The 2019 General Election was historic. In one fell swoop it resolved the longstanding stalemate surrounding Brexit and redrew the electoral map of Britain, breaking the deadlock in Parliament and bringing about the fall of Labour's so-called 'Red Wall'. Since 2016, Members of Parliament had struggled to reconcile a contested exercise in direct democracy with the established institutions of representative government. The 2017 election was meant to bring closure to Brexit. It did not: its indecisive outcome merely exacerbated the challenges. Parliament, the courts and ultimately the Monarch herself became embroiled in the chaos of Brexit. The scale of the Conservatives' definitive victory in December 2020 was therefore a significant departure and a return to the status quo. This latest edition of a prestigious and venerable series surveys the build up to the tumultuous election and its immediate aftermath, offering reasoned conjecture about the future of British party politics and democracy. -- .

The 2019 General Election was historic. In one fell swoop it resolved the longstanding stalemate surrounding Brexit and redrew the electoral map of Britain, breaking the deadlock in Parliament and bringing about the fall of Labour's so-called 'Red Wall'. Since 2016, Members of Parliament had struggled to reconcile a contested exercise in direct democracy with the established institutions of representative government. The 2017 election was meant to bring closure to Brexit. It did not: its indecisive outcome merely exacerbated the challenges. Parliament, the courts and ultimately the Monarch herself became embroiled in the chaos of Brexit. The scale of the Conservatives' definitive victory in December 2020 was therefore a significant departure and a return to the status quo. This latest edition of a prestigious and venerable series surveys the build up to the tumultuous election and its immediate aftermath, offering reasoned conjecture about the future of British party politics and democracy. -- .

The latest book in the long-running Britain at the Polls series provides an indispensable account of the fascinating 2017 British general election. It explains why the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority and how Theresa May returned at the head of a minority government. Leading experts analyse the Conservatives' record in government, May's fateful decision to call an early election, Labour's shift to the left under Jeremy Corbyn, the Liberal Democrats' ongoing problems, the collapse in UKIP's vote share, the SNP's diminished appeal in Scotland, and the role of gender and electoral integrity in the 2017 campaign. The book also addresses broader questions about the future of British politics against the backdrop of the 2016 Brexit referendum and ongoing austerity. Its coverage and accessible style make it of interest to general readers, students of British politics and professional political scientists. -- .