ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses the United Kingdom (UK); but the UK is an integral part of the system of globalised financial capitalism, so the analysis located in this broader international context, in which Britain holds a unique position. It explores the conceptual and empirical puzzle regarding change in the dominant ideology of neoliberalism; and it develops the notion of the "insecurity cycle" as an analytical approach for explaining why, when and how change in the conventional wisdom – and the policies that accompany it – comes about. The chapter examines the circumstances that created the environment within which different ideas gained traction and ultimately reconstituted the dominant orthodoxy. It explores the degree to which these competing scenarios contain the most convincing prognosis for the UK. The chapter concludes by drawing together the key analytical themes.
