Since the 1970s British politics has undergone something of a revolution: the collapse of strong class allegiance to parties; the recovery of an economy once perceived to be in terminal decline; the near 20-year rule of the Tories; and the extraordinary emergence and establishment of the Blaire New Labour Party. Together with these changes we have also seen: the reshaping of the civil service; the establishment of devolved assemblies; the reform of the Lords; the decline of ideology; the apparent crushing of the Conservative Party; and the ubiquity of media management as a tool of political persuasion. This textbook is designed for use by both students at a variety of levels from A/S to undergraduate. It explains, analyses and interprets the changing mosaic of political life in Britain since the 1970s. Each chapter has been revised and updated for this edition and new chapters have been added on devolution and the judiciary.