British politics has long been conceived of as fundamentally a majoritarian, two-party game. The coalition government, and years of politicians working across party lines on Brexit, were both thought of as deviations from the norm. Yet since the Second World War, and the new party system that came with it, this kind of co-operation between parties has been mooted more often than folk memory would suggest. From Winston Churchill to Nick Clegg, Tony Blair to Nigel Farage, elite British politicians have privately and publicly toyed with the concept of co-operating with their competitors. Cross-Party Politics in Britain, 1945-2019 takes a historical-comparative look at seven such cases from the last 80 years. By retracing tales of failure as well as success, this book examines moments overlooked by historians of contemporary Britain, and most are examined through the lens of political science for the first time. Piecing together internal papers and memos from the archives as well as interviews with many of the key players, this book explores two questions. Why are politicians so often swimming against the tide when trying to co-operate with their competitors, even when it appears rational to do so? And, despite the challenges imposed by the Westminster Model, what is it that motivates those that try? The answers to these questions put recent developments in British politics in historical perspective, and provide clues as to what might happen when the idea of co-operation rears its head once again as the next general election approaches.
1: Introduction 2: Churchill and the Liberal Party 1945-1951 3: A 'Government of National Unity'? February-October 1974 4: The Formation of the Lib-Lab Pact, 1976-1977 5: The Formation of the SDP and the Alliance, 1979-1981 6: The Blair-Ashdown Project and Lib-Lab Politics, 1992-1999 7: The Formation and Continuation of the Coalition Government, 2007-2015 8: The Cross-Party Politics of Brexit, June 2017-December 2019 Conclusion
Dr Alan Wager has taught British and European politics at Queen Mary University of London, King's College London, and the LSE, and held an Archival By-Fellowship at Churchill College, Cambridge. As the UK worked through the politics of Brexit, he spent five years at the academic think tank UK in a Changing Europe. He now works in public insight for a major public policy not-for-profit organization and writes on British politics in the national media.
Reviews for Cross-Party Politics in Britain, 1945-2019
A meticulous, fascinating appraisal of the spirit of compromise in Westminster. Wager shows us that it is usually crushed, occasionally flourishes, but is always present. * Dan Snow, History Hit Podcast * Coalitions, and the dynamics that lie behind them, are much discussed but little understood. Happily, Alan Wager is able to explain all in a book that is both painstakingly researched and beautifully written. A must-read for all those interested in British politics. * Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College, London and Director of UK in a Changing Europe * Cross-Party Politics in Britain is a highly original, methodical and insightful guide to one of the under-covered trends in post-war politics. It is a valuable guide for anyone seeking to understand the past and future of inter-party cooperation. * Matthew Holehouse, British political correspondent, The Economist * This book provides a valuable history of how the Conservative and Labour parties have approached cross-party cooperation in Westminster, providing insights that are usually missed when the focus is instead only on the third party and its actions. * Mark Pack, President, Liberal Democrats *
