British politics: the basics

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- List of boxes -- Preface -- Part I: Introduction -- Chapter 1: British politics in flux -- MPs' Expenses Claims - A Watershed Moment? -- Turbulence Begins: The Scottish Referendum -- General Election, 2015 -- EU Referendum, 23 June 2016 -- Cameron Resigns -- May in Government: A 'Land Grab' for the Centre Ground? -- 'Brexit means Brexit' -- The June 2017 General Election - Cautious May's Big Gamble -- A Continuity Election -- Attempted Explanations for this Period of Political Turbulence -- Further Reading -- Chapter 2: The evolution of Britain's political system -- The Witan -- Curia Regis -- Lords and commons meet separately -- Parliament's authority increases -- Civil war, 1640-49 -- Glorious revolution, 1688-89 -- The hanoverian dynasty -- The first prime minister -- Political parties -- Patronage -- The enlightenment -- The influence of the French revolution, 1789 -- Great reform act 1832 -- Political parties from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth century -- Lords-commons conflict resolved -- Further lords reforms -- Parliamentary terms -- Votes for women -- Devolution -- Epilogue -- Questions for Discusion -- Further Reading -- Websites -- Part II: The political context -- Chapter 3: Introductory overview of the British political system -- The underlying ideas -- Voting and party government -- The major parties -- Legislature: House of commons and house of Lords -- The executive -- Pressure groups -- Local government -- European union -- The media -- Questions for discussion -- Further reading -- Websites -- Chapter 4: The social and economic context -- Economic beginnings -- Imperial beginnings -- Industrial revolution and the marxist analysis -- Changing class strata -- Why no revolution?.

"Fully updated and expanded, the second edition of this still compact text on British politics expertly analyses the major changes in British political life, placing them revealingly within the context of the evolution of British society from absolute monarchy to representative democracy. The author considers each of the major components of British politics in digestible chapters, such as the Monarchy and the House of Lords, the Commons, voting behaviour, parties and pressure groups, the Prime Minister and Cabinet, devolution, local government, and foreign policy. The book includes two new chapters on the EU referendum and Brexit, and the extraordinary December 2019 election, as well as coverage of events such as the Coronavirus pandemic, and the respective travails of the increasingly split two major political parties. This readable and comprehensive introduction will be of key interest to A-level students, undergraduates and those new to the study of British politics"--

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- List of tables -- List of boxes -- Preface -- Part I: Introduction -- Chapter 1: British politics in flux -- MPs' Expenses Claims - A Watershed Moment? -- Turbulence Begins: The Scottish Referendum -- General Election, 2015 -- EU Referendum, 23 June 2016 -- Cameron Resigns -- May in Government: A 'Land Grab' for the Centre Ground? -- 'Brexit means Brexit' -- The June 2017 General Election - Cautious May's Big Gamble -- A Continuity Election -- Attempted Explanations for this Period of Political Turbulence -- Further Reading -- Chapter 2: The evolution of Britain's political system -- The Witan -- Curia Regis -- Lords and commons meet separately -- Parliament's authority increases -- Civil war, 1640-49 -- Glorious revolution, 1688-89 -- The hanoverian dynasty -- The first prime minister -- Political parties -- Patronage -- The enlightenment -- The influence of the French revolution, 1789 -- Great reform act 1832 -- Political parties from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth century -- Lords-commons conflict resolved -- Further lords reforms -- Parliamentary terms -- Votes for women -- Devolution -- Epilogue -- Questions for Discusion -- Further Reading -- Websites -- Part II: The political context -- Chapter 3: Introductory overview of the British political system -- The underlying ideas -- Voting and party government -- The major parties -- Legislature: House of commons and house of Lords -- The executive -- Pressure groups -- Local government -- European union -- The media -- Questions for discussion -- Further reading -- Websites -- Chapter 4: The social and economic context -- Economic beginnings -- Imperial beginnings -- Industrial revolution and the marxist analysis -- Changing class strata -- Why no revolution?.