Abstract
In 1965 an eminent academic observer of British politics, Samuel Beer, suggested that party cohesion ‘was so close to 100% that there is no longer any point in measuring it.’2 Yet, as Table 5.1 shows, already there were signs of change: the 1959–64 Parliament witnessed 120 rebellions by government backbenchers, ten times the rate in the previous two Parliaments. In the next normal length Parliament, 1966–70, the number was 109, rising to more than 300 in 1974–79, when the Labour government had either a small majority or no majority at all. In the succeeding Parliaments there were fewer rebellions, but there continued to be many more than between 1945 and 1959.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Samuel H. Beer, Modern British Politics: A Study of Parties and Pressure Groups.. London: Faber, 1965, p. 350.
Philip Cowley and Mark Stuart, ‘More Bleak House than Great Expectations’, Parliamentary Affairs. 57, 2003, p. 211.
A. Phillips, The Politics of Presenc. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995).
Joni Lovenduski, ‘Gender politics: a breakthrough for women?’, Parliamentary Affairs, 50, 1997, p. 719.
S. J. Carroll and D. J. Liebowitz, ‘New Challenges, New Questions, New Directions’ in S. J. Carroll (ed.), Women and American Politic. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), pp. 1–29.
Philip Cowley and Sarah Childs, ‘Too Spineless to Rebel? New Labour’s Women MPs’, British Journal of Political Science. 33, 2003.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2005 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rush, M. (2005). A Changing Culture. In: Giddings, P. (eds) The Future of Parliament. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230523142_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230523142_5
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-54464-6
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-52314-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)