Keith Sutherland, The Party's Over

The Party's Over

Blueprint for a Very English Revolution

Keith Sutherland

3 May 2004, 200 pages
ISBN 0 907845 517 (pbk.), £8.95/$17.90
ISBN 0 907845 908 (cloth), £19.95/$39.90

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"An enjoyable, thoughtful and unpretentious work well able to absorb the attention of an advanced class of university students interested in the comparative study of political institutions, or anyone else so inclined." Sheldon Rothblatt, The European Legacy
"The model of citizen's juries proposed by Keith Sutherland in his book, The Party's Over: Blueprint for a Very English Revolution, ought to have much greater appeal to progressive Britain than it has attracted hitherto." Tim Luckhurst, Observer
"The Party's Over is an extremely valuable contribution, not least beacause it will encourage debate about democracy. In an era of over-centralisation and closed minds, that, in itself, makes it a subversive and necessary read." Graham Allen MP, Tribune
"His analysis of what is wrong is superb . . . No one can read this book without realising that something radical, even revolutionary must be done." Sir Richard Body, Salisbury Review
"A spirited and unpretentious polemic that repays reflection -- and especially perhaps by those who do not share its author's political standpoint" Vernon Bogdanor, Times Higher Educational Supplement
"This is a political essay in the best tradition -- shrewd, erudite, polemical, partisan (sometimes), mischievous (frequently) and highly topical. It is provoking, annoying and seductive by turns." Barbara Goodwin, Contemporary Political Theory
"An erudite overview of British constitutional history . . . Sutherland's survey of party decline is impeccable in its erudition." M.A.K. Smith, Right Now!
"Sutherland's timely book examines why British politics has descended into the quagmire in which it now squirms." The Ecologist
"An audacious and ingenious book, which provides a splendid overview of British constitutional history." Derek Turner, Chronicles
"Based on extensive reading [the book] is accessible to the general reader. Even if they reject its conclusions, teachers of British politics will find it profitable to debate them with students." Mark Garnett, Political Studies Review.

Consider the following paradox: As the leaders of both of the main British political parties subscribed to the neoconservative doctrine on Iraq, everybody else in the birthplace of parliamentary democracy was effectively disenfranchised. Yet one of the rationales supporting the deployment of UK forces in Iraq was the wish to export democracy to the Middle East. The Emperor would appear to have mislaid his clothes (see Gordon Graham's Case Against the Democratic State).

Judging from the lack of ministerial resignations in the wake of the Butler enquiry, Britain is no longer a parliamentary democracy. The classical doctrine of joint and several ministerial responsibility is revealed to be a fiction, and Lord Hailsham's verdict of 'elective dictatorship' is a better assessment of the British constitution. By contrast unelected bodies like the BBC are now far more accountable for their actions. The reason of this paradox is the monopoly power of the ruling party, controlled by the Prime Minister.

The UK political party started off as a loose association of like-minded MPs. However, in recent years the tail has been wagging the dog — politicians now have no alternative but to choose and then fall in line behind a strong leader with the charisma to win elections. This book examines the historical forces that gave rise to the modern political party and questions its role in the post- ideological age. If we all now share the liberal market consensus, then what is the function of the party?

Parties in America are a lot weaker, so the book considers Graham Allen's argument to emulate the US system of checks and balances, but concludes that we would be better off reinterpreting our own constitution more literally. When the Chancellor really was a minister of the crown, every line of the budget was meticulously scrutinized. The key to the changes advocated in the book is the replacement of the Victorian ballot-box with a modern system of representation, based on the jury-selection principle.

Table of Contents
Introduction (full text)

Advance praise for The Party's Over

‘Pithy, pungent, provocative — Keith Sutherland is becoming the Hazlitt of our age.’ Professor Robert Hazell, Director, The Constitution Unit, University College London.
‘Never a week goes by but I'm asked by letter from student or school-pupil "could we have your opinion on this that or the other aspect of parliament". I shall recomment Keith Sutherland's challenging contribution The Party's Over.’ Tam Dalyell MP, Father of the House of Commons
‘Anyone who is concerned about the serious lack of interest in the parliamentary system, reflected in the poor turnout at elections, should read this book.’ Lord Weatherill, Speaker of the House of Commons (1983–1992), Convenor of the Cross-Bench Peers (1995–1999).
‘A challenging attempt to think beyond parties and the domination of political life in Britain by them.’ Nevil Johnson, Nuffield College, Oxford, author, In Search of the Constitution; Reshaping the British Constitution.
‘Those who feel starved of debate on fundamental political issues should pounce on Keith Sutherland’s tract.’ Mark Garnett, University of Leicester, author, The Essential A-Z Guide to Modern British History.
‘All defenders of constitutional politics will be grateful for this timely defence of limited government. Those who do not yet appreciate the full extent of the threat to the separation of powers posed by over-mighty Prime Ministers with large parliamentary majorities will be especially interested in the vision it offers of an alternative, jury-style type of politics.’ Professor Noël O’Sullivan, University of Hull, author, European Political Thought since 1945.
‘This book challenges conventional wisdom about the Constitution. Sutherland might be called a serial constitutional rapist for wanting to insert a number of alien objects into the British Constitution, but it is a good read and provocative.’ Professor George Jones, London School of Economics.
‘As always, Keith Sutherland is thoroughly thought-provoking, challenging politicians, academics and students alike.’ Professor Michael Rush, University of Exeter, author, The Role of the Member of Parliament Since 1868.

Keith Sutherland's previous books include The Rape of the Constitution? (2000, ed.) and The Volitional Brain: Towards a Neuroscience of Free Will (1999, co-ed.) He is executive editor, Journal of Consciousness Studies and publisher, History of Political Thought and Polis: The Journal of Greek Political Thought.

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The Party's Over

Blueprint for a Very English Revolution