Politipedia: A Compendium of Useful and Curious Facts about British PoliticsThe ultimate quirky reference work for voters, students and those in the Westminster village. Ideal for anyone looking to discover where their vote (and money!) actually go, or for those looking for quotes and fascinating titbits. The book aims to capture the entertaining essence of politics without taking up too much of the reader's valuable time. Taking an 'outsiders' view of the system, the author sets out to ask all the vital questions about politics and then attempts to find answers to them - getting to the heart of each subject with brevity and humour. Whilst the intention is not to mock politics or politicians, along the way there may be a few that do take an occasional knock, and the book refuses to be bland or too polite! This is a fascinating work covering the intricacies of politics in the UK. Packed with curious facts to make readers laugh out loud, and enough intriguing snippets to provoke some lively debate.The ultimate quirky reference work for voters, studentsand those in the Westminster village. It is ideal foranyone looking to discover where their vote (and money!)actually go, or for those looking for quotes andfascinating titbits. The book aims to capture theentertaining essence of politics without taking up toomuch of the reader's ...... |
Contents
Alternative Politics | 5 |
Backbench Rebellions and Government Defeats | 11 |
Bill Boaks | 18 |
Budget on the Back of an Envelope | 24 |
Cabinet Composition | 31 |
Catchphrases | 38 |
Civil Service CrossExamination | 44 |
Coalitions | 50 |
Legacies | 183 |
Marxist PinUps | 189 |
Middle Ways | 195 |
Newspeak and Doublethink | 207 |
e Petitions | 213 |
Plays | 220 |
52 | 227 |
60 | 241 |
Days | 62 |
Decades | 72 |
Defectors | 81 |
Demonstrations | 84 |
Diaries | 90 |
Direct Action | 96 |
Divisions | 102 |
Economists | 108 |
Establishment | 114 |
Expert Advice | 122 |
Fathers of the House | 128 |
5 | 135 |
Hansard | 142 |
The Influential Unelected | 149 |
15 | 150 |
saying nowt | 155 |
Kids Politics | 163 |
Leaders the AlsoRans | 175 |
Poetry | 245 |
Politician Quotes | 251 |
Progress and the Lack of it | 258 |
Quangos and Gocos | 266 |
Secrecy freedom of information | 271 |
Socialism is | 277 |
Speakers of the House of Commons | 284 |
Spies | 290 |
Strikes | 297 |
Systems of Government | 303 |
Think Tanks | 316 |
Tumbril Remarks | 323 |
Unparliamentary Language | 329 |
We are all | 338 |
Whats Wrong With Government? | 344 |
making your vote count | 350 |
Bibliography | 357 |
Common terms and phrases
20th century Aneurin Bevan Asquith Attlee become Britain British politics broadcast Cabinet Callaghan called campaign candidates career Catchiest title Chancellor Churchill civil servants civil service coalition Conservative Party constituency David debate democracy diaries Downing Street Earl economic election electoral European eurosceptic Falklands father force freedom Hansard Harold Macmillan Harold Wilson Heseltine House of Commons House of Lords interests islands James Callaghan John Major journalists Labour government Labour Party leader leadership Liberal live Lloyd George London look Margaret Thatcher means Michael Michael Heseltine military monarch never opponent organisations Parliament parliamentary politicians POLITIPEDIA prime minister programme protest quangos question Ramsay MacDonald reform resignation rule seat Secretary sector Slogan social socialist society Speaker speech television things Tony Blair unelected union vote voters Westminster William words