This study examines the political forces which shape the law and order debate in Britain. The authors provide an analysis of the Conservative agenda on crime, the deployment of the police, and what they see as the increasing use of legislation as a means of control and coercion. They question whether the rule of law has been supplanted by the law of power, and whether civil rights in Britain are under serious threat. Challenging the perspectives on crime of both the Left and Right, the authors present a detailed look at policies on crime prevention and punishment, and a critique of some of the major New Right thinkers on crime in both the UK and the USA.