| Abstract: | The Third Way has been put forward as a framework of political understanding and commitment which transcends the division between the 'old left' and the 'new right' and provides the basis for a renewal of social democracy. This article critically examines the Third Way as a framework for understanding the problems faced by the welfare state and as a model or programme for welfare reform. The main focus is the recent work by Anthony Giddens as a leading exponent of the Third Way. Reference is also made to the ideas of Tony Blair and the discourse of New Labour, and the relationship between these versions of the Third Way is examined. |
