Twenty years on: Remembering Labour’s 1997 election win

30 April 2017

Scottish Labour has today highlighted the major achievements of the last Labour government.

Tomorrow marks twenty years since Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide. The thirteen years of Labour government that followed the 1997 election win transformed the UK and delivered improved public services for all.

Here are twenty key achievements from Labour's time in office:

1.       120,000 children lifted out of poverty in Scotland

2.       Introduced the National Minimum Wage

3.       Reconstituted the Scottish Parliament

4.       Brokered peace in Northern Ireland

5.       Introduced the Human Rights Act

6.       Equalised the age of consent

7.       Lifted 110,000 pensioners out of poverty in Scotland

8.       Launched tax credit system for the low paid, children and pensioners

9.       Introduced the right to parental leave, extended maternity leave and gave the right to request flexible working time

10.   Established the Low Pay Commission

11.   Gave workers statutory paid annual leave

12.   Winter Fuel Payments

13.   Banned smoking in public places

14.   Ended ban on LGBT people serving in armed forces

15.   Gave LGBT people the right to adopt children

16.   Scrapped Section 28 (clause 2A in Scotland)

17.   Created civil partnerships

18.   Introduced the Freedom of Information Act

19.   Tripled the UK aid budget

20.   Wrote off 18 of the poorest countries international debt, £30bn, lifting millions out of poverty

Speaking to mark the anniversary of Labour’s 1997 triumph, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said:

“The historic achievements of the last Labour government are still having a massive impact on the lives of people today.

“Labour choices in government mean workers are now getting a fair wage, despite Tory opposition.  Labour choices in government took 600,000 children out of poverty across the UK – 120,000 of them in Scotland – despite Tory claims it was impossible.

“And Labour delivered peace in Northern Ireland, ending one of the world’s longest-running and most fractious conflicts.

“This is what Labour does in government and what it can do if you vote Labour on June 8.”