ABSTRACT
Although family policy in Britain is conventionally regarded as implicit rather than explicit, New Labour have placed the family (along with work) at the centre of their social policy agenda. In this chapter, we trace the evolution of family policy over the years, setting New Labour's approach in the context of the post-war and Thatcher periods. We suggest that New Labour's attempt to develop a ‘third way’ between traditional and libertarian perspectives is rooted in the party's traditions as well as evidence of the impact of New Right thinking on the importance of responsibilities as well as rights. New Labour is also changing the institutional framework within which family policies are developed, but we express some doubts as towhether this represents a fundamental break with the traditional British approach to family policy.
