A consideration of how to repair the British state.Not since Ireland broke away from the United Kingdom has the British state been so fragile. Northern Ireland now operates under trading rules that are legally separate from the rest of the nation. In Wales, support for independence is running at a historical high, and Scotland is more conscious than ever of its individual identity and has aspirations for a European future. With public trust and confidence in govern...

The Hill Times: Best Books of 2017What if it is not our political system that is broken, but our understanding of it?Everybody thinks that it’s the system that’s broken in politics; but what if it’s not the system that’s broken but rather our understanding of it? What if everyone’s proposals to make the system “more democratic” only wind up making things worse, and weaken our systems of accountability so much as to make them meaningless? What if it...

The typical contemporary Labour MP is almost certain to be a university-educated Europhile who is more comfortable in the leafy enclaves of north London than the party’s historic heartlands. As a result, Labour has become radically out of step with the culture and values of working-class Britain.Drawing on his background as a firefighter and trade unionist from Dagenham, Paul Embery argues that this disconnect has been inevitable since the Left political establishment swallowed a p...

For years, the prospect of parliamentary reform has been a hot-button issue in Canada. More and more Canadians find themselves frustrated with how Parliament works (or doesn't) and end up increasingly checked out from politics as a whole, feeling like their voices don't matter to those in power.When he introduced the "Reform Act" bill in 2013, Conservative MP Michael Chong brought the issue of parliamentary reform to the forefront, proposing changes that would empower MPs and hold ...

Brexit – a revolutionary moment in British politics. Voters in long-forgotten English towns made their disenchantment clear, overwhelmingly voting to 'take back control' from a remote and defective economic system. Despite this decisive message in 2016, the concerns of these forgotten towns have continued to be all but ignored.David Skelton grew up in Consett, a north-eastern town where the steel industry has deep roots. When the steelworks closed almost forty years ago it lost eve...

Michael D. Higgins' vision as part of his Presidential election campaign and now following through to his tenure as President of Ireland, is 'of [an] inclusive citizenship in a creative society, as we build a real Republic that makes us proud to be Irish in the world'. Renewing the Republicis an expansion of that vision as Michael D. lays out, through a series of essays and speeches, the ideals and philosophies by which this is possible. This collection of essays include Michael D.'s reaso...

This book is a plea for system change in Australia, referring to the various systems that underpin and shape governance. As the 2013 federal election approaches the many flaws in the system of government in Australia are again evident. However, they do not themselves form the focus of the election debate. During the last years the tone and quality of the parliamentary debate has become the focus of attention though. Most people dont like the combative style that is on display on a daily ba...

POLITICAL SYSTEMS. This is the second in a series of books on government and politics designed for students and the general reader (see author's other publications for details of all series titles). All the books interlink and cross reference but are designed to stand alone. This second text continues the series with a detailed exploration of political systems: the structures which channel, direct and shape the all-inclusive decision-making activity which is the hall-mark of politics. Thin...

Tony Wright's Very Short Introduction to British Politics is an interpretative essay on the British political system, rather than merely an abbreviated textbook on how it currently works. He identifies key characteristics and ideas of the British tradition, and investigates what makes British politics distinctive, while emphasizing throughout the book how these characteristics are reflected in the way the political system actually functions. Each chapter is organized around a key theme, such ...

Exam board: AQALevel: A-levelSubject: PoliticsFirst teaching: September 2017First exams: Summer 2018 (AS) Summer 2019 (A-Level)Written by experienced teachers Nick Gallop and Paul Fairclough, this Student Guide for Politics:-Identifies the key content you need to know with a concise summary of topics examined in the AS/A-level specifications-Enables you to ...

The 2015 election result was a disaster for progressives in British politics, delivering a majority Conservative government at Westminster. And the outlook for the next election is not auspicious either, particularly amid the aftershocks of the momentous 2016 EU referendum result and with possible boundary changes in the offing.There is a growing recognition, however, that cross-party cooperation among the progressives could reinvigorate politics and inspire a credible alternative ...

At the height of the Scottish Independence debate, After Independence offers an in-depth and varied exploration of the possibilities for Scotland, from both pro and anti-independence standpoints. Drawing together over two dozen leading minds on the subject, After Independence offers a comprehensive and balanced analysis of Scotland's current and prospective political, economic, social and cultural situation. Brought together in an inclusive, accessible and informative way, After Independen...