The centre in British politics since 1906

Bibliographic Data

ID4557729
AuthorsJeremy Nuttall (0000-0003-0199-6551, Kingston University, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume93
Issue260
Pages353-378
Publication date2020-06-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistorical Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0950-3471 • E-ISSN: 1468-2281
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/hisres/htaa006
OpenAlexW3001342708
LanguageEN
References cited15

The modern British ideological centre has been neglected and its impact underestimated. This article highlights the persistence of the centre's moderating influence and its progressive, indeed at times radical, contribution. This ideological dynamism emanated from centrists' synthesis of objectives often considered to conflict. Notably, centrists sought social justice alongside individual aspiration, albeit that this cross-ideological marriage was partial and incomplete. The article also examines the relationship between the centre and the people - presently portrayed as one of popular disconnection from an aloof elite. Yet, centrists have received considerable electoral sustenance from voters, and in turn demonstrated an appreciation of the contradictory 'mix' in many people, conservatism and progressivism in complex co-existence. Centrist history points to the contemporary political challenge as being one of raising the sights of a collective national 'us', rather than demonizing a variously targeted 'other

Aesthetics · Conservatism · Dynamism · Economic Justice · Elite · Ideology · Mainstream · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Progressivism · Sociology · Sustenance · Irish and British Studies · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US

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