An up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to the development and organization of political parties in Britian and their role in British political life. For each of the three major British parties, Fisher provides details of the organization, internal elections, funding, ideology, groups and factions, details of the backgrounds of their Mps and candidates and an account of their recent history. Similar details are also provided for other parties in the British political system, no tably nationalist parties. These details are set in context with an overview of the development of the British party system and an analysis of the role parties play in contemporary British politics." Looks at the make-up of party membership and party electoral performance. An appendix details British and European election results. British PoliticsA Harvester Wheatsheaf Book.

Elections ask voters to choose between political parties. But voters across the UK are increasingly being presented with fundamentally different, and largely disconnected, sets of political choices. This book is about this hollowing out of a genuinely British democratic politics: how and why it has occurred, and why it matters. Electoral choices across Britain became increasingly differentiated along national lines over much of the last half-century. In 2017, for the second general election in a row, four different parties came first in the UK's four nations. UK voters are increasingly faced with general election campaigns that are largely disconnected from each other. At the same time, voters acquire much of their information about the election from news-media based in London that display little understanding of these national distinctions. The UK continues to elect representatives to a single parliament. But the shared debates and sets of choices that tie a political community together are increasingly absent. Separate national political arenas and agendas still have to interact but in some respects the House of Commons increasingly resembles the European Parliament – whose members are democratically chosen but from a disconnected series of separate national electoral contests. This is deeply problematic for the long-term unity and integrity of the UK.

A brief history of more than 250 parties who have contested parliamentary elections since 1832, along with details of contact information and electoral performance.

`This is an excellent text which charts a safe path for students through the minefield that is contemporary British party politics in a wonderfully efficient yet engaging way.'---Colin Hay, University Of Sheffield --

The history of British political parties tells of change and continuity. But, how and why? This textbook continues to provide the best introduction currently available on the British political party system, explaining the history, structure, actors and policies of both the main political parties and the minor parties. Substantially revised and updated, this fourth edition contains new material on the: political party system in post-devolution Scotland and Wales media and political parties emergence of minor parties onto the British political landscape replacement of party ideology with political pragmatism. Stephen Ingle argues that in order to meet formidable national and international challenges the British party system is once more in need of fundamental change, to a less confrontational style of politics. The British Party System is the ideal book for students of British politics wanting a topical and accessible text on political parties in the UK.

Providing a complete up-to-date overview of the changing nature of contemporary party politics in Britain, this book draws on models of comparative politics and the latest empirical analysis to explain the capacity of British parties to adapt to a changing political environment. A number of broad themes include: the nature and extent of party competition; the internal life and organizational development of parties; the variety of evolving party systems in the United Kingdom; and the links between parties and the wider political system. The current weaknesses of party performance are addressed, and the scope of reform explained and examined. Contrary to claims of 'decline', however, the book demonstrates that party politic

The second edition of this popular textbook provides a systematic and comprehensive introduction to UK party politics, combining chapters on each of the main parties (Conservative, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party) with an assessment of post-devolution Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Clark analyses the extraordinary recent developments in UK politics, including Brexit, the 2015 and 2016 Labour leadership contests, and the surprise 2017 general election, exploring how these events have impacted the political parties, the people of the UK and the UK's position in the world. The book also covers the rise of minority parties such as UKIP, the influence of the media and party campaigning, organisation and funding. Written in an accessible style, this new edition is an essential companion for students taking modules on British Political Parties, Party Politics or British Politics more generally, as well as functioning as a useful background text for modules in Comparative Political Parties. It is an ideal introduction for all readers new to the topic. New to this Edition: - A new chapter on the Scottish National Party takes account of their rise, their role as a governing party in Scotland, and becoming the third largest party at Westminster. - Up-to-date coverage of all the latest developments affecting UK political parties including the Scottish referendum, the 2015 and 2017 general elections, the 2016 devolved elections and Brexit. - Extended coverage of the rise and fall of UKIP.

This important new book, one of the first to reflect the 1997 election result and its effects, reassesses the major political parties in Britain--their ideals, organizations, finances, electoral prospects and the effect they have upon British society. The authors begin by clarifying the functions of political parties, before examining their policies and the extent to which there is a consensus in modern British politics. The shifting nature of Britain's party system is then dissected, before a much closer look is taken at the structure, leadership and membership of Britain's three major parties. A separate chapter also inspects the parties of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, offering a fresh perspective on their priorities and internal organization. Although the book has a strong historical content, it also takes a sharp look at British politics under the new Labor government, while considering the state of the Tory party under William Hague. The likely effect of a more intrusive European Union is also embraced.

Demonstrates how British political parties have begun to use comprehensive political marketing in order to gain electoral success. They conduct focus groups and opinion polls in an attempt to elicit what voters want from them and then try to adjust their behaviors accordingly...

Here, a team of authors specialising in party politics in general and the Conservative Party in particular present an overview of the history, philosophy, organisation, leadership, strategies and policies of the party.