British politics is a complex and fast-changing mix of the traditional and the new. Many certainties about the political landscape have changed in recent years. This definitive introduction to Britain's developing political institutions and processes helps you make sense of these changes by exploring how British politics works and its real-world impact.Thoroughly revised to incorporate the major developments in the political landscape, this fourth edition includes: - The challenges facing Andy Burnham as prime minister, coverage of Labour's 2024 landslide victory and the party's difficulties in power, and the rise and fall of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.- The dramatic increase in popular support for Reform UK and the Green Party, the revolving Conservative leadership from 2015 to 2024, and the challenge to ’two party politics’.- The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and ‘Brexit' for politics and policy.- Coverage of international developments, including the challenges of Trump 2.0 and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.- A renewed focus on questions of gender, ethnicity, nationalism, and other forms of identity, reflecting contemporary British politics.It is an essential text for students of British or UK politics.Updated online resources including interactive timelines, live blog posts and content updates, Politics in Action video interviews and more are available at bloomsbury.pub/british-politics-4e.
Simon Griffiths is Reader in Politics at Goldsmiths, University of London. Robert Leach was formerly Principal Lecturer in Politics at Leeds Metropolitan University, now Leeds Beckett University, UK, where he is now a Visiting Reader, following his retirement from teaching.
PART 1: CONTEXTS1. The Study of British Politics2. Britain since 19453. Political IdeologiesPART 2: GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE4. The Constitution5. Politics and the Law6. Parliament7. The Prime Minister and Cabinet8. Ministers and Civil Servants9. Local Government10. Devolution and IndependencePART 3: FROM CITIZENS TO THE STATE11. Voting and Elections12. Political Parties13. Participation14. The MediaPART 4: POLICY15. The Policy-Making Process16. The Policy Process17. Public Services and Welfare18. The Environment19. Foreign PolicyBibliographyIndex
This has been my primary text for intro to British politics for the past five years. It’s comprehensive in its treatment of the fundamentals, which is all the more essential during the past decade of post-Brexit instability. Use this as the foundation to build your examination in any direction: institutional, behavioural, or administrative.