By 1997 the Labour Party had finally embraced the more conservative direction for the country and abandoned many of it's socialist economic policies of the past. Economic difficulties, including a dispute over whether England should join the currency of the European Union, hurt the Conservative Party further. This was coupled with a perception that the party had become corrupt, with a number of high-profile members of the party being involved in financial and sexual scandals. The Labour Party won in a landslide in 1997 and has held power ever since. | By 1997 the Labour Party had finally embraced the more conservative direction for the country and abandoned many of it's socialist economic policies of the past. Economic difficulties, including a dispute over whether England should join the currency of the European Union, hurt the Conservative Party further. This was coupled with a perception that the party had become corrupt, with a number of high-profile members of the party being involved in financial and sexual scandals. The Labour Party won in a landslide in 1997 and has held power ever since. |