von ihm abhängigen Wörtern besteht.[1] Der Begriff wird in der Quantitativen Linguistik oft als leicht bestimmbare, annähernde Entsprechung zu und damit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Clause 28 —    Clause 28 is the short name for a section in the Local Government Act of 1988 which made it illegal for local authorities to ‘promote homosexuality’. The clause was widely opposed on marches, vigils and protests, and opponents developed a high …   Encyclopedia of contemporary British culture

  • clause — [klôz] n. [OFr < ML clausa, for L clausula, a closing (in legal use, section or clause) < clausus, pp. of claudere, to CLOSE2] 1. Gram. a group of words containing a subject and a finite verb, usually forming part of a compound or complex… …   English World dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”