British Politics on the Eve of Reform: The Duke of Wellington's Administration, 1828-30 [Hardcover]

Based on an extensive range of sources, this impressive book analyses the principal institutions and features of British politics on the eve of reform: the monarchy, the prime ministership, the cabinet, the departments of State, parliamentary legislation, investigation, debate and parties, and the relationship between Parliament, the media, public opinion and popular politics. Designed to provide an accessible guide to how British politics was conducted in the early nineteenth century, this book leads to two main conclusions about pre-Reform politics: the unpredictability and openness of parliamentary affairs, and the centrality of Parliament to the politics of all social classes.List of Illustrations Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction The Monarchy Wellington as Prime Minister The Cabinet The Departments of State Parliament: Legislation Parliament: Debates, Committees, Petitions and 'Returns' Parliament: Parties Parliament and Public Opinion Parliament, the Government and Popular Politics Summary and Conclusion Bibliography Index

'...a seminal book that will be essential reading for specialists and students alike and which lays the foundation for future work on the subject.' - E.A. Smith, former Reader in Modern History, University of Reading

'A distinguished and authoritative study that is considerably weightier in its significance that the title suggests. It is not less than a comparable account of the political order at the eve of reform, comparable in many ways to Sir Lewis Namier's Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III.' - Frank O' Gorman, Professor of History, University of Manchester

'The other great virtue of his book is that it draws together the conclusions reached by a wide array of more specialist studies...an indispensable reference book for many years to come.' - Norman Gash, Times Literary Supplement

PETER JUPP, Professor of British History in The Queen's University, lCŽ