The office of Prime Minister stands at the apex of the British political system. An understanding of this post is essential to all who are -- or aspire to be -- within government, or who observe it from outside. This book combines the methods of history and political science to produce theories of the development, nature and power of the premiership, and to explain the implications for present politicians and analysts. It is essential reading for for academics, students, journalists and all who are working in or interested in politics.

For a number of decades, officials working across different branches of the United Kingdom (UK) constitution have been engaged in a series of separate projects that, taken in their totality, amount to an astounding feat of constitutional writing and publication. Yet, until now, no-one has fully recognized or critically analyzed what has taken place. There has been a proliferation in the UK of publicly available codes, normally lacking a basis in statute, providing official accounts of a variety of different features of UK constitutional rules and principles. They cover institutions ranging...

This book is the most comprehensive single volume reference work available for British political facts. It is useful to a wide range of potential readers, including students, educators, journalists, policy professionals, and anyone with an interest in politics and political history.