Two essays, printed back to back in a single volume, offer complementary solutions to the democratic deficit in Britain and the USA. In his book The Party's Over: Blueprint for a Very English Revolution (2004), Keith Sutherland questioned the role of the party in the post-ideological age and concluded that it would be better for government ministers to be appointed by headhunters and held to account by a people's parliament selected by lot. This completely revised and updated edition inclu...

Consider the following paradox: As the leaders of both of the main British political parties subscribed to the neoconservative doctrine on Iraq, everybody else in the birthplace of parliamentary democracy was effectively disenfranchised. Yet one of the rationales supporting the deployment of UK forces in Iraq was the wish to export democracy to the Middle East. The Emperor would appear to have mislaid his clothes (see Gordon Graham's Case Against the Democratic State).Judging from the lack...

'Few contemporary Britons are as intelligent as Jonathan Sumption' The Telegraph'A timely red alert that democratic values cannot be taken for granted' The TimesNOW FEATURING A NEW ESSAY ON ISRAEL, GAZA AND INTERNATIONAL LAWAcross the globe, democracy is in crisis - in the UK alone, it has been rocked by Brexit, the pandemic and successive attempts by governments to bypass legal norms. But how did t...

'Thoughtful, stimulating and even entertaining ... Lord Sumption's opinion is always worth listening to, even - or especially - if one disagrees with it.' Daily Telegraph'Time spent on Law in a Time of Crisis is time spent in the company of a brilliant mind considering interesting things' The TimesBrexit, the independence referendum, the pandemic: the UK is a country in crisis. And, in crises, we turn to the law t...

This wide-ranging introduction to the history of modern Britain extends from the eighteenth century to the present day. James Vernon's distinctive history is weaved around an account of the rise, fall and reinvention of liberal ideas of how markets, governments and empires should work. The history takes seriously the different experiences within the British Isles and the British Empire, and offers a global history of Britain. Instead of tracing how Britons made the modern world, Vernon sho...

Do we need a Monarchy? Or does it represent everything that is hidebound and stifling about Britain? The headlines tell the story: every British Institution is in crisis As a nation we have lost our way, What we have always been smugly told, is false. Our constitution is NOT the best in the world, nor is our legal system the fairest, nor is our society more open, nor are we freer than other nations. Things taken for granted are now being seriously questioned, as people realize how much of ...

A short, sharp intervention in the crucial debate about the future of democracy, which has been brought to a head by events from Brexit to the Trump phenomenon.We live in strange days in the history of democracy.Every serious politician in the Western world supports democracy. Yet when the EU Referendum and American Elections both delivered the ‘wrong’ result, elites challenged the merit of the people’s will, and some even tried to block it. Preferring unel...

This acclaimed book provides a topical and contextual outline of the principles, doctrines and institutions that underpin the United Kingdom constitution. The second edition of The Constitution of the United Kingdom has been extensively rewritten to take account of recent constitutional developments, particularly changes made following the 2010 general election. The chapters are written in sufficient detail for anyone coming to the subject for the first time to develop a clear and informed...

Whether it’s the first-past-the-post electoral system or partisan government appointees to the Senate, Canadians want better representation and accountability from the federal government. Before reforms can be enacted, however, it is important to explore and clarify the relationships among Canada’s three parliamentary institutions: Crown, Senate, and Commons.In The Constitution in a Hall of Mirrors, David E. Smith presents a learned but accessible analysis of the interconn...

Enoch Powell has been called, 'The Greatest Prime Minister Britain never had. In the sixties and seventies Enoch warned through a series of prophetic speeches the dangers that lied ahead for a Multi-Racial Britain. His most famous 'Rivers of blood' speech showed a man with an insight into the clash of cultures that has turned Britain into the powderkeg it is today. He also warned about the European superstate of which we have become embroiled and takes away a little more of out sovereignty...

On a day-to-day basis, what does a newly elected Member of Parliament do? How does the House of Commons work? Drawing on his years of service to five majority and three minority parliaments, Rob Walsh shares first-hand insights into the inner workings of the House, beyond the political personalities that dominate its proceedings.Inside this unique public and political institution, laws are made, taxes are imposed, political issues are debated, and the government is held to account ...

Since Canada may be faced with a period of minority governments, it has become increasingly important to understand the role of the Head-of-State, the Governor General, in facing the challenge of dysfunctionality. Edward McWhinney clearly lays out the present powers and responsibilities of the office, advising the country on what to expect from the Governor General and Prime Ministers. He does so within an historical frame, revealing how the office has evolved from a time when the Governor...