Brownism
Encyclopedia
In British politics Brownism describes the political ideology of former Labour leader and former prime minister Gordon Brown
. Supporters are considered to be Brownite.
The term Brownite has been used to describe an ideological faction within the British Labour Party in contrast to Blairite
, the adjective used to refer to the political ideology of Tony Blair
. Brownites tend to be less enthusiastic about market driven reforms such as tuition fees and foundational hospitals and more keen on the role of the state, less critical of Labour's links to the unions and critical of media management techniques such as the use of spin doctors. Brownites are considered to be slightly to the left of Blairites although it has been argued that the difference between Blairites and Brownites is more tribal than ideological. Will Hutton
argues: Like Tony Blair he [Gordon Brown] is a believer in a pluralist and fair society, social mobility, and marrying economic efficiency with social justice.
In mid-2011 the BBC's Home editor Mark Easton
judged that Brownism had made little lasting impact.
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
. Supporters are considered to be Brownite.
The term Brownite has been used to describe an ideological faction within the British Labour Party in contrast to Blairite
Blairite
In British politics, the term Blairism refers to the political ideology of former leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left both positions in 2007 to become Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East...
, the adjective used to refer to the political ideology of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. Brownites tend to be less enthusiastic about market driven reforms such as tuition fees and foundational hospitals and more keen on the role of the state, less critical of Labour's links to the unions and critical of media management techniques such as the use of spin doctors. Brownites are considered to be slightly to the left of Blairites although it has been argued that the difference between Blairites and Brownites is more tribal than ideological. Will Hutton
Will Hutton
William Nicolas Hutton is an English writer, weekly columnist and former editor-in-chief for The Observer. He is currently Principal of Hertford College, Oxford and Chair of the Big Innovation Centre , an initiative from The Work Foundation , having been Chief Executive of The Work Foundation from...
argues: Like Tony Blair he [Gordon Brown] is a believer in a pluralist and fair society, social mobility, and marrying economic efficiency with social justice.
In mid-2011 the BBC's Home editor Mark Easton
Mark Easton
Mark Richard Erskine Easton is the Home Editor for BBC News broadcasting on national television and radio news. He also writes a blog for the BBC, which was a finalist at the in 2009 and winner of the award for statistical excellence in journalism in 2010...
judged that Brownism had made little lasting impact.
Notable Brownites
This is a list of people that have been referred to in the Press as Brownites but who may not personally consider themselves as such.- Ed MilibandEd MilibandEdward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
- Alistair DarlingAlistair DarlingAlistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
- Ed BallsEd BallsEdward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
- Harriet HarmanHarriet HarmanHarriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
- Shriti VaderaShriti VaderaShriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera, PC is a British investment banker and politician. Until September 2009, she was a government minister jointly for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office.-Early life:...
- Des BrowneDes BrowneDesmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010...
- Douglas AlexanderDouglas AlexanderDouglas Garven Alexander is a British Labour Party politician, who is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the shadow cabinet of Ed Miliband. He has held cabinet posts under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Scotland and...
- Kevan JonesKevan JonesKevan David Jones is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for North Durham since 2001.-Early life:...
- Tom Clarke
- Yvette CooperYvette CooperYvette Cooper is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 2010, having previously been MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997. She served in the Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. She is the Shadow Home Secretary...
- Dawn PrimaroloDawn PrimaroloDawn Primarolo is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Bristol South since 1987. She was Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families at the Department for Children, Schools and Families from June 2009 to May 2010 and is now a Deputy Speaker of...
- Donald DewarDonald DewarDonald Campbell Dewar was a British politician who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament in Scotland from 1966-1970, and then again from 1978 until his death in 2000. He served in Tony Blair's cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997-1999 and was instrumental in the creation...
- Nick BrownNick BrownNicholas Hugh "Nick" Brown is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne East since 1983...
- Nigel GriffithsNigel GriffithsNigel Griffiths is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South from 1987 to 2010.-Early life:...
- Tom WatsonTom Watson (politician)Thomas Anthony Watson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East since 2001. Watson was a Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2009...
- Chris BryantChris BryantChristopher John Bryant is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Rhondda since 2001...
- Lord Elder
- Ian Austin
- Sue NyeSue NyeSusan Jane Nye, Baroness Nye is the former Director of Government Relations and former diary secretary to ex-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown....
- Andrew Smith
- John PrescottJohn PrescottJohn Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
Further reading
- Maguire, KevinKevin Maguire (journalist)Kevin Maguire is a British political journalist, currently Associate Editor at the Daily Mirror newspaper. From an Irish Catholic family, earlier in his career Maguire was Chief Reporter for The Guardian....
, The whispers Brownites v Brownies The split we'll be hearing a lot more about, The New Statesman, (2007)