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"The most important shifts in policy since 1945 have not occurred at elections, but between them."If so, why?
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Thu Jul 11 2002
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Sir Lewis Namier, the great parliamentary historian, once described elections as "locks on the river of British history, controlling the flow of events." In terms of historians' landmarks, it used to be the case that the key dates in history were given by the crowning of new monarchs. This has since changed to the timing of general elections as an increase in Parliament's power vis-à-vis the monarch has occurred and the extension of the franchise has turned Britain into a modern democracy (current arguments for constitutional reform notwithstanding). Yet it appears to be the case that this is no longer a satisfactory explanation in deciding where to look to find the key events in politics over time. Since 1945, the growing interdependence of countries, especially in economic terms, has left them exposed to external shocks that has left a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the ability of a government...
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