High-profile controversies surrounding the funding of political parties have shown how inequalities in wealth can enter the political process. The growth of the professional lobbying of MPs and the executive raises similar questions about money in politics. More broadly, inequalities emerge in terms of the opportunities the public have to participate in political debate. This analysis of the ways wealth can be used to influence politics in Britain explores the threat posed to the principle of political equality. As well as examining lobbying and party funding, the discussion also focuses on the ownership and control of the media, the chance to be heard on the internet and the impact of the privatisation of public spaces on rights to assemble and protest. Looking at this range of political activities, the author proposes various strategies designed to protect the integrity of British democracy and stop inequalities in wealth becoming inequalities in politics.
| ISBN: | 9780521876650 |
| Publication date: | 6th May 2010 |
| Author: | Jacob University of Cambridge Rowbottom |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 268 pages |
| Series: | Law in Context |
| Genres: |
Political parties and party platforms |