How to study the ever-changing world of UK Politics

Part of the excitement of studying a subject like Politics is the fast pace and ever-changing nature of the subject. A month after the updated edition of Pearson Edexcel A Level UK Government and Politics came out, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, to most peoples’ surprise, called a general election for 4th July. This most recent election promises to offer something quite different from the more recent ones in 2017 and 2019, with Brexit much less of an issue and, seemingly, a very realistic chance of a change in government, though lessons from previous elections perhaps warn that over confidence and over reliance on polls can, on occasion, make fools of even the most seasoned political commentators.

We have already seen some stand out moments in this election campaign, from the original announcement in the rain, attention grabbing policies like a National Service Plan by the Conservatives and Labour’s commitment to lowering the voting age to 16, while Ed Davey seems to be having the time of his life in an alternative, leader focused, man of action campaign. Reform are holding strong in the polls, but will votes translate to seats, unlike in 2015 for UKIP, while a major question hangs over the SNP and what the voters of Scotland will do.

A general election is an exciting and daunting thing to study, but drawing on the case studies in the current edition of Pearson Edexcel A Level UK Government and Politics will help give you an idea of the key things to consider and allow you to interpret the key factors of the election as it unfolds. Not only will this help anyone interested in UK Politics understand what is happening this campaign season, it will also allow you to draw comparisons to previous elections, from 1979, 1997, 2015 and 2019, helping you see how elections have evolved over time and identify key similarities and differences between this campaign and previous ones, key for effective analysis of campaigns and outcomes.

As the campaign goes on, we may see growing divisions in the parties; already several Conservative Party MPs have announced support for other parties, both Labour and Reform, while the issue over Diane Abbott’s re-admission to the Labour Party highlighted a key split in the Labour Party. The roots of these intra party divisions, as well as current party policies is explained in Chapter 2 and will help to understand the issues with which the parties are currently dealing.

Of course, whatever the result, this election is a key example of democracy in action and may, perhaps, expose further weaknesses, or strengths, of the FPTP voting system, while the government that is formed will set the parliamentary agenda for the coming years. This election promises to be a profound shift, like 1997, but opinion polls suggested something similar in 1992, yet a relatively new and embattled Conservative Prime Minister was able to secure a slim majority. Could it be a repeat of that? Pearson Edexcel A Level UK Government and Politics Seventh Edition cannot answer these questions yet, but it does provide the tools to help you make sense of what is going on and draw your own judgments; essential skills not just for the present, but also for anyone sitting exams for A Level Politics.

Pearson Edexcel A Level UK Government and Politics Seventh Edition is out now in eBook and paperback.

Toby Cooper is Head of History and Politics at James Allen’s Girls’ School, an experienced examiner and presenter. In addition to this textbook he has also authored workbooks and study guides for UK Government and Politics.