1st Edition

Institutionalised Dissent The Official Opposition in the UK since 1935

By Nigel Fletcher Copyright 2024
268 Pages
by Routledge

268 Pages
by Routledge

268 Pages
by Routledge

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of a peculiar but now firmly established British institution— the Official Opposition— tracking its development since 1935. Despite its inherent importance to the conduct of politics and government, the Official Opposition as an institution remains poorly understood. The concept of ‘Loyal Opposition’ has become so entrenched in the Westminster... Read more

Introduction  1. Concepts of Opposition  2. Official Recognition: Parliamentary Procedure and Government Contacts  3. Official Recognition and the Growth of Institutional Support  4. People and Places: The Organisation of the Institution  5. Working the Night Shift: Approaches to Opposition  6. Conclusions

Biography

Nigel Fletcher is the co-founder and research director of the Centre for Opposition Studies and a political historian at King’s College London. His research interests include contemporary British political history, the UK constitution, and institutions of government.

"The official opposition is integral to the contemporary political system of the United Kingdom. The lack of a full historical study of this subject is therefore a substantial gap in our knowledge. We are fortunate that Dr. Fletcher has now made good on this omission; and done so with considerable skill. I recommend this work highly. It should remain an essential text for some time to come."

Andrew BlickProfessor of Politics and Contemporary History and Head of Department of Political Economy, King’s College London