Tag Archives: Thatcher

Lord Carrington – NATO Secretary-General 1984-1988

Some years ago I wrote the entry on Lord Carrington for a planned encyclopaedia on  NATO which never went to press. Lord Carrington’s death this week at the age of 99 provides an opportune moment to publish the entry in full here. Carrington, Lord … Continue reading

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Putting some stick about: House of Cards and parliamentary whipping

The recent glossy American remake has brought a new audience to the political drama House of Cards, but the original BBC drama from the 1990s has been a feature of our first year politics course for a number of years, and does bear repeated … Continue reading

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Big C and small c conservatism

Almost without exception, at some point early in each academic year, in one of my first year lectures I will make reference to someone being ‘conservative with a small c’. Until recently I assumed that everyone knew exactly what I … Continue reading

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Plus ça change: Ministers and Civil Servants

Under the energetic direction of the Cabinet Office Minister, Francis Maude, the current government is embarking on significant reform of the civil service. This may then be an appropriate moment to reflect on the experiences of previous Ministers in dealing with the … Continue reading

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Some reflections on Prime Ministerial power

Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair were two of the most powerful Prime Ministers of recent times. Both led their parties to three general election victories with substantial majorities, and neither was defeated at the ballot box. Yet both were arguably to some … Continue reading

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