Majoritarian Democracy in Britain

New Labour and the Constitution

Bibliographic Data

ID6407986
AuthorsMatthew Flinders (0000-0003-3585-9010, University of Sheffield, corresponding author)
Year2005
Volume28
Issue1
Pages61-93
Publication date2005-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueWest European Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0140-2382 • E-ISSN: 1743-9655
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0140238042000297099
OpenAlexW2147252395
LanguageEN
Citations received37
References cited5

In May 1997 the British electorate voted a Labour government into office after 18 years of Conservative administration. This government has subsequently enacted a large number of constitutional reforms. However, a debate exists in relation to the degree to which, taken together, these reforms amount to a fundamental shift in the nature of British democracy. This article utilises Arend Lijphart's work on patterns of democracy in order to provide a conceptual lens through which New Labour's constitutional reforms can be analysed in terms of representing either a minor or major shift from a traditionally majoritarian to more consensus-orientated system. The article concludes that, although significant, the actual degree of reform in Britain is less radical than is commonly assumed: although New Labour is committed to far-reaching constitutional reform in principle it has been far less committed in practice

Administration (probate law · Constitution · Democracy · Economics · Government (linguistics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Relation (database · Sociology · Work (physics · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Public Administration · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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