The State of British Politics in 2024/5
With a general election imminent by the end of 2024, this special section will consider the state of British politics. After 14 years of Conservative-led rule, the UK is a very different state to that which the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition came to power in 2010. For instance, the UK is no longer part of the European Union, support for potential independence has grown in three parts of the Union, while the British party system has seen the rise, fall and influence of some significant non-mainstream parties. British institutions have been under considerable and sustained pressure, with parliamentary scrutiny and processes at the centre of this, while leadership has also experienced considerable turnover. Public opinion has experienced a range of shocks, from the economic to the political. Public policy has struggled to cope against a variety of major challenges, including, but not only, Coronavirus.
This call for papers is for a special section addressing the current state of UK politics. It will identify the key institutions, issues and challenges that need addressed by any new government taking over in 2025. The special section guest editors will propose 5-6 papers including an introduction drawing out key themes and theoretical approaches. All papers and the special section will be peer reviewed. The deadline for proposal submissions is 30th Sept. 2023 with first drafts due at the end of January. The aim would be to publish this special section in late 2024 / early 2025, to coincide with the general election expected around then.
Proposals should include a summary of the overall special section and its contribution to wider theoretical and practical debates (at minimum a page long), titles, authors and their affiliations, and abstracts (of 250 words) for each of the papers proposed. The proposals should also contain a suggested timeline for delivery, alongside a list of potential reviewers. The guest editors will be responsible for submission of the papers. All papers will be subject to peer review. Prospective guest editors are recommended to contact Parliamentary Affairs’ editors in advance of submitting their proposal. For queries, please do not hesitate to contact Parliamentary Affairs’ editors, Alistair Clark (Alistair.clark@ncl.ac.uk) or Louise Thomson (louise.thompson-4@manchester.ac.uk).
Further information about and content from Parliamentary Affairs can be found at the journal’s website here.