Clear Blue Water?: The Conservative Party and the Welfare State since 1940 - Hardcover

Page, Robert M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1847429866 ISBN 13: 9781847429865

Publisher: Policy Press, 2015

Synopsis

In Clear Blue Water?, Robert M. Page takes an authoritative look at the policies and politics of Britain’s Conservative Party to discover if it has developed a distinctive approach to the postwar welfare state. He begins with the progressive One Nation Conservatism wing of the party, exploring how it strove to embrace the features of the welfare state that were compatible with its underlying philosophy. Page then turns to the neoliberal conservatives, who sought to undo the welfare state, before placing the spotlight on the strategy behind David Cameron’s progressive neoliberal conservative version. Weaving a broad historical thread throughout, this timely, accessible book will be a valuable resource for students in social policy, politics, and social history.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert M. Page is a reader in democratic social policy and the welfare state at the University of Birmingham. He has written extensively on the postwar British welfare state.

Review:

“A thorough and detailed survey that will be of considerable benefit to anyone trying to understand the background to the present government’s social policy agenda.” (Citizen’s Income Newsletter)

“A useful and welcome addition to the literature on welfare and on party politics in the United Kingdom.” (Twentieth Century British History)

“Page helps foster a deeper understanding of the issues at stake and succeeds in dispelling some widely held myths about Conservative policy in this area.” (Cercles Reviews)

“Fluently written and with credible arguments embracing historical, political, and ideological perspectives.” (Political Studies Review)

"A comprehensive, informative, and accessible account of the Conservative Party’s relationship with the welfare state in the period from Churchill to Cameron." (Hugh Bochel, University of Lincoln (UK))

"An excellent book tracing the underlying political ideology and strategy of contemporary Conservatism towards the welfare state and plac[ing] it in a broader historical context. I recommend this book to academics, students, and policy makers alike." (Kevin Hickson, University of Liverpool (UK))

"Page has written an important book which combines the history of British Conservative ideas on the welfare state with critical policy analysis. An invaluable source for scholars and students alike." (Matt Beech, director of the Centre for British Politics, University of Hull (UK))

About this edition

• Publisher: Policy Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1847429866
• ISBN 13: 9781847429865
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 212