Parliamentary parties in Britain play a major role in policy-making. This book studies six policy areas in detail (agriculture, education, housing, defence, the economy, and Scottish affairs) and discusses the ways in which the policy-making process takes place and how it has changed since 1945.

In this book Jack Brand examines the role of the British Conservative and Labour parliamentary parties in the development of government policy since 1945. Focusing on six major policy fields: agriculture, education, housing, defence, the economy, and Scottish affairs, he argues that the influence of back-benchers has been consistently underestimated, and that the close interdependence of front- and back-benchers frequently produces surprising and significant effects on policy development. Dr Brand concludes that the common perception of back-benchers as powerless to affect the policies of their leaders is misleading, and that they are essential to the development of government policy.

The power of parliamentary parties
models of legislative parties
counting influence
power over agriculture
housing in parliament
power over education
parliament and policy in Scotland
parties and economic policy
parties and defence policy.