This volume is the 14th in a series of studies begun in 1945 which have chronicled every postwar election. The historical background, the party preparation and the events of the campaign are recorded, together with analyses of the polls, the press, broadcast coverage and the candidates.

This excellent new book provides a comprehensive account of the British system of parliamentary elections. It contains a description of the current structure and operation of the electoral system, and pays special attention to those subjects which have given rise to political concern or controversy in recent years. There is extensive analysis and commentary upon the different proposals for reform which are currently in debate, and the author puts forward his own conclusions on how the electoral system should be developed in the years ahead to modernise and improve the quality of representative democracy in Britain.

How do British elections work? What about local elections and by-elections? How are candidates chosen? What has been the impact of changes introduced by the present government? How can an ordinary voter play his or her part? And why do so few people vote these days? Dick Leonard, a political journalist and former MP, and Roger Mortimore, an opinion pollster, cover all aspects of British elections in this updated edition of the standard work, including comprehensive tables of statistics and results.

This book traces the relationship between the popular press and the Labour Party from the early twentieth century through the Second World War and up to the current day.

During the period from 1945 to 2005, Britain underwent two deep-seated institutional transformations when political elites successfully challenged the prevailing wisdom on how to govern the economy. Attlee and Thatcher were able to effectively implement most of their political platforms. During this period there were also two opportunities to challenge existing institutional arrangements. Heath's 'U-turn' in 1972 signalled his failure to implement the radical agenda promised upon election in 1970, whilst Tony Blair’s New Labour similarly failed to instigate a major break with the 'Thatcherite' settlement. Rather than simply retell the story of British economic policymaking since World War II, this book offers a theoretically informed version of events, which draws upon the literatures on institutional path dependence, economic constructivism and political economy to explain this puzzle. It will be of great interest to both researchers and postgraduates with an interest in British economic history and the fields of political economy and economic crisis more widely.