British political facts since 1979 / David Butler and Gareth Butler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Butler, David, 1924-2022.

Contributor:

Butler, Gareth.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Politics and government.

Great Britain--Politics and government--1979-1997--Miscellanea.

Great Britain.

Great Britain--Politics and government--1997-2007--Miscellanea.

Genre:

Trivia and miscellanea.

Physical Description:

xv, 316 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [England] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

Summary:

British Political Facts Since 1979 is the definitive record of the who, the what and the when of British political history, from the election of Mrs Thatcher to the present day, providing information which could not otherwise be found without many hours of digging in a library. Fully reworked and updated, this unique work has become a standard reference book for scholars, journalists, politicians, civil servants, students and all readers with an interest in political history.

Contents:

I Ministries 1

Conservative Government 1979-90 1

Conservative Government 1990-97 8

Labour Government 1997- 12

Ministerial Salaries 18

Opposition Salaries 19

Ministerial Offices 1979-2005 20

Holders of Ministerial Offices 1979-2005 22

Ministerial Statistics 26

II Parties 46

Conservative Party 46

Party Leaders 46

Conservative Party Leadership Elections 46

Deputy Leaders 47

Leaders in the House of Lords 47

Principal Party Officials 47

Conservative Research Department 50

Chief Whips in the House of Commons 50

Chief Whips in the House of Lords 50

Chairmen of the 1922 Committee 50

Conservative Shadow Cabinets 51

Party Membership 51

Party Finance 52

Party Structure 52

National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations 52

Labour Party 53

Party Leaders and Deputy Leaders 53

Leadership Elections 53

Leaders in the House of Lords 56

Chief Whips in the House of Commons 56

Chief Whips in the House of Lords 56

Labour Party - National Executive Committee 56

Parliamentary Labour Party - Parliamentary Committee 58

Party Conferences 60

Party Membership 60

The Labour Party - Organisation and Constitutions 61

Sponsored M.P.s 62

Party Finance 62

Liberal Party 63

The Alliance and the Merger 63

Leaders and Deputy Leaders of the Party 63

Leaders in the House of Lords 63

Principal Office-holders 63

Chief Whips in the House of Commons 64

Chief Whips in the House of Lords 64

Annual Conferences 1979-88 64

(Social and) Liberal Democrats 64

Leaders and Deputy Leaders of the Party 64

Principal Office-holders 65

Party Conferences 65

Party Finance 66

Minor Parties 66

Co-operative Party 66

Green Party 66

Irish Parties 67

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 68

Militant 69

The National Front and British National Party 69

Natural Law Party 70

Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalist Party) 70

Referendum Party 71

Scottish National Party 71

Social Democratic Party 72

United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) 73

Independent M.P.s 73

Minor Parties - Representation in the House of Commons 74

Other Minor Parties Contesting Parliamentary Elections 74

Political Pressure Groups 75

Registration of Political Parties 75

III Parliament 76

House of Commons 76

Speakers and Their Deputies 76

Officers of the House of Commons 76

Parliamentary Sessions 11

Commons Hours of Sitting 77

Westminster Hall 77

Emergency Recalls of the House of Commons 77

Broadcasting of Parliament 78

Main Occupations of Members of Parliament 1979-2005 79

Education of Conservative and Labour M.P.s 1979-2005 79

House of Commons Business 80

Fathers of the House of Commons 81

Long-service M.P.s 81

Oldest and Youngest M.P.s 81

Family Connections of M.P.s 82

Spouse's Succession 83

Filial Succession 83

Dual Mandates 84

Critical Votes in the House of Commons since 1979 84

Government Defeats on the Floor of the House of Commons 1979- 85

Confidence Motions since 1979 85

Guillotine and Programme Motions since 1979 86

M.P.s' Suspension 86

Select Committees 87

Chairmen's Liaison Committee 88

Committee of Selection 1840- 88

Committee of Public Accounts, 1862- 88

Public Accounts Commission, 1984- 88

Committee on European Secondary Legislation 1974-76; European Legislation etc. 1976-98; European Scrutiny Committee 1998- 89

Procedure (Sessional) Committee 1976- 89

House of Commons Services Committee 1965-92 89

House of Commons Commission 1978- 90

Domestic Committees 90

Other Committees 90

Committee of Privileges c.1630-1995 91

Committee on Standards and Privileges 1995- 92

Parliamentary Commission for Standards 92

Statutory Instruments 1947- 93

Committee on Parliamentary Commision for Administration 1967-97 94

Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman) 94

Select Committees since 1979 95

Payment of M.P.s 97

House of Lords 98

Lord Chairmen of Committees 98

Officers of the House of Lords 99

Composition of the House of Lords 99

Creation of Peerages 100

Party Strengths in the House of Lords 100

House of Lords Sittings and Business 101

Critical Votes in the House of Lords 102

Landmarks in the Reform of the House of Lords since 1997 103

Royalty 104

Royalty and Politics 104

Private Secretaries to the Sovereign 105

Lord Chamberlains 105

Civil List of the Crown 105

Total Head of State Expenditure 106

IV Elections 107

General Election Statistics 107

General Election Results by Regions 110

Referendum on E.E.C. Membership 111

Party Changes between Elections 111

M.P.s' Changes of Allegiance 112

M.P.s Elected under New Label 114

M.P.s Denied Party Renomination 114

By-elections 116

Seats Changing Hands at By-elections 116

Notable Retentions of Seats in By-elections 117

M.P.s Resigning to Fight By-elections 118

Electoral Administration 118

Redistribution 119

Election Expenses 119

Central Party Expenses 120

Lost Deposits 120

Women Candidates and MPs 1974-2005 121

Election Petitions and Challenges 121

Sources on Electoral Matters 121

Public Opinion Polls 122

Gallup Poll 122

National Opinion Polls (NOP) 122

Marplan Ltd/ICM Research 123

Opinion Research Centre (ORC) 123

Louis Harris Research Ltd/Harris Research Centre 123

Market & Opinion Research International (MORI) 123

YouGov 124

Populus 124

Polling Archives 124

Polls on Voting Intentions 124

Opinion Poll Accuracy in General Elections 132

V Civil Service 134

Heads of Departments and Public Offices 134

Salary of Permanent Secretary in the Civil Service 138

Prime Minister's Principal Private Secretary 138

Chief of Staff 138

Appointments Secretary 138

Prime Minister's Staff 138

Special or Political Advisers to Ministers 139

Size of Civil Service 140

Number of Civil Servants 140

Civil Service Agencies 142

VI Justice and Law Enforcement 148

Major Criminal Justice Legislation 1979- 148

Major Legislation Relating to the Administration of Civil Justice 1979- 150

Cases of Political Significance 150

Principal Judges 152

Other Legal and Law Enforcement Officials 155

Royal Commissions, Committees of Inquiry and Tribunals 156

Investigatory Process 156

Royal Commissions 157

Permanent and Operating Commissions 157

Departmental Committees 158

A Select List of Departmental Committees 158

(Political) Honours Scrutiny Committee 1924-2005 160

Intelligence Services 160

Security Commission 161

Number of Judges 161

The Growth of Judicial Review 162

Recorded Crime 1980-2004 163

British Crime Survey 1981-2004 164

England and Wales 164

Prison Population in England and Wales 165

Parole Board 1967- 166

Police Force 166

VII Population, Health and Employment 167

UK Population and Migration 1979- 167

Geographical Distribution 168

Births, Deaths and Marriages in the UK 169

Causes of Death 169

Racial Composition of the UK Population 169

Education Spending - England and Wales 171

Maintained Secondary Schools by Religious Character 171

Pupils in Full-time Education (000s) England 172

Higher Education Statistics 172

Transport 173

Employment 176

Major Employment Legislation 176

Major Employment Litigation 177

Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) 1974- 178

Low Pay Commission 1997- 178

Disability Rights Commission 2000 178

Earnings and Hours Worked 179

Labour Force 179

Employees in Employment by Industry 180

Trades Union Congresses 1900- 181

The Largest Unions 181

Membership of the Largest Unions 186

Unemployment, Industrial Disputes and Trade Union Statistics 187

VIII The Treasury and the Economy 188

Some Landmarks in the British Economy 188

Sources of Government Economic Advice 190

Head of Government Economic Service

(1964-) 190

Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury (1999-2004) 191

Bank of England (1696) 191

Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England (1997) 191

National Economic Development Council (1961-92) 191

Commission on Pay Comparability (1979-80) 191

Council of Economic Advisers (1997-) 191

Economic Interest Groups 192

Select Statistics 193

Retail Price Index 193

Inflation rate 193

Gross Domestic Product, Taxes and Prices 194

Production and Interest Rates 195

Base Rates of Major Clearing Banks 196

Government Borrowing and National Debt 197

Balance of Trade 198

Central Government Revenue: Inland Revenue 198

Customs and Excise Duties, 1993-([pound]m) 199

Public Spending as a Percentage of GDP 199

UK Domestic Household Consumption Expenditure ([pound]m) 200

Concentration of Marketable Wealth Among Adult Population 201

Shares of Total Income Tax Liability 202

Consumer Credit 202

Budget Dates 203

Privatisation 1979-97 204

Nationalised Industries 208

External Financing Requirements of Nationalised Industries 216

Regulators of Privatised Industries 217

Central Government Trading Bodies 220

Other Quasi-governmental Organisations 220

IX Devolution and Local Government 223

The British Isles 223

Scotland 223

Scottish Parliament Election 224

Wales 225

Welsh Assembly Election 226

Northern Ireland 1972- 227

The Channel Islands 229

The Isle of Man 231

Devolution: Main Landmarks 231

Local Government 232

Structure 232

Major Legislation Affecting Local Government 233

Local Authority Interest Groups 235

Local Government Elections 236

Local Government Elections 1973- 237

London Government 242

National vote share in local elections 243

X International Affairs 244

Major Treaties and Documents Subscribed to by Britain since 1979 244

International Organisations 244

World Bank and International Monetary Fund 245

United Nations (UN) 245

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) 245

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 245

World Trade Organisation (WTO) 245

G8 (G7) 245

British Ambassadors to Leading Powers 246

European Union 247

The European Union (Communities) 247

A Chronology of Events since 1979 248

Summits 251

Net UK Payments to European Community Institutions ([pound]m) 252

European Parliament 252

Leaders of the British Party Delegations 253

Referendum on EEC Membership 254

Direct Elections to European Parliament 254

European Court of Justice 256

Non-EU European Organisations with British Membership 257

Commonwealth 260

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, 1979- 260

Independent Self-Governing Members of the Commonwealth 260

British Colonies and Dependencies 261

Defence 263

Major Military Operations 263

XI The Media 268

The Press 268

National Daily Newspapers 268

National Sunday Newspapers 270

London Evening Newspapers 273

Partisan Tendencies and Circulations of National Daily Newspapers in British General Elections 1979-2005 273

Partisanship in Elections 274

Circulations of National Newspapers 274

Circulation of National Sunday Newspapers 274

Provincial Morning Daily Newspapers 275

Main Political Weeklies 275

The Press Council, 1953-90 276

Press Complaints Commission 1991- 277

Broadcasting 277

British Broadcasting Corporation 278

BBC Radio 279

BBC Local Radio 280

BBC Television 280

Broadcast Receiving Licences and BBC Expenditure 281

Independent Broadcasting 282

Independent Broadcasting Authorities 283

Channel 3 - ITV Programme Contracting Companies 284

The ITV Network Centre 285

Channel Four 285

S4C 286

Channel 5 286

Cable Television 287

Multichannel Television 288

Channel Share of Viewing 289

Independent Local Radio 290

Broadcasting Complaints Commission 1981-96 291

Broadcasting Standards Council 1988-96 291

Broadcasting Standards Commission 1997-2003 291

The Internet as a News Provider 291

Inquiries into Broadcasting 292

XII Political Allusions 293

Political Place-Names 293

Political Quotations 295

Political Scandals 302

Major Civil Disturbances and Demonstrations 303

Political Assassinations (Members of the House of Lords or House of Commons) 303.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 304-309) and index.

Includes web resources.

ISBN:

1403903727

1403903735

OCLC:

61478245

Publisher Number:

9781403903723 (hbk.)

9781403903730 (pbk.)