New Labour: 1996

Un pezzo di storia della comunicazione politica: il film commissionato nel 1996 per lanciare il new Labour party (segnalato dall’ottimo Nomfup)

This film, entitled ‘The Road to the Manifesto’, was commissioned by the Labour Party in 1996, a year before their landslide election victory in May 1997. The film was written and directed by John Deery and was instrumental in launching what became known as ‘New Labour’. It was also the first time the campaign theme song, ‘Things Can Only Get Better’, was used. Deery worked with Peter Mandelson at Millbank Tower for 10 weeks from May to July 1996 when Labour’s 5 ‘pledges’ where first announced to the world. 10,000 VHS copies of the film were distributed to constituency offices, party workers, trade unions, helpers, supporters and politicians alike – including the leadership – who all got behind it. At that point in July 1996 a general election could have been called any stage.
This film encapsulates what New Labour stood for at the time and what the Labour Party would do if it were successful in the forthcoming general election. In May 1997 Tony Blair swept to power.