In British Politics and the Policy Process (originally published in 1987), Grant Jordan and Jeremy Richardson provide an introduction to the workings of British political process and a guide to the ways in which it can be studied. They show how political decisions are taken and policies are adopted inside Parliament, in the political parties, and in cabinet, and how they are mediated and influenced by, for example, the civil service and pressure groups. In doing so, they draw widely on case study material, and systematically utilize the memoir material of ex-Ministers and civil servants to give a realistic feel for policy making at the centre of British politics.

This book is, however, interpretative as well as descriptive. The authors argue that Parliament is usually marginal to political decision making, and powerfully reject the thesis of adversary politics, which holds that British politics undergoes major change when there is a switch in party control of Government. This then is a textbook that will serve as an ideal introduction to students of British government and comparative politics, but which is also a stimulating and original contribution to current debates in political science.

A. G. Jordan was an esteemed international scholar in the field of public administration, the policy-making process and interest group politics. He was former Head of Politics and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen. He authored/edited 15 books and published numerous articles in major journals including the British Journal of Political Science, European Journal of Political Research, Journal of Common Market Studies, Political Studies, Public Administration and the Journal of Public Policy.

J. J. Richardson is Emeritus Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford University. He is the co-editor (with Berthold Rittberger) of Journal of European Public Policy. His research interests include the EU policy process: including the role of interest groups; EU institutions; relationships between national governments and the EU; the implementation of EU policies; processes of institutionalisation, to name a few.