British Political Facts Since 1979

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 15
Conservative Government 1979–90......Page 18
Conservative Government 1990–97......Page 25
Labour Government 1997–......Page 29
Ministerial Salaries......Page 35
Opposition Salaries......Page 36
Ministerial Offices 1979–2005......Page 37
Holders of Ministerial Offices 1979–2005......Page 39
Ministerial Statistics......Page 43
Biographical Notes......Page 46
Index of Ministers......Page 49
Conservative Party Leadership Elections......Page 63
Principal Party Officials......Page 64
Chairmen of the 1922 Committee......Page 67
Party Membership......Page 68
National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations......Page 69
Leadership Elections......Page 70
Labour Party – National Executive Committee......Page 73
Parliamentary Labour Party – Parliamentary Committee......Page 75
Party Membership......Page 77
The Labour Party – Organisation and Constitutions......Page 78
Party Finance......Page 79
Principal Office-holders......Page 80
Leaders and Deputy Leaders of the Party......Page 81
Party Conferences......Page 82
Green Party......Page 83
Irish Parties......Page 84
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland......Page 85
The National Front and British National Party......Page 86
Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalist Party)......Page 87
Scottish National Party......Page 88
Social Democratic Party......Page 89
Independent M.P.s......Page 90
Other Minor Parties Contesting Parliamentary Elections......Page 91
Registration of Political Parties......Page 92
Officers of the House of Commons......Page 93
Emergency Recalls of the House of Commons......Page 94
Broadcasting of Parliament......Page 95
Education of Conservative and Labour M.P.s 1979–2005......Page 96
House of Commons Business......Page 97
Oldest and Youngest M.P.s......Page 98
Family Connections of M.P.s......Page 99
Filial Succession......Page 100
Critical Votes in the House of Commons since 1979......Page 101
Confidence Motions since 1979......Page 102
M.P.s’ Suspension......Page 103
Select Committees......Page 104
Public Accounts Commission, 1984–......Page 105
House of Commons Services Committee 1965–92......Page 106
Other Committees......Page 107
Committee of Privileges c.1630–1995......Page 108
Parliamentary Commission for Standards......Page 109
Statutory Instruments 1947–......Page 110
Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman)......Page 111
Select Committees since 1979......Page 112
Payment of M.P.s......Page 114
Lord Chairmen of Committees......Page 115
Composition of the House of Lords......Page 116
House of Lords Sittings and Business......Page 117
Critical Votes in the House of Lords......Page 119
Landmarks in the Reform of the House of Lords since 1997......Page 120
Royalty and Politics......Page 121
Civil List of the Crown......Page 122
Total Head of State Expenditure......Page 123
General Election Statistics......Page 124
General Election Results by Regions......Page 127
Party Changes between Elections......Page 128
M.P.s’ Changes of Allegiance......Page 129
M.P.s Denied Party Renomination......Page 131
Seats Changing Hands at By-elections......Page 133
Notable Retentions of Seats in By-elections......Page 134
Electoral Administration......Page 135
Election Expenses......Page 136
Lost Deposits......Page 137
Sources on Electoral Matters......Page 138
National Opinion Polls (NOP)......Page 139
Market & Opinion Research International (MORI)......Page 140
Polls on Voting Intentions......Page 141
Opinion Poll Accuracy in General Elections......Page 149
Heads of Departments and Public Offices......Page 151
Prime Minister’s Staff......Page 155
Special or Political Advisers to Ministers......Page 156
Number of Civil Servants......Page 157
Next Steps......Page 159
Major Criminal Justice Legislation 1979–......Page 165
Cases of Political Significance......Page 167
Principal Judges......Page 169
Other Legal and Law Enforcement Officials......Page 172
Investigatory Process......Page 173
Permanent and Operating Commissions......Page 174
A Select List of Departmental Committees......Page 175
Intelligence Services......Page 177
Number of Judges......Page 178
The Growth of Judicial Review......Page 179
Recorded Crime 1980–2004......Page 180
England and Wales......Page 181
Prison Population in England and Wales......Page 182
Police Force......Page 183
UK Population and Migration 1979–......Page 184
Geographical Distribution......Page 185
Racial Composition of the UK Population......Page 186
Maintained Secondary Schools by Religious Character......Page 188
Higher Education Statistics......Page 189
Transport......Page 190
Major Employment Legislation......Page 193
Major Employment Litigation......Page 194
Disability Rights Commission 2000......Page 195
Labour Force......Page 196
Employees in Employment by Industry......Page 197
The Largest Unions......Page 198
Membership of the Largest Unions......Page 203
Unemployment, Industrial Disputes and Trade Union Statistics......Page 204
Some Landmarks in the British Economy......Page 205
Head of Government Economic Service (1964–)......Page 207
Council of Economic Advisers (1997–)......Page 208
Economic Interest Groups......Page 209
Inflation rate......Page 210
Gross Domestic Product, Taxes and Prices......Page 211
Production and Interest Rates......Page 212
Base Rates of Major Clearing Banks......Page 213
Government Borrowing and National Debt......Page 214
Central Government Revenue: Inland Revenue......Page 215
Public Spending as a Percentage of GDP......Page 216
UK Domestic Household Consumption Expenditure (£m)......Page 217
Concentration of Marketable Wealth Among Adult Population......Page 218
Consumer Credit......Page 219
Budget Dates......Page 220
Privatisation 1979–97......Page 221
Nationalised Industries......Page 225
External Financing Requirements of Nationalised Industries......Page 233
Regulators of Privatised Industries......Page 234
Other Quasi-governmental Organisations......Page 237
Scotland......Page 240
Wales......Page 242
Northern Ireland 1972–......Page 244
The Channel Islands......Page 246
Devolution: Main Landmarks......Page 248
Structure......Page 249
Major Legislation Affecting Local Government......Page 250
Local Authority Interest Groups......Page 252
Local Government Elections......Page 253
Local Government Elections 1973–......Page 254
London Government......Page 259
National vote share in local elections......Page 260
International Organisations......Page 261
G8 (G7)......Page 262
British Ambassadors to Leading Powers......Page 263
The European Union (Communities)......Page 264
A Chronology of Events since 1979......Page 265
Summits......Page 268
European Parliament......Page 269
Leaders of the British Party Delegations......Page 270
Direct Elections to European Parliament......Page 271
European Court of Justice......Page 273
Non-EU European Organisations with British Membership......Page 274
Independent Self-Governing Members of the Commonwealth......Page 277
British Colonies and Dependencies......Page 278
Major Military Operations......Page 280
National Daily Newspapers......Page 285
National Sunday Newspapers......Page 287
Partisan Tendencies and Circulations of National Daily Newspapers in British General Elections 1979–2005......Page 290
Circulation of National Sunday Newspapers......Page 291
Main Political Weeklies......Page 292
The Press Council, 1953–90......Page 293
British Broadcasting Corporation......Page 294
BBC Radio......Page 296
BBC Television......Page 297
Broadcast Receiving Licences and BBC Expenditure......Page 298
Independent Broadcasting......Page 299
Independent Broadcasting Authorities......Page 300
Channel 3 – ITV Programme Contracting Companies......Page 301
Channel Four......Page 302
Channel 5......Page 303
Cable Television......Page 304
Multichannel Television......Page 305
Channel Share of Viewing......Page 306
Independent Local Radio......Page 307
The Internet as a News Provider......Page 308
Inquiries into Broadcasting......Page 309
Political Place-Names......Page 310
Political Quotations......Page 312
Political Scandals......Page 319
Political Assassinations (Members of the House of Lords or House of Commons)......Page 320
Bibliographical Note......Page 321
Internet Addresses......Page 323
C......Page 327
E......Page 328
H......Page 329
M......Page 330
P......Page 331
S......Page 332
Y......Page 333