Public and Parliamentary Attitudes to Welfare

Abstract

One of the core functions of parliament in the United Kingdom is arguably to represent the views of the people. While opinions differ as to the precise nature of this representation, one would expect to find a broad measure of comparability between public opinion and the opinions of those representing the public in parliament.

This article examines the extent to which shifts in political attitudes towards the welfare state have been reflected in public opinion, particularly since the election of New Labour in 1997. Using data derived from a series of interviews with MPs from all sides of the House of Commons, and information on public attitudes to welfare collated from the British Social Attitudes survey, it seeks to identify and explain areas of disagreement and consensus in public and parliamentary attitudes to welfare. It focuses in particular on questions regarding commitment to state welfare provision, priorities in welfare spending and attitudes towards funding for welfare services.

Notes

1. See, for example, R. Lowe, The Welfare State in Britain Since 1945 (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 1999) and N. Timmins, The Five Giants (London: HarperCollins, 1995).

2. P. Taylor-Gooby, ‘Attachment to the Welfare State’, in R. Jowell, L. Brook, B. Taylor and G. Prior, (eds.), British Social Attitudes: the 8th Report (Aldershot: Gower, 1991), pp.23–42.

3. P. Taylor-Gooby, ‘Welfare Reform in the UK: the Construction of a Liberal Consensus’, in P. Taylor-Gooby (ed.), Welfare States under Pressure (London: Sage, 2001), pp.147–70.

4. See, for example, M. Powell (ed.), New Labour, New Welfare State? The ‘third way’ in British social policy (Bristol: The Policy Press, 1999) and P. Taylor-Gooby, ‘Blair's Scars’, Critical Social Policy, 20/3 (2000), pp.331–48.

5. H. M. Bochel, Parliament and Welfare Policy (Aldershot: Dartmouth, 1992). P. Taylor-Gooby, and H. Bochel, ‘Public Opinion, Party Policy and MPs’ Attitudes to Welfare', Political Quarterly, 59/2 (1988) pp.251–8.

6. E. Burke, ‘Speech on arrival at Bristol, 3 November 1774,’ The Works of Edmund Burke, Vol.3, (London: Rivington, 1808) p.19.

7. H. F. Pitkin, The Concept of Representation (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1967), p.233.

8. Pitkin, The Concept of Representation, p.209.

9. B. Manin, The Principles of Representative Government, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997).

10. D. Judge, Representation: Theory and Practice in Britain (London: Routledge, 1999).

11. P. Cowley (ed.), Conscience and Parliament (London: Frank Cass, 1998) and D. Beetham, ‘Political Participation, Mass Protest and Representative Democracy’, Parliamentary Affairs, 56/4 pp.597–609.

12. M. Rush, The Role of the Member of Parliament since 1868: From Gentlemen to Players (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001).

13. Judge, Representation, p.63.

14. Judge, Representation, p.63.

15. Taylor-Gooby, ‘Attachment to the Welfare State.’

16. T. Sefton, ‘What we want from the welfare state,’ in A. Park, J. Curtice, K. Thomson, C. Bromley and M. Phillips (eds.), British Social Attitudes: the 20th Report, Continuity and Change Over Two Decades (London: Sage, 2003), pp.1–28.

17. P. Taylor-Gooby, ‘The Work-Centred Welfare State’, in A. Park, J. Curtice, K. Thomson, C. Bromley and M. Phillips (eds.), British Social Attitudes: the 21st Report (London: Sage, 2004), pp.1–21; J. Curtice and S. Fisher, ‘The Power to Persuade? A Tale of Two Prime Ministers’, in Park et al (eds.), British Social Attitudes: the 20th Report, Continuity and Change Over Two Decades, pp.233–53.

18. Curtice and Fisher, ‘The Power to Persuade? A Tale of Two Prime Ministers’.

19. Taylor-Gooby, ‘The Work-Centred Welfare State’, p.19.

20. Taylor-Gooby, ‘Welfare Reform in the UK’.

21. Taylor-Gooby, ‘The Work-Centred Welfare State’, p.16.

22. Taylor-Gooby and Bochel, ‘Public Opinion, Party Policy and MPs’ Attitudes to Welfare'.

23. G. Brown, ‘Make this a manifesto for children,’ The Guardian, 5 January 2005.

24. Bochel, Parliament and Welfare Policy.

25. M. Brewer, A. Goodman, J. Shaw and A. Shephard, Poverty and Inequality in Britain: 2005, (London: Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2005).

26. Taylor-Gooby, ‘The Work-Centred Welfare State’, p.12.

27. Taylor-Gooby, ‘The Work-Centred Welfare State’, p.19.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hugh Bochel

Hugh Bochel is a Professor in the Department of Policy Studies, University of Lincoln.

Andrew Defty

Andrew Defty is a Research Fellow, also in the Department of Policy Studies, University of Lincoln.