Austerity and Modernisation - Vocational Education and Training and One Nation Labour

The paper explores a number of themes that arise from the British Labour Party's review of its policies and its concern to rebrand itself as One Nation Labour (ONL). In particular it addresses ONL's approach to vocational education and training by drawing on a comparison with the policies of the Coalition government as well as those of New Labour. The paper addresses national and global questions concerned with neoliberalism, social democracy and social justice. It argues that the policies of ONL are by no means new and many of its elements can also be found in New labour and the Coalition. It is suggested that the aspirations of ONL to refashion social democracy for austere times is compromised by the inherent capitalist nature of the economy. This poses the question as to how far the interest in social justice can be furthered in such circumstances.