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Palgrave Macmillan

The Political Economy of Britain in Crisis

Trade Unions and the Banking Sector

  • Book
  • © 2017

Overview

  • Takes an original methodological view that crises are inherently constructed entities
  • Contends that agents have unequal power in times of crisis and crisis resolution
  • Links the crisis of 1976–9 and that of in terms of policy response to the former
  • Recasts the 2007 crisis as a British crisis in light of this understanding
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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About this book

This book explores two recent crises in British political economy: the crisis of 1976–9, for which the trade unions were impugned, and the 2007 economic crisis, for which bankers were (at least initially) blamed. The author argues that the “crisis resolution” of the former – principally the Thatcherite reforms of the 1980s – led to the emergence of the banking crisis. Further, Kirkland demonstrates how narratives of blame have emerged and were used in both instances to promote specific agendas. Narrations of blame and crises were used to curb the trade union powers in the 1980s, whilst the 2007 crisis was quickly reframed as one of excessive government spending, which in turn has led to policies of austerity.

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Table of contents (6 chapters)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Department of Politics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Christopher Kirkland

About the author

Christopher Kirkland is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Liverpool, UK. His current research explores elections in British politics, in particular second-order and low turnout elections.

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