Tag: Peter Allen
Book Review | The Political Class: Why It Matters Who Our Politicians Are by Peter Allen
In The Political Class: Why It Matters Who Our Politicians Are, Peter Allen lays out the case for and against the dominance of formal politics by a narrow social group – as well as pointing to the ways we could and should change things. Diverse audiences will find much in Allen’s balanced and thoughtful book, recommends Lawrence McKay, which retains an impressive clarity through its engaging style.
Book Review | The Good Politician: Folk Theories, Political Interaction and the Rise of Anti-Politics by Nick Clarke et al
In The Good Politician: Folk Theories, Political Interaction and the Rise of Anti-Politics, Nick Clarke et al offer a long-view account of the growing negative perception of the activities and institutions of formal politics in the UK and consider how citizens evaluate politicians. This is a rich, multi-layered and original take on the rise of anti-political sentiment, recommends Peter Allen, which sheds particular light on the myriad tensions shaping today’s political landscape.
The professionalisation of politics makes our democracy less representative and less accessible
The rise of the professional politician has been a noted trend in recent years. The leaders of our major parties reflect this – David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg were all political advisers before becoming MPs. Peter Allen has researched this phenomenon and argues that, although careerism is not quite as widespread as some […]
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