Original upload date: Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT
Archive date: Fri, 10 Dec 2021 03:56:07 GMT
This film, entitled 'The Road to the Manifesto', written and directed by John Deery, was commissioned by the Labour Party in 1996, a year before their landslide election victory in May 1997.
(NOTE: T
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his film has not been posted here by The Labour Party, it is a historic archive and information contained in the film are not necessarily correct today.)
The film 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.
