Redefining British Politics

A history of 1950s and 1960s British political culture, Redefining British Politics interrogates ideas, movements and identities bordering social and political change: consumer organisations; campaigns about TV, morality and culture; Young Conservatism; and how party politics used media like TV and was represented in popular culture.

This book investigates whether politics in Britain in the twenty-first century is driven more by issues of culture and identity than by “left versus right” issues of wealth distribution. Drawing from a number of opinion surveys, it explores the shifting positions of voters on both economic matters and matters of culture and identity. It finds that between 2015 and 2017 support for Britain's main political parties became much more predicated on issues of culture and identity, reflecting a radical change in how parties attract voters. In the longer-term, it suggests that issues of culture and identity have become more salient overall, possibly because of the oft-cited divide between winners and losers of globalisation. The book ends by speculating on why politics has become more polarised on these issues, rather than on the economic fallout of globalisation, and suggests that an explanation is to be found in changing forms of political communication between voters and politicians.

The nature of politics in Britain is being questioned as never before, with Brexit throwing both party and national politics into turmoil. Here, Tony Wright provides the essential context for current debates about the state of British politics, identifying key characteristics of its history and ideas which influence the current political landscape.

Brexit will have significant consequences for the country, for Europe, and for global order. And yet much discussion of Brexit in the UK has focused on the causes of the vote and on its consequences for the future of British politics. This volume examines the consequences of Brexit for the future of Europe and the European Union, adopting an explicitly regional and future-oriented perspective missing from many existing analyses. Drawing on the expertise of 28 leading scholars from a range of disciplines, Brexit and Beyond offers various different perspectives on the future of Europe, charting the likely effects of Brexit across a range of areas, including institutional relations, political economy, law and justice, foreign affairs, democratic governance, and the idea of Europe itself. Whilst the contributors offer divergent predictions for the future of Europe after Brexit, they share the same conviction that careful scholarly analysis is in need – now more than ever – if we are to understand what lies ahead for the EU. Praise for Brexit and Beyond 'a wide-ranging and thought-provoking tour through the vagaries of British exit, with the question of Europe’s fate never far from sight...Brexit is a wake-up call for the EU. How it responds is an open question—but respond it must. To better understand its options going forward you should turn to this book, which has also been made free online.' Prospect Magazine 'This book explores wonderfully well the bombshell of Brexit: is it a uniquely British phenomenon or part of a wider, existential crisis for the EU? As the tensions and complexities of the Brexit negotiations come to the fore, the collection of essays by leading scholars will prove a very valuable reference for their depth of analysis, their lucidity, and their outlining of future options.' - Kevin Featherstone, Head of the LSE European Institute, London School of Economics 'Brexit and Beyond is a must read. It moves the ongoing debate about what Brexit actually means to a whole new level. While many scholars to date have examined the reasons for the British decision to leave, the crucial question of what Brexit will mean for the future of the European project is often overlooked. No longer. Brexit and Beyond bundles the perspectives of leading scholars of European integration. By doing so, it provides a much needed scholarly guidepost for our understanding of the significance of Brexit, not only for the United Kingdom, but also for the future of the European continent.' - Catherine E. De Vries, Professor in the department of Government, University of Essex and Professor in the department of Political Science and Public Administration Free University Amsterdam 'Brexit and Beyond provides a fascinating (and comprehensive) analysis on the how and why the UK has found itself on the path to exiting the European Union. The talented cast of academic contributors is drawn from a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise and this provides a breadth and depth to the analysis of Brexit that is unrivalled. The volume also provides large amounts of expert-informed speculation on the future of both the EU and UK and which is both stimulating and anxiety-inducing.' -Professor Richard Whitman, Head of School, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Director of the Global Europe Centre, University of Kent

This book examines the many different ways in which women achieved public standing and exercised political power in England from the middle of the eighteenth century to the present. It shows how rank, property, and inheritance could confer de facto power on privileged women, and how across the centuries the arrogance of birth and title empowered aristocratic women to overawe enfranchised men of lower social standing. The essays contribute to an ongoing “rethinking of the political,” a consequence in part of the rediscovery of the work of Jürgen Habermas by political and social historians. For Habermas, the public sphere included print media and voluntary associations, and the contributors stress the extent of female engagement in political culture broadly conceived. However, they extend this definition of the public sphere further still to include the “private” world of family connections and friendship networks, within which political ideas were debated and new social practices played out. Many of the essays are inspired by a related effort to reintegrate radical female activists within their political milieu. Although feminist hagiography has accustomed us to see female activists as heroic outsiders rising sui generis from a hostile environment, recent research restores them to their intellectual and familial contexts. Finally, the contributors explore the limits and possibilities of women’s citizenship both before and after winning the right to vote. Together, the essays tell a continuous and complex story, redefining political activity and reassessing the turning points of British political history.

WILL THE BIG SOCIETY REDEFINE BRITISH POLITICS FOR A GENERATION? You can call it liberalism. You can call it empowerment. You can call it freedom. You can call it responsibility.I call it the Big Society. As the pioneering work to anatomise this new and influential ideology, The Big Society: the Anatomy of the New Politics illustrates the Big Society's redefinition of British politics for a generation. Spanning across economics, philosophy, history, business, civil liberties, education and culture, Norman's work traces the Big Society's roots in neglected British intellectual and social traditions while showcasing its unexpected and cutting-edge new policy ideas. Packed with deep insights and new perspectives this book makes essential reading for politicians, economists, social commentators, as well as those in the public services and the voting public. Among other things, it explains -- how the growth of the Labour party has been a disaster for the Left in Britain -- why so much "happiness theory" is intellectually bankrupt -- the paradox of creativity: why high bonuses often reduce, not improve, human performance -- why Conservatives should robustly defend common law human rights -- the social power of music and the arts. Published by the University of Buckingham Press, it is available online and in all good bookshops. A sample chapter can be found on www.jesse4hereford.com Praise for the author's Compassionate Conservatism (2006): "The intellectual guidebook to Cameronism", Sunday Times "The book everyone in Westminster is talking about", The Observer "Superb...What the Conservatives need now is not re-branding but an actual philosophical and policy basis for action. This book brilliantly provides that basis", Andrew Sullivan, political commentator and journalist. "Politicians should encourage the emergence of voluntary co-operation, exchange and virtue in society. This delightful and important book explains why and how, from political first principles to policy nuts and bolts. Conservatives and non-conservatives alike should read it", Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist "A glimpse of the future of British Conservatism", Adrian Wooldridge, co-author of The Right Nation.

Your guide to British politics Packed with accessible information on the origins, history, and structure of the UK parliamentary system, British Politics For Dummies offers a fascinating insight into the rollercoaster world of politics. Explaining everything from key political ideologies and the spread of democracy to the current election process and the differences between political parties, this guide is the ultimate companion to British politics and elections. In the book, you'll discover the origins of democracy, political ideologies and the British political state, how elections and British political parties really work, the lowdown on parliament, insight into local politics and devolution, examination of British politics on the world stage, and so much more. Includes expanded coverage of coalition governments and how they work Features information on the key political parties, including the Tories, Labour, the Lib Dems, and UKIP and Britain's place in Europe Focuses on the history of devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales Gives you plain-English access to the PM, the Cabinet, ministers, and civil servants, along with the role of the courts If you're a lifelong learner interested in learning more about politics, a university or sixth-form student studying the topic, or anyone interested in boosting their knowledge of politics, British Politics For Dummieshas you covered.

At a time when politics in Britain is experiencing unprecedented turmoil, this Very Short Introduction examines the past, present, and possible future of British politics. Tony Wright puts current events into a longer and larger perspective, ranging from political ideas to political institutions, and offering an overview of the British political tradition. Throughout, he identifies key characteristics and ideas of British politics, and investigates what makes it distinctive, while emphasizing how these characteristics are reflected in the way the political system functions. This new edition includes key material on Brexit, analysing the divisions revealed by the Brexit vote and the extent to which Britain now has a politics of identity, and considering whether the referendum itself has fundamentally altered the constitutional landscape. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This book explores the political ideas that shaped post-war Britain. It does so by examining the history of Penguin Books, a publisher that played an important role in circulating ideas. By situating the publisher's books in their respective historical contexts, the book constructs a new story about post-war Britain. It suggests that the wartime period ushered in a 'meritocratic moment' in Britain's political history that was eclipsed from the mid-1970s.

The rhetoric of New Labour has captured the centre ground of British politics and now frames the policymaking agenda of all mainstream political parties. In linking this rhetoric to the impact of key New Labour policies on everyday life, this interdisciplinary and original book provides a timely focus on the language of contemporary political debate that assesses its practical effects and potential limitations. The chapters are written by specialist contributors from linguistics, law, education, health, sociology and politics who examine the ways in which the New Labour discourse of social justice has played out in their policy area. Many draw on original empirical research, including interviews, and the book’s combination of micro and macro level analyses supports incisive and original thinking ‘outside the box’ of orthodox political thought. The contributors differ in their assessment of New Labour policies. Taken together, however, their chapters reveal serious problems with New Labour’s rhetoric of social justice and its associated language of citizen workers, choice, opportunity, responsibility and empowerment.