The Routledge Handbook of British Politics and Society Routledge International Handbooks Series

The Routledge Handbook of British Politics and Society conducts a rigorous, innovative and distinctive analysis of the relationship between British politics and society, emphasizing that the UK is now far from a monolithic, and unshifting, entity.

Examining the subject matter with unrivalled breadth and depth, it highlights and interrogates key contemporary debates on the future of the UK, the nature of 'Britishness', and the merits of multiculturalism, as well as contemporary criticisms of traditional institutions and the nature of representative democracy itself. Including contributions from key authors in their respective fields who bring their authority to bear on the task of outlining the current state of the art in British Studies, the book provides a fresh examination of the contrasts and the continuities across the whole field of British Politics and Society, while setting out agendas for future research.

The Routledge Handbook of British Politics and Society will be essential reading and an authoritative reference for scholars, students, researchers and practitioners involved in, and actively concerned about, research on British politics, society and culture.

Introduction Part I: Institutions and Practice 1. The Core Executive 2. The Civil Service 3. UK Parliament 4. The Judiciary 5. Political Parties in Britain 6. Elections and Voting 7. Media 8. Politics and the Police: Recent developments in police governance and current issues surrounding police service delivery in England and Wales Part II: Issues 9. Britain in the World 10. Economic Policy 11. Social Policy Part III: Politics and Society 12. Gender and Political Representation 13. Ethnic Diversity 14. Politics in England 15. England: The North-South Divide 16. Scotland: Society and Culture 17. Scottish and UK Politics: Convergence and Divergence 18. Wales: Culture and Society 19. Politics in Wales since Devolution 20. The Politics of Northern Ireland 21. Northern Ireland: Society and culture

Mark Garnett is Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Lancaster University, UK.