The Politics of the British Constitution (Paperback)

The British Constitution has recently become a highly contentious source of political critique and reform activity. In spite of the evident increase in constitutional activity, the traditional ethos of a constitution driven by pragmatic and political consequences has meant that the full significance of such a rapidly developing issue has barely been recognized, let alone analyzed. This book provides the first major assessment of the properties, dynamics and implications of this new area of political exchange. It investigates the methods employed to mobilize and resist the pressure for constitutional change; it examines the ways in which political agendas are formed in response to constitutional issues; and it reviews the respective positions, arguments and strategies that exist between different types of political motivations and objectives on the one hand and the kind of constitutional positions which are adopted on the other.