Reinventing Britain

Reinventing Britain

Author: Andrew McDonald

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2007-10-30

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0520098625

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"First [originally] published in Great Britain in 2007 by Politico's Publishing ..."--Title page verso.


Constitutional Change in the UK

Constitutional Change in the UK

Author: Nigel Forman

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2003-09-02

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 1134581742

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Examines the unprecedented changes to institutions of political power since New Labour's victory, collectively and in detail, placing each in its historical context, analysing solutions and what the future holds for this ambitious reform period.


The Labour Party and Constitutional Reform

The Labour Party and Constitutional Reform

Author: Peter Dorey

Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan

Published: 2008-06-17

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13:

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This book examines the Labour Party's approach to constitutional reforms in historical context, and how these have been pursued more to 'modernize' political institutions, rather that radically transform them. Dorey explains the reasons for this constitutional conservatism, and the debates which specific reform proposals have prompted in the Party.


The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction

The British Constitution: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Martin Loughlin

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2023-09-26

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 0192648365

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Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The British constitution is regarded as unique among the constitutions of the world. What are the main characteristics of Britain's peculiar constitutional arrangements? How has the British constitution altered in response to the changing nature of its state - from England, to Britain, to the United Kingdom? What impact has the UK's developing relations with the European Union caused? These are some of the questions that Martin Loughlin addresses in this Very Short Introduction. As a constitution, it is one that has grown organically in response to changes in the economic, political, and social environment, and which is not contained in a single authoritative text. By considering the nature and authority of the current British constitution, and placing it in the context of others, Loughlin considers how the traditional idea of a constitution came to be retained, what problems have been generated as a result of adapting a traditional approach in a modern political world, looking at what the future prospects for the British constitution are. In this new edition of the Very Short Introduction, Loughlin includes a disucssion of the impact of developments over the decade since its first publication, examining Brexit, the Scottish independence referendum of 2014, and the settlement in Northern Ireland. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.


Constitutional History of the UK

Constitutional History of the UK

Author: Ann Lyon

Publisher: Cavendish Publishing

Published: 2003-03-13

Total Pages: 521

ISBN-13: 1843145049

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First published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.


The Coalition and the Constitution

The Coalition and the Constitution

Author: Vernon Bogdanor

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2011-03-25

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 1847316409

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`England', Benjamin Disraeli famously said, `does not love coalitions'. But 2010 saw the first peace-time coalition in Britain since the 1930s. The coalition, moreover, may well not be an aberration. For there are signs that, with the rise in strength of third parties, hung parliaments are more likely to recur than in the past. Perhaps, therefore, the era of single-party majority government, to which we have become accustomed since 1945, is coming to an end. But is the British constitution equipped to deal with coalition? Are alterations in the procedures of parliament or government needed to cope with it? The inter-party agreement between the coalition partners proposes a wide ranging series of constitutional reforms, the most important of which are fixed-term parliaments and a referendum on the alternative vote electoral system, to be held in May 2011. The coalition is also proposing measures to reduce the size of the House of Commons, to directly elect the House of Lords and to strengthen localism. These reforms, if implemented, could permanently alter the way we are governed. This book analyses the significance of coalition government for Britain and of the momentous constitutional reforms which the coalition is proposing. In doing so it seeks to penetrate the cloud of polemic and partisanship to provide an objective analysis for the informed citizen.


The New British Constitution

The New British Constitution

Author: Vernon Bogdanor

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2009-06-03

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 1847317146

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The last decade has seen radical changes in the way we are governed. Reforms such as the Human Rights Act and devolution have led to the replacement of one constitutional order by another. This book is the first to describe and analyse Britain's new constitution, asking why it was that the old system, seemingly hallowed by time, came under challenge, and why it is being replaced. The Human Rights Act and the devolution legislation have the character of fundamental law. They in practice limit the rights of Westminster as a sovereign parliament, and establish a constitution which is quasi-federal in nature. The old constitution emphasised the sovereignty of Parliament. The new constitution, by contrast, emphasises the separation of powers, both territorially and at the centre of government. The aim of constitutional reformers has been to improve the quality of government. But the main weakness of the new constitution is that it does little to secure more popular involvement in politics. We are in the process of becoming a constitutional state, but not a popular constitutional state. The next phase of constitutional reform, therefore, is likely to involve the creation of new forms of democratic engagement, so that our constitutional forms come to be more congruent with the social and political forces of the age. The end-point of this piecemeal process might well be a fully codified or written constitution which declares that power stems not from the Queen-in Parliament, but, instead, as in so many constitutions, from `We, the People'. The old British constitution was analysed by Bagehot and Dicey. In this book Vernon Bogdanor charts the significance of what is coming to replace it. The expenses scandal shows up grave defects in the British constitution. Vernon Bogdanor shows how the constitution can be reformed and the political system opened up in`The New British Constitution'.


Bills of Rights and Decolonization

Bills of Rights and Decolonization

Author: Charles Parkinson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2007-11-22

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 0199231931

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"It presents an alternative perspective on the end of Empire by focusing upon one aspect of constitutional decolonization and the importance of the local legal culture in determining each dependency's constitutional settlement, and provides a series of empirical case studies on the incorporation of human rights instruments into domestic constitutions when negotiated between a state and its dependencies. More generally this book highlights Britain's human rights legacy to its former Empire."--BOOK JACKET.