Tony Blair's strong start to his third term has brought his relatively lacklustre second term into sharp relief. The second term should have been the time when New Labour fulfilled its manifesto promises. So what was achieved between 2001 and 2005? How far was Blair himself responsible, and what was Gordon Brown's influence? What was the impact of the Iraq war? Seldon and Kavanagh gather together leading academics and journalists to provide an authoritative assessment, including a review of New Labour in government from 1997 to the present.

Part I. Politics and Government: 1. The Blair premiership Dennis Kavanagh; 2. Parliament Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart; 3. Elections and public opinion Pippa Norris; 4. Local government Tony Travers; 5. Media management Raymond Kuhn; 6. The Labour Party Lewis Baston; 7. The Conservative Party under Blair, 2001-2005 Anthony Seldon and Peter Snowdon; Part II. Economic and Social Policy: 8. The Treasury and economic policy David Smith; 9. Mr Blair's British business model - capital and labour in flexible markets Robert Taylor; 10. Transport Stephen Glaister; 11. Government and judiciary Louis Blom-Cooper; 12. Education Alan Smithers; 13. The health and welfare legacy Howard Glennerster; 14. Equality and social justice Kitty Steward; Part III. Wider Relations: 15. The national question Iain McLean; 16. Europe Peter Riddell; 17. Putting the world to rights: Tony Blair's foreign mission Christopher Hill; 18. The second Blair government: an audit Anthony Seldon; Commentaries: The meaning of the Third Way Andrew Gamble; Foreign policy Vernon Bogdanor; The reinvention of Blair Robert Skidelsky.