Browse

The 2010–15 coalition government and the legacy of free schools in England (2023)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2023). The 2010–15 coalition government and the legacy of free schools in England. Policy Futures in Education, https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103231176360

Free schools were a flagship policy of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition (2010–15), aligned with the broader academisation programme, yet both consolidating and transcending New Labour’s educational narrative between 1997 and 2010. Driven b... Read More about The 2010–15 coalition government and the legacy of free schools in England.

What’s the future for the House of Lords? (2023)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2023). What’s the future for the House of Lords?. Political Insight, 14(1), https://doi.org/10.1177/20419058231167266

Boris Johnson and beyond: the revival of One Nation Conservatism? (2023)
Journal Article
Nation Conservatism?

The election of Boris Johnson with a substantial parliamentary majority in December 2019 featured the Conservative Party gaining a large number of previously safe Labour seats located in poorer, post-industrial areas (the so-called “Red Wall”). This... Read More about Boris Johnson and beyond: the revival of One Nation Conservatism?.

Black Wednesday: thirty years on (2022)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (in press). Black Wednesday: thirty years on. Political Insight, 13(3), 22-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/20419058221127468

When the definitive history of recent decades in British politics comes to be written, Wednesday, 16 September 1992 will likely be a standout date. That day – dubbed ‘Black Wednesday’ – Britain was forced to withdraw from the Exchange Rate Mechanism... Read More about Black Wednesday: thirty years on.

Social Policy (2022)
Book Chapter
Williams, B. (2022). Social Policy. In K. Hickson (Ed.), Neil Kinnock : Saving the Labour Party? (124-138). UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003254393-6

This chapter seeks to examine Neil Kinnock's approach to social policy during his nine-year stint as Labour Leader, incorporating two general elections, his own personal values, specific aspects and areas within this policy sphere, as well as analysi... Read More about Social Policy.

The Beveridge Report at 80 (2022)
Journal Article
Hickson, K., & Williams, B. (2022). The Beveridge Report at 80. Political Insight, 13(1), 26-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/20419058221091635

Kevin Hickson and Ben Williams trace the modern history of a foundational moment in the Britain’s welfare state: the 1942 Beveridge Report.

The ‘New Right’ and its legacy for British conservatism (2021)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2021). The ‘New Right’ and its legacy for British conservatism. Journal of Political Ideologies, https://doi.org/10.1080/13569317.2021.1979139

New Right theories have had a major impact on British politics since the emergence of Thatcherism and the end of the so-called ‘years of consensus’ in the mid-1970s. In radically rejecting the conventions of postwar politics in terms of the managemen... Read More about The ‘New Right’ and its legacy for British conservatism.

The social and economic context (2021)
Book Chapter
Hickson, K., & Williams, B. (2021). The social and economic context. In B. Jones, P. Norton, & I. Hertner (Eds.), Politics UK (Tenth edition) (62-81). UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003028574-4

his chapter analyses the changing social and economic context of British politics. The study of politics would have included a legal and historical discussion of the constitution and the major political institutions such as the monarchy, the Houses o... Read More about The social and economic context.

Factions and splits in British politics (2021)
Journal Article
Williams, B., & Hickson, K. (2021). Factions and splits in British politics. Political Insight, 12(1), 16-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/20419058211000997

Four decades on from the formation of the Social Democratic Party, Ben Williams and Kevin Hickson explore how factionalism and in-fighting have sculpted the shape of British party politics.

Social policy (2020)
Book Chapter
Williams, B. (2020). Social policy. In K. Hickson, & J. Miles (Eds.), James Callaghan : an underrated Prime Minister? (143-162). Hull: Biteback

It has been forty years since James Callaghan – the only person to hold all four of the great offices of state – resigned as Leader of the Opposition, bringing to an end over three decades of service on the front bench. Debate still rages over whe... Read More about Social policy.

The politics of a pandemic (2020)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2020). The politics of a pandemic. Political Insight, 11(3), 37-39. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041905820958823

Ben Williams looks at how COVID-19 has reshaped British domestic and foreign policy, and how the pandemic could change the international political order.

Strangled at birth : the One Nation ideology of Theresa May (2020)
Journal Article
Hickson, K., Page, R., & Williams, B. (2020). Strangled at birth : the One Nation ideology of Theresa May. Journal of Political Ideologies, 25(3), 334-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569317.2020.1773074

Contemporary and retrospective evaluation of Theresa May’s premiership inevitably focuses on the division, drift and indecision which characterized it. However, this article argues that although such narratives have considerable validity, they miss a... Read More about Strangled at birth : the One Nation ideology of Theresa May.

Conservatism (2019)
Book Chapter
Williams, B. (2019). Conservatism. In S. Pollock, K. Parkinson, & I. Cummins (Eds.), Social Work and Society: Political and Ideological Perspectives (34-50). UK: Policy Press

When focusing on the subject matter of ideology, Conservatism is generally viewed to be one of the older and most-established types, along with liberalism and socialism. However, on a very fundamental level, there has been some significant academic d... Read More about Conservatism.

The Big Society : ten years on (2019)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2019). The Big Society : ten years on. Political Insight, 10(4), 22-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041905819891369

David Cameron attempted to make a more caring, socially-conscious Conservatism his flagship policy. But did the ‘Big Society’ ever really come to pass? Ben Williams examines the evidence a decade on.

Thatcher breaks consensus (2019)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2019). Thatcher breaks consensus. History today, 69(7), 76-81

Assessing Margaret Thatcher’s premiership: a radical decade and a divisive legacy. When asked who has been the most controversial and radical postwar British prime minister, many historians and academics incline towards Margaret Thatcher. Taking offi... Read More about Thatcher breaks consensus.

Austerity Britain – a brief history (2019)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2019). Austerity Britain – a brief history. Political Insight, 10(1), 16-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041905819838148

Austerity has been a recurring theme of post-war British politics, from the 1950s right up to the present day. But with voters increasingly weary after a decade of public spending reduction, Ben Williams looks back on the modern history of austerity.

Brexit : the links between domestic and foreign policy (2018)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2018). Brexit : the links between domestic and foreign policy. Political Insight, 9(2), 36-39. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041905818779334

The UK’s vote to leave the EU was as much a product of divisions within the Conservative party as wider concerns about Britain’s relationship with Europe. Ben Williams explores the often complex relationship between domestic and foreign policy and it... Read More about Brexit : the links between domestic and foreign policy.

John Major : an unsuccessful Prime Minister? (2017)
Book
Williams, B., & Hickson, K. (2017). B. Williams, & K. Hickson (Eds.), John Major : an unsuccessful Prime Minister?. Biteback Publishing

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of one of the most momentous general elections this country has ever seen. John Major’s defeat in 1997 ended a record eighteen years of Tory government, prompting accusations of failure and ignominy. A con... Read More about John Major : an unsuccessful Prime Minister?.

Theresa May’s premiership : continuity or change? (2017)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2017). Theresa May’s premiership : continuity or change?. Political Insight, 8(1), 10-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041905817702730

Theresa May promised a fresh approach to government but how distinctive is she from her predecessors? Ben Williams analyses the Prime Minister’s administration and finds some striking similarities – and differences – with Conservative governments pas... Read More about Theresa May’s premiership : continuity or change?.

Tory ideology and social policy under Theresa May : current and future directions (2017)
Journal Article
Williams, B. (2017). Tory ideology and social policy under Theresa May : current and future directions. Renewal, 25(3-4),

Theresa May has sought to construct a distinctive social policy offering during her time as Prime Minister, but remains stymied by a toxic combination of triangulation and austerity. Labour must demonstrate the vacuity and incoherence at the heart of... Read More about Tory ideology and social policy under Theresa May : current and future directions.