Mark Garnett

In 1975, Britons spent much of their time complaining - and for good reasons. A Labour government with a wafer-thin majority was struggling in vain against rampant inflation. Trade union officials seemed more powerful than the politicians who had been elected through the democratic process. Even Londoners now considered themselves to be on the front line of a terrorist campaign which originated in Northern Ireland. Behind all this lay a fear of a devastating nuclear war, which could break out at any time whether or not a majority of British people agreed with the cause of conflict.More than thirty years later, it is easy to see why commentators thought that Britain was becoming 'ungovernable' in the mid-1970s. Yet evidence suggests that the British people were happier in those days than they have been in the early years of the twenty-first century; they were also much more inclined to cast votes in general elections. During the 1980s Britain was certainly affected by the 'Thatcherite', consumerist ethos. But on closer inspection, it turns out that Britons are just as 'angry' today as they were in 1975, if not more so. And are they really 'apathetic', as we are being told by political commentators?In this groundbreaking new book, Mark Garnett charts the changes in British politics, society and culture since 1975. From Anger to Apathy breaks with the traditional approach to history by addressing the reaction to change through themes like lust, greed, fear and charity, while at the same time retaining a sense of chronological progression.

The British Experience Since 1975

From Anger to Apathy

Philip Lynch

Concise, comprehensive and accessible, Exploring British Politics presents an insightful approach to British politics with a special emphasis on developments since the 2010 general election and the formation of Britain’s first coalition government since 1945.Designed to stimulate critical analysis and provoke lively debate, it provides new perspectives on two key themes – the health of British democracy and the transition from traditional models of government to more flexible forms of ‘governance’.

Exploring British Politics

Ian Aitken

Willie Whitelaw (1918-99) was one of the most popular politicians of recent times. During a career lasting half a century, he made friends everywhere - among allies and opponents, officials who worked with him, and the general public. Yet Whitelaw was deeply involved in policies which have caused lasting bitterness. As the first Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1972-3) he forged a political settlement which collapsed when angry Protestant workers brought Ulster to a standstill. During his time as Home Secretary (1979-83) he faced an outbreak of rioting which spread throughout England. As Margaret Thatcher's loyal lieutenant, he lent crucial support to economic measures which helped to provoke this unprecedented disorder. The story of Whitelaw's life explains much about changes in the party he served and the country he loved. Splendid! Splendid!, unlike his own 1989 memoirs, tells the whole story. Written with his full co-operation, it reveals the man behind the affable public persona. It is a portrait of a unique individual - shrewd, good-natured, public-spirited and loyal. At the same time, it discloses his flaws - his explosive temper, his love of intrigue, and his anxiet

The Authorized Biography of Willie Whitelaw

Splendid! Splendid!

Andrew Denham

Diane Stone

Brings attention to the extent of think tank development in countries including Malaysia, Russia, Japan, Italy, the US, and Australia, and explores their involvement in the policy process. Each chapter begins with an empirical and historical analysis of developments in think tanks within a country to gain insight into their diverse forms and behaviors, and compares think tank activity in different countries in an attempt to understand why they have developed differently. Distributed by St. Martin's Press. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A Comparative Approach

Think Tanks Across Nations

Peter Dorey

This book examines the formation and operation of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government from May 2010 to May 2015. The authors outline the factors that enabled the union, including economic circumstances, parliamentary politics, the initially amicable relationship established between David Cameron and Nick Clegg, and the apparent ideological closeness of Conservative modernisers and Orange Book Liberal Democrats. The authors then analyse how these factors shaped the policy agenda pursued over the five years, including the issues of deficit reduction, public sector reform, and welfare reduction, before discussing the tensions that developed as a result of these decisions. Ultimately, relations between the coalition partners steadily became less amicable and more acrimonious, as mutual respect gave way to mutual recrimination.

A Marriage of Inconvenience

The British Coalition Government, 2010-2015

David Denver

The first book to look at a succession of British general elections in significant detail. By starting the survey in 1964 rather than the traditional date of 1945, it can also focus more rigorously on the changes which began in the 1960s and still affect general elections today.

Diversity, Dealignment, and Disillusion

British General Elections Since 1964

Despite a recent decline in voter turnout, British general elections are still the centrepiece of Britain's liberal democracy and their results make a real difference to every British citizen. They command strong media interest long before their dates are announced and even uneventful campaigns dominate the headlines. The 2010 general election saw the first direct televised debates between the main party leaders, adding further interest to a battle which was always likely to be close. The result was a 'hung parliament' and the first British coalition government since 1945. However, as this book shows these were only the latest manifestations of a transformation in British elections which began in the early 1960s. While some election rituals remain intact - the counting of votes by hand, the solemn declaration of individual constituency results and, most importantly, the peaceful handover of power if the incumbent party loses, almost everything of significance has changed. Voters have very different attitudes; fewer of them have party loyalties which are more than skin deep, and they tend to base their choices on 'short-term' factors such as the perceived competence of the parties and the image of the leader. The parties themselves are barely recognisable from the institutions of 1964 - not least because their membership figures have dwindled dramatically. Election campaigns are now heavily centralised, and focus obsessively on a handful of target seats. This book reviews the history of British general elections since 1964, charting the changes in voters and parties at every step. In parallel, it shows how electoral analysts have responded to these developments. The first book of its kind, it will be invaluable to readers with a general interest in British politics, as well as to undergraduate and postgraduate students of the subject.

In this timely book, Mark Garnett provides a bracing reassessment of the role of the British Prime Minister, from Margaret Thatcher’s controversial tenure to Boris Johnson’s attempt to confront a pandemic with a ministerial team created to face the very different challenge of Brexit. Taking a thematic approach, Garnett explores the impact of major political developments and personalities on key aspects of prime ministerial functions as party leader, Cabinet-maker, chief diplomat and electoral talisman. Much of the controversy over the position of Prime Minister, he concludes, arises from a confusion between the occupant’s inescapable political prominence and his or her – often limited – ability to achieve positive policy outcomes. With both David Cameron and Theresa May forced to resign since 2016, the book questions whether the nature of the job has become a deterrent for politicians who are motivated by a desire to serve the British public, opening the way for individuals with much less laudable motivations.

The British Prime Minister in an Age of Upheaval

Vários Autores

Dorron Otter

Mark Langan

Stephen Hood

Aristotle Kallis

Robin Redhead

Political Ideologies provides a broad-ranging introduction to both the classical and contemporary political ideologies. Adopting a global outlook, it introduces readers to ideologies' increasingly global reach and the different national versions of these ideologies. Importantly, ideologies arepresented as frameworks of interpretation and political commitment, encouraging readers to evaluate how ideologies work in practice, the problematic links between ideas and political action, and the impact of ideologies. Regular learning features encourage readers to think critically about ideologies, and view them as competing and contestable ways of interpreting the world. A unique "stop and think" feature calls for readers to reflect on their own ideological beliefs.Online Resources:Political Ideologies is accompanied by comprehensive online resources, to support political ideology courses.For students: * Further reading and resources for each chapter to help students to undertake further research and deepen their understanding and critical thinking;* Regular updates help students to keep up to date with ideologies as frameworks of understanding and political action in the real world.For lecturers:* Indicative answers to questions in the book provide a framework for approaching these;* Powerpoint slides to support each chapter, providing an overview and key points to help with planning;* Further discussion and debate ideas, for use in seminars, encourage big picture thinking about the relationships between ideologies.

Political Ideologies

The Routledge Handbook of British Politics and Society conducts a rigorous, innovative and distinctive analysis of the relationship between British politics and society, emphasizing that the UK is now far from a monolithic, and unshifting, entity. Examining the subject matter with unrivalled breadth and depth, it highlights and interrogates key contemporary debates on the future of the UK, the nature of 'Britishness', and the merits of multiculturalism, as well as contemporary criticisms of traditional institutions and the nature of representative democracy itself. Including contributions from key authors in their respective fields who bring their authority to bear on the task of outlining the current state of the art in British Studies, the book provides a fresh examination of the contrasts and the continuities across the whole field of British Politics and Society, while setting out agendas for future research. The Routledge Handbook of British Politics and Society will be essential reading and an authoritative reference for scholars, students, researchers and practitioners involved in, and actively concerned about, research on British politics, society and culture.

The Routledge Handbook of British Politics and Society

Hailed by Margaret Thatcher as the founder of modern conservatism, Keith Joseph is commonly ranked among the most influential politicians of the late-20th century. A complex and enigmatic figure Joseph was almost unique among Mrs Thatcher's senior ministers in refusing to write his own memoirs. Challenging both the "mad monk" view held by his critics and his status of mythical hero to his admirers, the authors present a picture of Joseph as a thinker and decision-maker. the authors tell of Joseph's formative years before he entered Parliamnet in 1956: the powerful Jewish dynasty into which Josph was born; his time at Harrow; at Oxford; his war years in the Royal Artillery; and his Fellowship at All Souls. This volume charts the political career of Keith Joseph. The authors challenge Joseph's self-declared conversion to Conservatism in 1974 and the importance of his "education" of Margaret Thatcher. His own ambition, intellectual integrity and consistency are all examined and a different picture emerges of his role as the intellectual driving force behind Conservative Government policy in the 1980s.

Keith Joseph

Matthew Johnson

David M Walker

Michael Oakshott described conservatism as a non-ideological preference for the familiar, tried, actual, limited, near, sufficient, convenient and present. Historically, conservatives have been associated with attempts to sustain social harmony between classes and groups within an organic, hierarchical order grounded in collective history and cultural values. Yet, in recent decades, conservatism throughout the English-speaking world has been associated with radical social and economic policy, often championing free-market models which substitute the free movement of labour and forms of competition and social mobility for organic hierarchy and noblesse oblige. The radical changes associated with such policies call into question the extent to which contemporary conservatism is conservative, rather than ideological. This book seeks to explore contemporary conservative political thought with regard to such topics as, ‘One Nation’ politics and Big Society, sovereignty, multiculturalism and international blocs, paternalism and negative liberty with regard to narcotics, pornography and education, regional and international development, and public faith, establishment and religious diversity. This book will be published as a special issue of Global Discourse.

Conservatism and Ideology

As a complex and multifaceted world-view, conservatism is often pigeonholed and partially understood. And while the nature of conservative ideology is warmly contested among scholars, no-one can deny its prominence in contemporary debates and its effects on the politics of everyday life. These 16 essays written by expert scholars and specialists offer a broad survey of conservative thought that extends beyond typical historical and geographic boundaries to include past thinkers like Plato and Edmund Burke, non-European conservative traditions such as Japan and Russia, and political 'practitioners' including Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Charles de Gaulle. Each essay grapples with short primary source extracts while offering instructive criticism and commentary. Conservative Moments offers students a useful, accessible, and comprehensive exposition of this political ideology.

Mark Garnett

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