John McCormick - Contemporary Britain (Contemporary States and Societies)

This series provides lively and accessible introductions to key countries and regions of the world, conceived and designed to meet the needs of todays students. The authors are all experts with specialist knowledge of the country or region concerned and have been chosen also for their ability to communicate clearly to a non-specialist readership. Each text has been specially commissioned for the series and is structured according to a common format.

Fourth Edition

John McCormick

John McCormick 2003, 2007, 2012, 2018

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First edition 2003

Second edition 2007

Third edition 2012

Fourth edition published 2018 by

PALGRAVE

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ISBN 9781137576798 hardback

ISBN 9781137576781 paperback

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Illustrations

Maps

Figures

Tables

Boxes

This is a book about Britain, written for anyone looking for a brief and accessible guide to this remarkable country. Like others in the Contemporary States and Societies series, it makes no assumptions about prior knowledge: it provides the key facts and figures that are needed to place Britain in context with other countries especially its European neighbours but it also ties the facts together with explanatory analysis. It is deliberately short and concise, the goal being to help its readers better appreciate the key themes and concepts in British political, social and economic life, dispel some of the myths that too often interfere with an understanding of the country and its people, and offer a guide through the confusing changes now taking place in Britain.

I am a political scientist, but I have tried to make sure that all the key dimensions of life in Britain are covered, from history to geography, economics, society, culture and politics. My background and credentials will shed light on the approach, and on my arguments and conclusions. I was born in Britain and am still a British citizen, but I have spent most of my life living somewhere else. I was brought up in Kenya, went to school in Britain, attended university in South Africa and then lived in London from the winter of discontent in early 1979 to the height of Thatcherism in 1986. Since then I have lived in the United States, although I return to Britain regularly, and still closely follow its political, economic and social developments. I see Britain both from near and from far, and because I come and go I have a different perspective on the changes that have come to Britain than if I lived there full-time. My approach is also inevitably coloured by my experiences in the United States, by the fact that I specialize in comparative politics and by my interest in the European Union.

The first edition of this book was published in 2003 and was used by readers in many countries around the world, especially in Europe and North America. The second edition came out in 2007 and the third edition in 2012. The challenge of writing this fourth edition has been deepened by the uncertainties imposed by the fallout from Brexit and the 2017 general election; as this book went to press it was hard to know what the future held for Britain. It is sailing through uncharted waters, and no one can know with any confidence where the country will be in five or ten years from now, or even if it will still exist in its present form. As a result, many of the conclusions in the chapters that follow must be speculative. These are deeply uncertain times for Britain, and those uncertainties are reflected throughout this new edition.

I would like to thank Lloyd Langman at Palgrave for his usual excellent judgement and guidance, Tuur Driesser and Chloe Osborne for their professional support, Cathy Tingle for her work on the editing, and several anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions. And my thanks and love as ever to Leanne, Ian and Stuart for their support and happy distractions.

The author and publishers are grateful to the following for permission to use copyright material: PA Photos for Illustrations 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.2 and 8.2. Illustrations 1.1, 2.1 and 8.1 are by the author, and Illustration 7.1 by Leanne McCormick. Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders of third-party materials included in this work, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangement at the first opportunity.