The election of New Labour in 1997 closes a long chapter in British political history. At this moment of dramatic change, this book combines an incisive thematic discussion of all the key policy areas with succinct overviews of British governments since 1945, the rise and fall of consensus politics and ideological perspectives on recent British history. Extensive use has been made of illustrative material, including photographs, cartoons, graphs, tables and exhibits. Written by the authors of the best-selling Contemporary British Politics.