Publisher's Synopsis
So much has happened in British government and politics in the last decade. The UK has experienced a period of coalition government (a rarity in peacetime), a period of minority government, a referendum on Scottish independence, another on leaving the European Union, and three general elections in less than five years.
Now, in the aftermath of Brexit and during the Covid pandemic, the very future of the United Kingdom seems to be in question. Without any proper written rulebook as a constitution, the system of government relies on those working within it to play by the rules-written or not-and to operate in good faith. So can we rely on those in government to do that?
Chapters cover the British Constitution; the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Ministers, Civil Servants and Departments; the House of Commons; the House of Lords; the Functions of Parliament; the 2017-19 Parliament; and Devolution.
Paul Grant's writing draws on his 25 years as a British civil servant, most of it teaching fellow civil servants about how the British system of government works, followed by nine years as an outsider with a more detached view of how it operates. The book includes many contemporary examples of dramatic events and perspectives from constitutional experts, politicians and others that he has the privilege to know.
