Paul Webb

One anonymous woman… with a dream. Four unrelated men… all in receipt of an identical solicitor’s letter urging them to travel to the town of Keswick in the heart of England’s Lake District. A washed-up alcoholic City banker, a time-share crook living on the Spanish Costas, the neurotic gay owner of a B&B and a destitute hippy living on his wreck of a boat are all inexplicably summoned. There is the promise of ‘something to their advantage’ but even without this enticement all have good reason to want to escape their current everyday situations. The four men’s converging journeys, by air, road, sea, and mountain paths produce four very different stories. Each has its own cast of eccentrics and grotesques, and a few saints and saviours, laughable disasters and chaotic episodes of high farce. There are also unexpected moments of sensitivity and pathos and as the characters reach their journeys’ ends it’s clear none of their lives will ever be quite the same. And one mountain…bleak and brutal, it holds the key to the mystery and provides the rainswept setting for the dramatic and tragic climax.

Paul Webb’s Advanced Introduction to Party Systems expertly draws upon major theories and concepts, existing literature, and cutting-edge empirical evidence to present an authoritative contribution to the field of party systems. Webb rigorously explores the different types of party systems that exist, the role of socio-political cleavages and electoral systems in shaping them, their evolution over time, and their significance for government and the wider functioning of democracy. Key Features:Discusses the ways in which social and institutional factors shape party systemsProvides a rich conspectus of the different party systems which exist across the democratic world todayExamines the connections between party organisation and party systems using diverse real-world examplesExplores the impact of multi-partyism and ideological polarisation on governmental stability and the role these issues play in shaping government performance and political legitimacyBoth stimulating and incisive, the Advanced Introduction to Party Systems will be an indispensable read for academics and students in politics and public policy, political geography and geopolitics, international relations, and leadership studies. It will also be a fundamental resource for policy makers and practitioners wanting to better understand party systems today.

Paul Webb’s Advanced Introduction to Party Systems expertly draws upon major theories and concepts, existing literature, and cutting-edge empirical evidence to present an authoritative contribution to the field of party systems. Webb rigorously explores the different types of party systems that exist, the role of socio-political cleavages and electoral systems in shaping them, their evolution over time, and their significance for government and the wider functioning of democracy. Key Features:Discusses the ways in which social and institutional factors shape party systemsProvides a rich conspectus of the different party systems which exist across the democratic world todayExamines the connections between party organisation and party systems using diverse real-world examplesExplores the impact of multi-partyism and ideological polarisation on governmental stability and the role these issues play in shaping government performance and political legitimacyBoth stimulating and incisive, the Advanced Introduction to Party Systems will be an indispensable read for academics and students in politics and public policy, political geography and geopolitics, international relations, and leadership studies. It will also be a fundamental resource for policy makers and practitioners wanting to better understand party systems today.

The new edition of this successful book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview and account of the changing nature of party politics in Britain today. Webb and Bale draw on models of comparative politics in conducting a wealth of new empirical analysis to map and explain the ways in which the party system has evolved, and the parties have adapted to a changing political environment. Themes covered include the nature and extent of party competition, the internal life and organizational development of parties, the varieties of party system found across the UK, and the roles played by parties within the wider political system. The book also addresses the crisis of popular legitimacy confronting the parties, as well as assessing the scope for potential reform. While parties remain central to the functioning of Britain's democracy, public disaffection with them is as high as it has ever been; reform of the system of representation and party funding is warranted, but there are unlikely to be any panaceas.

The new edition of this successful book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview and account of the changing nature of party politics in Britain today. Webb and Bale draw on models of comparative politics in conducting a wealth of new empirical analysis to map and explain the ways in which the party system has evolved, and the parties have adapted to a changing political environment. Themes covered include the nature and extent of party competition, the internal life and organizational development of parties, the varieties of party system found across the UK, and the roles played by parties within the wider political system. The book also addresses the crisis of popular legitimacy confronting the parties, as well as assessing the scope for potential reform. While parties remain central to the functioning of Britain's democracy, public disaffection with them is as high as it has ever been; reform of the system of representation and party funding is warranted, but there are unlikely to be any panaceas.

This accessible, rigorously researched and highly revealing book lifts the lid on political party membership. It represents the first in-depth study of six of the UK's biggest parties – Labour, the Conservatives, the Scottish National Party, the Liberal Democrats, UK Independence Party and the Greens – carried out simultaneously, thereby providing invaluable new insights into members' social characteristics, attitudes, activities and campaigning, reasons for joining and leaving, and views on how their parties should be run and who should represent them. In short, at a time of great pressure on, and change across parties, this book helps us discover not only what members want out of their parties but what parties want out of their members. This text is essential reading for those interested in political parties, party membership, elections and campaigning, representation, and political participation, be they scholars and students of British and comparative politics, or politicians, journalists and party members – in short, anyone who cares about the future of representative democracy.

This accessible, rigorously researched and highly revealing book lifts the lid on political party membership. It represents the first in-depth study of six of the UK's biggest parties – Labour, the Conservatives, the Scottish National Party, the Liberal Democrats, UK Independence Party and the Greens – carried out simultaneously, thereby providing invaluable new insights into members' social characteristics, attitudes, activities and campaigning, reasons for joining and leaving, and views on how their parties should be run and who should represent them. In short, at a time of great pressure on, and change across parties, this book helps us discover not only what members want out of their parties but what parties want out of their members. This text is essential reading for those interested in political parties, party membership, elections and campaigning, representation, and political participation, be they scholars and students of British and comparative politics, or politicians, journalists and party members – in short, anyone who cares about the future of representative democracy.

From the author of Bare Bones, which is also available to download from Amazon, comes Paul Webb's new novel, Somehow the Same. - Karen rises quickly through the ranks at Harry Jackson's company until she reaches the position of Personal Assistant to Harry at the age of 23. - Everything is going according to plan - her wedding to her fianc Justin at the local church with a reception at a stately home is only a matter of a few months away - when disaster strikes. - Karen's father loses his job and, with no new opportunities on the horizon, her parent's have to cut back, and that means cutting back on how much they can afford to pay towards Karen's upcoming wedding. - A moment of panic and confusion at work ironically brings Karen some good fortune and opens her eyes as to how she can relieve her financial problems. - To complicate matters, Karen finds herself drawn into an affair with her boss which leads to unexpected consequences for both her and Harry. - A steamy concoction of passion, jealousy, greed and naivety from the writer of Bare Bones, also available on Amazon.

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