Still Fighting the Civil Wars
The uneasy balance between rulers and counsellors has been a feature of British politics for centuries.
The divisive, unpredictable nature of recent political events has shocked many of us, regardless of whether we were pleased with the results or not. Searching for answers, we justifiably look to the figures in the political spotlight. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that this focus is part of the problem. We are surprised by recent political events because too little attention is paid to ‘the people who live in the dark’, as Andrew Blick, Professor of Politics at King’s College London, once put it. He was referring to political special advisers, who often work in the shadows of political transparency and observation. In order to understand politics, we have to understand political advising and, of course, its history.
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