Robert Leach - Political Ideology in Britain

Political Ideology in Britain

CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL STUDIES SERIES

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JANE BURNHAM and ROBERT PYPER

Britains Modernised Civil Service

CLYDE CHITTY

Education Policy in Britain (3rd edn)

ALISTAIR CLARK

Political Parties in the UK

DAVID DENVER, CHRISTOPHER CARMAN and ROBERT JOHNS

Elections and Voters in Britain (3rd edn)

WYN GRANT

Economic Policy in Britain

WYN GRANT

Pressure Groups and British Politics

DEREK HEATER and GEOFFREY BERRIDGE

Introduction to International Politics

DILYS M. HILL

Urban Policy and Politics in Britain

RAYMOND KUHN

Politics and the Media in Britain

ROBERT LEACH

Political Ideology in Britain (3rd edn)

ROBERT LEACH and JANIE PERCY-SMITH

Local Governance in Britain

ANDREW MASSEY and ROBERT PYPER

Public Management and Modernisation in Britain

PHILIP NORTON

Parliament and British Politics (2nd edn)

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Political Participation in Britain

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Political Ideology in Britain

Third Edition

Robert Leach

Robert Leach 2002, 2009, 2015

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First edition 2002

Second edition 2009

Third edition 2015

Published by PALGRAVE

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ISBN 9781137332554 hardback

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Contents

List of Figures, Tables and Boxes

Figures

Tables

Boxes

Preface

This is the third edition of Political Ideology in Britain. The first and second editions were also published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2002 and 2009. Yet these developed from an earlier title, British Political Ideologies, which went through two editions (1991, 1996) under another publisher. Thus this is effectively the fifth version of a book that has now been in print for nearly a quarter of a century.

There are many other books on political ideologies. This one focuses on ideology in British politics. Political ideologies are not pure political theory, but emerge from, and interact with, the practice of politics. Ostensibly broader accounts of ideologies often involve either an implicit bias towards a limited number of western political systems, or very generalized accounts of political ideas in the abstract, and not illustrated with examples of their application. Relating ideologies to politics in a particular country helps to capture the interplay between political ideas and practice.

Yet the approach is not insular. Distinctive British variants of ideologies are compared with international currents of thought and set against wider political developments. Key concepts of specific ideologies are explored in this wider context before the evolution of relevant political ideas and movements are examined in Britain. The differences between the interpretation and application of political creeds in Britain and in other countries are fully discussed.

What is different in this new edition? Every chapter has been extensively revised and updated to take into account both political developments and new academic work. Beyond that, there is a wholly new separate chapter on anarchism, which I had previously discussed briefly in the chapter on socialism. This made some sense, particularly as anarchism has been weaker in Britain than in many other countries. Yet anarchism is a distinctive and important ideology, which differs markedly from the Labour interpretation of socialism with its strong emphasis on parliament and the state. Moreover, as the terms anarcho-capitalism and Tory anarchism suggest, although most anarchists are linked with socialism and the left, there are also connections with strands of thought on the right. Finally, there are some interesting British anarchist thinkers, from William Godwin onwards, who deserve discussion.

Other changes have followed new developments in British politics since the last edition, including the coalition government, the end of New Labour, the surge of Scottish nationalism, the rise of UKIP, and the strengthening support for the Greens. All these have ongoing implications, some potentially massive. Thus had Scotland voted yes to independence, as once seemed possible, this would have marked the end of British politics. As it is, Scottish politics already seems increasingly different from English politics. It is perhaps still too early to judge the longer-term significance of the UKIP insurgency. I thought initially that it resembled a kind of English nationalism (despite its name). I have since become convinced that it is better described as a form of populism, long familiar elsewhere in the world and increasingly in both eastern and western Europe. So I have included a new section on populism. There have also been major developments in global politics with ongoing implications for Britain, including the continuing economic recession, the renewal of genocidal conflict in the middle east, with the associated intensification of terrorism, and even the threat of a return of the Cold War.

Finally, any book, even if singly authored, is always a joint production. Some of my academic debts with be clear from my references, suggested further reading and bibliography. I also have to thank some anonymous internal Palgrave reviewers, one of whom gave valuable advice on anarchism and populism. I have many to thank at Palgrave, particularly the now (I suspect only temporarily) retired Steven Kennedy and the continuing Stephen Wenham, who seems to have inherited the consummate diplomatic skills of his erstwhile mentor. I also thank Keith Povey who has again skilfully and carefully edited my text. Finally, and as ever, my greatest debt is to my loyal and long-suffering wife, Judith.