British Politics

Description

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.

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About the author

Tony Wright is Emeritus Professor of Government and Emeritus Professor of Government and Public Policy at UCL. Between 1992 and 2010, he served as a UK Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase, and in 2009 chaired the parliamentary committee that produced the 'Wright reforms' of the House of Commons. He is the author or editor of over twenty books, including Doing Politics (Biteback, 2012) and Rethinking Democracy (Wiley, 2019).

Table of contents

Preface
List of illustrations
1:The Britishness of British politics
2:The constitution: old and new
3:Arguing: the politics of ideas
4:Governing: still the strong centre?
5:Representing: voters and parties
6:Accounting: parliament and politicians
7:Whither British politics
Further reading
Index