Winning the war but losing the peace: The British House of commons during the Second World War |
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| Authors: | Philip Norton |
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| Affiliation: | Louth is Professor of Government and Director of the Centre for Legislative Studies , University of Hull , |
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| Abstract: | This article considers competing hypotheses ‐ the marginalisation and the constraining hand theses ‐ about the relationship of the House of Commons to government during the Second World War and the consequences of that relationship for the House of Commons in peacetime. The evidence supports the constraining hand hypothesis, with the situation created by war generating a House of Commons with more influence over the executive than is generally conceded. However, the consequence of that experience was to deter the House of Commons from undertaking significant, and arguably necessary, institutional reform in peacetime. |
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