British Government in Crisis

Many within Britain consider their system of government as having developed numerous defects. This book examines many reasons for such development. Some factors are outside politicians' control: the globalization of economic activity; the changes in international politics after the end of Soviet Russia; the adverse consequences of more dominating and competitive media. Some other factors are widely recognized: the decline of the cabinet and the marginalizing of Parliament; the influence of spin on our political culture; the increased role of political and special advisers. But others are not as well understood. Among them are the decline in the authority of many ministers, the undermining of the constitutional position and consequent effectiveness of the civil service, the fragmentation of government and the public sector into a mass of bodies with complex but ill-defined relations between them, and the ramifying of a system of government which, despite its protestations, is less interested in delivering results than managing news. British Government in Crisis traces these developments, especially over the last 25 years, but most intensively since 1997. It considers possible alternatives in order to achieve a better British government which restores public confidence.