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All Outputs (17)

Interpreting UK legislatures: an introduction (2024)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Bevir, M. (in press). Interpreting UK legislatures: an introduction. Journal of Legislative Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2024.2345038

The purpose of this special issue of the Journal of Legislative Studies is to explain and understand the era of profound change that has affected, and continues to impact, UK legislatures. This is an era of special change, wrought by the phenomena of... Read More about Interpreting UK legislatures: an introduction.

Why the beliefs of parliamentarians matter: an interpretive approach to legislative studies (2024)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Bevir, M. (in press). Why the beliefs of parliamentarians matter: an interpretive approach to legislative studies. Journal of Legislative Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2024.2345035

In this article, we argue, following the interpretive approach, that parliamentarians’ beliefs, and the intellectual traditions on which they draw matter. Parliamentary behaviour and legislative practice is the contingent product of the historically... Read More about Why the beliefs of parliamentarians matter: an interpretive approach to legislative studies.

Brexit and the Labour Party: Europe, cosmopolitanism and the narrowing of traditions (2021)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2021). Brexit and the Labour Party: Europe, cosmopolitanism and the narrowing of traditions. British Politics, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41293-021-00168-6

The phenomenon of Brexit is reordering British politics. Its effects have led to political and cultural shock, disruption and rifts. This article explores how the phenomenon of Brexit has decentered the Labour Party’s ideational traditions. The artic... Read More about Brexit and the Labour Party: Europe, cosmopolitanism and the narrowing of traditions.

Divided by values: Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party and England's 'North-South Divide' (2020)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Hickson, K. (2020). Divided by values: Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party and England's 'North-South Divide'. Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique, 24(2),

This article explores the sociocultural divide in England exposed by Brexit. The metaphors of ‘North’ and ‘South’ are used to explain this, where the former is seen as more culturally conservative and the latter as more cosmopolitan. We examine the... Read More about Divided by values: Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party and England's 'North-South Divide'.

The place of human rights in the foreign policy of Cameron's Conservatives: Sceptics or enthusiasts? (2019)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Munce, P. (2019). The place of human rights in the foreign policy of Cameron's Conservatives: Sceptics or enthusiasts?. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 21(1), 116-131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1369148118819066

The purpose of this article is to explain the place of human rights in the foreign policy thinking of David Cameron’s Conservatives (2005–2016). The article asks three interrelated questions: First, what role has human rights come to acquire in inter... Read More about The place of human rights in the foreign policy of Cameron's Conservatives: Sceptics or enthusiasts?.

Labour parties ideas transfer and ideological positioning : Australia and Britain compared (2016)
Journal Article
Edwards, B. M., & Beech, M. (2016). Labour parties ideas transfer and ideological positioning : Australia and Britain compared. Policy studies : the journal of the Policy Studies Institute, 37(5), 486-498. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2016.1188914

As part of this special issue examining policy transfer between the Labour Parties in Australia and Britain, this paper seeks to explore the relationship between the two on ideological positioning. In the 1990s there was substantial ideas transfer fr... Read More about Labour parties ideas transfer and ideological positioning : Australia and Britain compared.

Blue and purple Labour challenges to the welfare state: How should 'statist' social democrats respond? (2014)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Page, R. M. (2015). Blue and purple Labour challenges to the welfare state: How should 'statist' social democrats respond?. Social policy and society : a journal of the Social Policy Association, 14(3), 341-356. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1474746414000463

This article explores two influential strands of thinking about the welfare state, Blue Labour and Purple Labour, that have emerged following New Labour's defeat at the 2010 General Election. It is argued that although both of these new approaches ra... Read More about Blue and purple Labour challenges to the welfare state: How should 'statist' social democrats respond?.

Humanitarian intervention and foreign policy in the Conservative-led coalition (2013)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Oliver, T. (2014). Humanitarian intervention and foreign policy in the Conservative-led coalition. Parliamentary affairs, 67(1), 102-118. https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gst024

This paper examines the role of humanitarian intervention as a tool of foreign policy in the Conservative-led Coalition. The first section of the paper provides historical context and assesses the traditional approaches to humanitarian intervention a... Read More about Humanitarian intervention and foreign policy in the Conservative-led coalition.

Blue or purple? Reflections on the future of the Labour Party (2012)
Journal Article
Beech, M., & Hickson, K. (2014). Blue or purple? Reflections on the future of the Labour Party. Political Studies Review, 12(1), 75-87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-9302.2012.00288.x

The purpose of this article is to examine the future ideological direction of the Labour party by analysing two intellectual offerings that have appeared in the post-New Labour era: ‘Blue Labour’ and The Purple Book. First, the article sets out the s... Read More about Blue or purple? Reflections on the future of the Labour Party.

State of the discipline: British politics in a cold climate (2012)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2012). State of the discipline: British politics in a cold climate. British Politics, 7(1), 4-16. https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2011.31

The purpose of this article is to assess the state of the discipline of British politics. The article takes as its starting point the historic emergence of the first coalition government since the end of Second World War and the impact of its politic... Read More about State of the discipline: British politics in a cold climate.

A social democratic narrative of British democracy (2011)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2012). A social democratic narrative of British democracy. Policy studies : the journal of the Policy Studies Institute, 33(2), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2011.601205

This article argues that social democracy as a political ideology has much to contribute to a narrative of British democracy. Democracy is the central tenet of social democracy and this distinguishes it from Marxist socialism. However, despite the La... Read More about A social democratic narrative of British democracy.

British Conservatism and foreign policy: Traditions and ideas shaping Cameron's global view (2011)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2011). British Conservatism and foreign policy: Traditions and ideas shaping Cameron's global view. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 13(3), 348-363. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2010.00445.x

This article contributes to a debate on prospective Conservative foreign policy initiated by Klaus Dodds and Stuart Elden in this journal. The central argument is that Cameron's global view is being shaped by the traditions and ideas associated with... Read More about British Conservatism and foreign policy: Traditions and ideas shaping Cameron's global view.

No new vision: the gradual death of British social democracy? (2009)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2009). No new vision: the gradual death of British social democracy?. The Political quarterly, 80(4), 526-532. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-923X.2009.02049.x

This article argues that the Labour Party has no new vision for British social democracy. New Labour in Government is intellectually tired and lacks ideological vision. Gordon Brown's leadership is managerial and lacking robust ideological content. T... Read More about No new vision: the gradual death of British social democracy?.

A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister (2009)
Journal Article
Beech, M. (2009). A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister. Policy studies : the journal of the Policy Studies Institute, 30(1), 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442870802576124

This article argues that Gordon Brown as prime minister is a puzzle of ideas and policy. This observation is most notably supported by his failure to espouse an ideological narrative for his government. Brown the intellectually literate Labour leader... Read More about A puzzle of ideas and policy: Gordon Brown as prime minister.