About the lecture

In this module, we introduce the idea of party systems in UK politics, focusing in particular on: (i) the idea of a party system as a pattern of interactions between political parties that can be competitive or collaborative; (ii) the different ‘arenas’ in which interactions between parties can take place: the electoral, the legislative and the executive; (iii) some examples cooperation within each of these ‘arenas’, including the SDP-Liberal Alliance (1983-87, electoral), the Lib-Lab Pact (1977, legislative), and the coalition between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats (2010-15, executive); and (iv) the different ‘levels’ at which interactions between parties can take place: the national, within the devolved administrations, and at the local government level.

About the lecturer

Paul Webb is Professor of Politics at the University of Sussex, and has held a number of previous and visiting positions in Britain and abroad, including at the Australian National University (Canberra) and Nihon University (Tokyo). His research interests focus on representative democracy, particularly party and electoral p politics. His recent publications include (with Tim Bale and Monica Poletti) Footsoldiers: Party Members in the 21st Century (2019) and (with Susan Scarrow and Thomas Poguntke) Organizing Political Parties: Representation, Participation and Power (2017).