From Collectivist Consensus to 21st Century Neoliberalism: Orders and Eras in Postwar Britain

Abstract

There have been three discernible political eras and political orders in post-World War II Britain: (1) the collectivist consensus (social democracy, Butskellism), 1945-1970; (2) turmoil, 1970-1979; and (3) neoliberalism, 1979-2007. After discussing how to discern a new political era (overall policy orientation) and a political order (institutional arrangements), this article elaborates how the three periods developed. The key ingredient in changing a political era and a political order is change in the governing ideas and assumptions of the political elite. While in the first two periods the political era and political order changed together, in the third period the era changed first, followed by the order. The movement toward a neoliberal economy under Conservative governments largely has been supported by New Labor, but the latter has also introduced constitutional changes. Even though much has changed, there are still continuities, such as the basic welfare state. Furthermore, the linchpins of the British constitutional order, strong central executive authority and the single member plurality electoral system, remain in place.