Blair and his New Labour have quickly disabused people of that illusion. Just look at their record in office. Effective strike action is more or less illegal. Labour is continuing the policies of privatisation and deregulation that have cut services to the bone and lined the pockets of the politicians' well placed friends. NHS waiting lists are now longer than under the Tories, despite the pre-election promises.
Real funding continues to decline in relation to what is really needed.
Workers in the industry are still to be paid insulting levels of wages and have been warned by health minister Frank Dobson not to expect much more. Those in work still have to work longer and harder than workers anywhere else in Europe. The fear of unemployment, of chronic job insecurity continues under Labour as it did under the Tories. Unemployment remains at 1930s levels. The only solution of New Labour is more hopeless cheap labour schemes or harassment.