Democratic Turbulence in the United Kingdom

Numerous analysts have lately expressed concern about tendencies including democratic backsliding and populism occurring in many countries worldwide. This book considers such theories in the context of the United Kingdom (UK) in the period since 2016, examining Brexit and numerous other subjects. The author applies the techniques of the historian, drawing on a variety of primary and secondary materials. Offering both evidence-based assessment and polemic, the work presents its analysis in a variety of different forms, intended to convey the complexity and extensive sweep of the issues. The book concludes that, while they have precedents, UK democracy faces real and broad challenges. The author makes recommendations for addressing these problems.

Auteur

Dr. Andrew Blick is Head of the Department of Political Economy, King's College London, and Reader in Politics and Contemporary History. He has written numerous works on the UK constitution and democratic development. Before his academic career he worked in think tanks, the UK Parliament and No.10 Downing Street. He appears frequently on UK and international media, and gives evidence to parliamentary inquiries.

Résumé

"The state of the United Kingdom has been both unsettled and unsettling in recent times. This book is a tonic for the disconcerted. Professor Andrew Blick deftly identifies both the symptoms and the causes of the current instability, with clear evidence and explanation. As an expert on the UK's constitution, he also identifies some cures. The reader is left feeling better equipped and informed, albeit rather less inclined towards complacency."
Katy Hayward, Professor of Political Sociology, Queen's University Belfast

"In recent years, supposedly stable democracies have come to be afflicted by populism and backsliding. As Blick shows in this powerful work, the UK has been no exception. The author, however, not only identifies problems, but also puts them in perspective and proposes means by which we might begin to correct them. A valuable and original book."
Prof. Graham Allen, King's College London, former Chair of the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee and MP for Nottingham North, 1987-2017