ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the changing relationship between politics and power in Britain. A narrative developed from 1979 to 2007 that too much power was being concentrated in the executive. Aligned to this, critics claimed the British economy was susceptible to regulatory capture. Trust in politicians and, more notably, British institutions also declined, partly as a result of numerous high-profile scandals. Meanwhile, the chronic failings of the British economy and the related implications, such as widening wealth inequality, were not seriously tackled by successive governments. The results have been growing concentration and perceptions of concentration in elites, providing fertile ground for populists.
