The Third Way – An Answer to Blair

By Patrick Harrington

ISBN 095350770X
Third Way Publications £5.00
Paper – 20 A5 pages

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has spoken and written much of a third way. Blair has taken the term from his advisor Prof. Anthony Giddens who published a book called The Third Way in 1998. Blair followed his lead with The Third Way, New Politics for the New Century. Blair’s previous book New Britain: My Vision of a Young Country published in 1996 made no mention of it. Our political organisation called the Third Way was formed on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day), 1990. Patrick Harrington a member of our National Executive has challenged Blair’s use of the term. In his latest booklet he questions whether the third way is merely a revised form of social democracy as Blair asserts. He asks whether we can address the problem of social exclusion without wealth re-distribution. Harrington questions whether we can recreate community spirit and a vibrant civic society without fundamental and radical re-structuring of our economy and institutions. This booklet goes beyond the sound bites to examine the issues raised. Pat Harrington moves the debate to a higher level.