Power and Political Economy from Thatcher to Blair: The Great Enemy of Democracy?

This book explores the policies of the Thatcher, Major, and Blair governments and their approaches to concentration of economic and political power. It argues that while these governments aimed to disperse power and empower individuals, they ultimately failed to do so, leading to endemic power concentration in markets and politics. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of contemporary British history, political economy, and politics, as well as specific areas of study such as Thatcherism and New Labour.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 26 September 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The 1979-2007 British governments have been subject to various labels, including "liberal" and "neoliberal." While these governments had different approaches, they all aimed to disperse power and empower individuals. This was a central theme of the first generation of neoliberals, who viewed monopolies and concentration as threats to democracy.

Under the Thatcher and Major governments, the Conservative Party pursued economic liberalization policies such as the Right to Buy and privatization. New Labour, on the other hand, dispersed political power with its devolution agenda and granted operational independence to the Bank of England. Both parties also promoted choice in public services.

However, despite these efforts, Britain is now characterized by endemic power concentration in markets and politics. This raises the question: What went wrong? How did neoliberal governments, which championed liberty and empowerment, fail to disperse power and allow concentration to persist, recur, or even emerge?

This book will be of interest to students and scholars of contemporary British history, political economy, and politics, as well as specific areas of study such as Thatcherism and New Labour. It will provide a comprehensive analysis of the policies and approaches of these governments and their impact on power concentration in Britain.

Weight: 322g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367714291