Politics is for People

by Shirley Williams

If we are to enhance the quality of life, a bold new approach to politics is needed that takes into consideration the economic realities of the 1980s. Shirley Williams, a founder of the new British Social Democratic Party, former Labourite and government minister, outlines her blueprint for action in this forthright and intelligent book. Traditional institutions in both capitalist and communist systems are cracking under the stresses of advanced industrialism, Williams contends. The sturdy structures once responsible for economic abundance, emergent class interests, and political responses are now in disrepair. Even the impressive postwar economic and social achievements are jeopardized by scarce energy and the unmet educational needs of high technology. Policymakers and citizens in the West can no longer assume that full employment, or a wide range of social services, or good industrial relations are achievable unless there is a quantum leap in our political thinking. What Williams wants and is working toward is a government that is limited, accountable, and able to be superseded when it forfeits popular support. The welfare state, furthermore, needs to be reformed to allow for more participation. She calls for the devolution of power and decentralization in government, big business, and unions. In three sweeping proposals, she suggests a ten year plan to bring the welfare state into the future, a Marshall Plan to assist the Third World, and greater disarmament after a period of successful detente. Williams' words ring with harsh truths and tangible needs. She challenges us with her own declaration of "The old politics is dying. The battle to decide what the new politics will be like is just beginning. It is possible, just possible, that it will be a politics for people."

Genres: Politics

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

The Right Honourable Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, Companion of Honour, Privy Counselor to Queen Elizabeth II, was a Labour Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister before becoming a co-founder of the more centrist Social Democratic Party in 1981. After this merged with the Liberal Democrats, she was made a life peer and served as the Leader of the Lib-Dems in the House of Lords from 2001 until her retirement in 2004.

Reviews

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this to supplement my knowledge for my history exam. Not exactly what I was looking for but interesting to see what was seen as a problem for society in general in the early 1980s and look back on it in hindsight. Williams often leaves things open, however offers some solutions for the future too.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear, consistent and quietly optimistic. There's a great deal from Williams' thinking that it is still worth reflecting on - how much have we learnt from those pivotal years? What would Williams make of our most recent political shenanigans?