Tony Blair's strong start to his third term, with his role in capturing the Olympic Games for Britain, his statesman-like handling of the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on London, his promise of a new start to the European Union and his leadership of the G8 summit at Gleneagles, has brought his relatively lacklustre second term into sharp relief. The second term should have been the time when New Labour fulfilled its manifesto promises. So what changed between 2001 and 2005 and what was achieved? How far was Blair himself responsible, and what was Gordon Brown's influence? What was the impact of the Iraq war? And what of Blair's policy towards Europe? Anthony Seldon and Dennis Kavanagh gather together leading academics and journalists to provide an authoritative assessment of Blair's second term, including a review of New Labour in government from 1997 to the present.
The first volume of Anthony Seldon's riveting and definitive life of Tony Blair was published to great acclaim in 2004. Now, as the Labour Party and the country get used to the idea of a new leader and a new Prime Minister,Seldon delivers the most complete, authoritative and compelling account yet ofthe Blair premiership. Picking up the story in dramatic fashion on 11 September 2001, Seldon recaps very briefly Blair's trajectory to what may now be regarded as the high-point of his leadership, and then brings us right up to date as Blair hands over the reins to hisarch-rival, Gordon Brown. Based on hundreds of original interviews with key insiders, many of whose views have hitherto been kept private, BLAIR UNBOUND serves both as a fascinating 'volume two' of this masterclass in political biography and a highly revealing and compelling book in its own right.
What are social policies? How are social policies created and implemented? Why do certain policies exist? The fourth edition of this highly respected textbook provides a clear and engaging introduction to social policy. The book has been thoroughly updated to include: Changes in social policy introduced by the Coalition government Incorporation of an international perspective throughout, as well as anew chapter: The global social policy environment Updated pedagogy to stimulate thought and learning Comprehensive glossary Social Policy is essential reading for students beginning or building on their study of social policy or welfare. The wide-ranging coverage of topics means that the book holds broad appeal for a number of subject areas including health, social policy, criminology, education, social work and sociology. "This textbook has always been a useful teaching resource because it combines substantial and engaging analysis with 'stand alone' extracts. The new edition adds a chapter on global social policy, updates on the Coalition Government and guides to what is in the book. The added activities are well thought out and can be adapted or expanded to suit the needs of particular students." Hedley Bashforth, Teaching Fellow in Social Policy, University of Bath, UK "Social Policy: An Introduction, now in its fourth edition and eleventh year, will remain a core social policy text on reading lists across the country due to its well written and comprehensive nature. Completely revised, it has been updated and extended to reflect contemporary developments in social policy and contains updated pedagogical features, including activities for the reader, learning outcomes at the start of each chapter and detailed case studies throughout." Dr Liam Foster, University of Sheffield, UK "This book provides, as it states, an introduction to the field and does so by adopting a highly attractive pedagogic style that evidences, at every turn, a sensitivity to the approaches to learning of contemporary students. What Blakemore and Warwick-Booth have produced is a clearly laid out and well-structured analysis of impressive breadth that is a readily accessible learning instrument both for student and teacher. Importantly, it provides numerous opportunities to experiment with new ways of approaching the teaching of the subject." Steen Mangen, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
This book examines the UK prime minister’s political leadership in the domestic executive. By offering a comparative study of the political leadership of James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair with regard to European monetary policy, it challenges the thesis that British prime ministers today have more power, resources and autonomy than their predecessors, giving them a greater capacity to act. Taking key European monetary policy decisions by the British government between 1976 and 2007 as empirical cases, the book assesses the extent to which the political leadership of each prime minister was affected by the cabinet, the parliamentary party as well as the media, and the extent to which he or she was able to manage these factors. It becomes clear from this analysis that prime ministerial predominance is not as frequent as suggested, while collective leadership does not represent a return to cabinet government. Moreover, particularly the party in government affects the prime minister’s leadership by shaping his or her options on appointments (and therefore the composition of the core executive), and through its behaviour in parliament, e.g. through rebellions or the threat of them.
Concise, comprehensive and accessible, Exploring British Politics presents an insightful approach to British politics with a special emphasis on developments since the 2010 general election and the formation of Britain’s first coalition government since 1945.Designed to stimulate critical analysis and provoke lively debate, it provides new perspectives on two key themes – the health of British democracy and the transition from traditional models of government to more flexible forms of ‘governance’.
Press and Television in British Politics offers a research-based exploration of the way the media portrays a range of political and economics-related topics. Using both quantitative and qualitative techniques, Gavin explores the implications that follow for journalism and journalism study, and for British and European democracy and politics.
Lewis Minkin has immense experience of the Labour Party and has acted as adviser to two major internal reviews of the internal party organisation. As the author of two widely acclaimed and original studies on the Labour Party, The Labour Party Conference and The Contentious Alliance, he possesses an unrivalled grasp of the subtleties and nuances of Labour’s internal relationships. The Blair Supremacy is groundbreaking in its investigation of the processes, methods, character and politics of party management, during a period when Blair strengthened his own position as he and his allies and managers drove the party through a ferment of new developments under the name ‘New Labour’. For this book Minkin has been able to draw on a wealth of sources unavailable to other scholars. What is uncovered here is revealing and at times startling. It includes an extensive covert internal organisation, a culture which facilitated manipulation and what can be described as a rolling coup. These developments are rigorously and critically examined with a strong focus on three fundamental questions: How were these changes achieved? Was it, as it was often represented, a complete supremacy? Why did it end so badly with Blair being forced, in effect, to step down? The study challenges many misconceptions and sheds new light on the Blair legacy and on the intense controversies surrounding him. It also adds greatly to our understanding of some acute contemporary problems in British political life.
This is the second book in a unique two-volume study tracing the evolution of the Labour Party’s foreign policy throughout the 20th century to the present date. This is the first comprehensive study of the history of the Labour Party’s worldview and foreign policy. It argues that Labour’s foreign policy perspective should be seen not as the development of a socialist foreign policy, but as an application of the ideas of liberal internationalism. Volume Two provides a critical analysis of Labour’s foreign policy since 1951. It examines Labour’s attempts to rethink foreign policy, focusing on intra-party debates, the problems that Labour faced when in power, and the conflicting pressures from party demands and external pressures. It examines attitudes to rearmament in the 1950s, the party’s response to the Suez crisis and the Vietnam War, the bitter divisions over nuclear disarmament and the radicalisation of foreign and defence policy in the 1980s. It also examines Labour’s desire to provide moral leadership to the rest of the world. The last two chapters focus on the Blair and Brown years, with Blair’s response to the Kosovo crisis, to 9/11 and his role in the ‘war on terror’. Whereas Blair’s approach to foreign affairs was to place emphasis on the efficacy of the use of military force, Brown’s approach instead placed faith in the use of economic measures. This highly readable book provides an excellent analysis of Labour’s foreign policy. It is essential reading for students of British politics, the Labour Party, and foreign policy.
Many of Tony Blair's policy decisions in the Israeli-Palestinian arena were controversial and politically costly. Blair, Labour and Palestine argues that gaps between him and much of his party were rooted in different world views. A positive attitude towards Israel came to be seen as a defining mark of New Labour loyalists. However, contrasting views among left-leaning strands in the party reflected a broader set of ideological rifts. Such differences became increasingly significant in the wake of 9/11 as British policymakers sought to understand and respond to Islamic anger against the West. Based on interviews conducted by the author and on previously unseen documents, this unique case study shows how the distinctive world view of a political leader defined foreign policy, by shaping Britain's response to Islamist violence and its interconnected approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Author Toby Greene also examines the extent to which ministers and officials considered shifting foreign policy in response to fears of Islamist radicalisation in the UK, and Blair's role in stopping this trend, especially after the 7/7 bombings.
