British Parliamentary Parties Policy and Power [Hardcover]

This book examines the role of the British Conservative and Labour parliamentary parties in the development of government policy since 1945. Focusing on major policy fields--agriculture, education, housing, defense, the economy, and Scottish affairs--Brand argues that the influence of back-benchers has been consistently underestimated, and that the interdependence of front- and back-benchers frequently produces surprising and significant effects on policy development.

An extensive and rigorous volume of research, informed both by a knowledge of theory and of the nuances of British parliamentary life....Clear and very readable....A major contribution to the study of Parliament in the United Kingdom, serving, as it does, as a corrective to many current assumptions about the consequences of Parliament. It fills a notable gap in the literature and will constitute the principal work on the subject for many years to come. --American Political Science Review

Presents a useful reminder to those scholars working in the area of policy analysis that elected representatives also are participants in the policymaking proess, and this participation is crucial to democratic governance. The degree to whichBritish Parliamentary Partiesis essential reading. --British Politics Group Newsletter