The application of the 30-year rule to government archives, together with the publication of numerous detailed memoirs and diaries, has enabled the political history of Britain since 1945 to become a legimate area of historical debate. This book offers a clear and concise survey of British politics from the end of World War II up to end of the 1980s. It synthesizes the growing debate over "consensus politics" - the notion that for approximately a quarter of a century after 1945 there existed a broad measure of agreement between the major political parties about the role and objectives of government and the fundamental bases of domestic and foreign policy. The author argues that from 1970 this consensus has looked increasingly fragile, and shows how in a changing world it has given way to a new style of politics in Britain. He analyzes the reasons for its breakdown, reflecting in conclusion on the possibility of a new consensus arising from the ashes of the old.