Almanac of British Politics
Encyclopedia
The Almanac of British Politics is a reference work
which aims to provide a detailed look at the politics of the United Kingdom
(UK) through an approach of profiling the social, economic and historical characteristics of each parliamentary constituency (district) and of their individual representative Member of Parliament
(MP).
The Almanac is broken down alphabetically by constituency, with additional material offering regional surveys of the previous election, statistical data about the seats such as those with the highest working-class population or the fewest number of students, the youngest and oldest and longest serving MPs.
It is particularly concerned to offer a guide to the likely political characteristics of the new seats created by the regular boundary changes or redistricting of constituencies (such as in 1983, 1997, 2005 in Scotland
only, and forthcoming in the UK general election which must take place in late 2009 or 2010)
The idea of the Almanac was initiated by Robert Waller
, a Fellow
of Magdalen College, Oxford
University, in 1983, acknowledging its debt to the Almanac of American Politics
written by Michael Barone
and others since 1974 (also still in regular publication). Since the fifth edition (1996) Waller has been joined by a co-author responsible for profiles of MP by Byron Criddle, Reader in politics at Aberdeen University. Each edition is rewritten to reflect changing election results and prospects.
The 8th and latest edition of the Almanac, published in 2007 is 1,081 pages long. Despite its bulk, the book is known also as a guide to the nature of the United Kingdom in a broader sense than the merely political, and also for Byron Criddle’s sometimes controversial and acerbic pen-portraits of politicians. According to the cover blurb of the 7th edition (2002), the broadcaster Jeremy Paxman
described it as ‘a fountain of arcana and attitude’.
The Almanac contains the following tabular and statistical information:
Constituency tables
MP tables
Statistics in the individual entry for each constituency
Reference work
A reference work is a compendium of information, usually of a specific type, compiled in a book for ease of reference. That is, the information is intended to be quickly found when needed. Reference works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than read beginning to end...
which aims to provide a detailed look at the politics of the United Kingdom
Politics of the United Kingdom
The politics of the United Kingdom takes place within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is the head of state and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government...
(UK) through an approach of profiling the social, economic and historical characteristics of each parliamentary constituency (district) and of their individual representative Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP).
The Almanac is broken down alphabetically by constituency, with additional material offering regional surveys of the previous election, statistical data about the seats such as those with the highest working-class population or the fewest number of students, the youngest and oldest and longest serving MPs.
It is particularly concerned to offer a guide to the likely political characteristics of the new seats created by the regular boundary changes or redistricting of constituencies (such as in 1983, 1997, 2005 in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
only, and forthcoming in the UK general election which must take place in late 2009 or 2010)
The idea of the Almanac was initiated by Robert Waller
Robert Waller (pundit)
Robert Waller is a British election expert, author, teacher, and former opinion pollster. His best known published work is The Almanac of British Politics , a guide to the voting patterns of all United Kingdom parliamentary constituencies.Education and CareerEducated at Buxton College secondary...
, a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
University, in 1983, acknowledging its debt to the Almanac of American Politics
Almanac of American Politics
The Almanac of American Politics is a reference work published biennially by the National Journal Group. It aims to provide a detailed look at the politics of the United States through an approach of profiling individual leaders and areas of the country....
written by Michael Barone
Michael Barone (pundit)
Michael Barone is a conservative American political analyst, pundit and journalist. He is best known for being the principal author of The Almanac of American Politics, a reference work concerning US governors and federal politicians, and published biennially by National Journal...
and others since 1974 (also still in regular publication). Since the fifth edition (1996) Waller has been joined by a co-author responsible for profiles of MP by Byron Criddle, Reader in politics at Aberdeen University. Each edition is rewritten to reflect changing election results and prospects.
The 8th and latest edition of the Almanac, published in 2007 is 1,081 pages long. Despite its bulk, the book is known also as a guide to the nature of the United Kingdom in a broader sense than the merely political, and also for Byron Criddle’s sometimes controversial and acerbic pen-portraits of politicians. According to the cover blurb of the 7th edition (2002), the broadcaster Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Paxman
Jeremy Dickson Paxman is a British journalist, author and television presenter. He has worked for the BBC since 1977. He is noted for a forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians...
described it as ‘a fountain of arcana and attitude’.
The Almanac contains the following tabular and statistical information:
Constituency tables
- The 10 seats with the highest %: of students; of the nine ExperianExperianExperian plc, formerly known as CCN Systems, is a global credit information group with operations in 36 countries. The company employs 15,500 people with corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and operational headquarters in Nottingham, England and Costa Mesa, California, US...
Social Groups (top 20 for ‘Urban IntelligenceMosaic (geodemography)Mosaic UK is Experian’s system for classification of UK households. It is one of a number of commercially available geodemographic segmentation systems, applying the principles of geodemography to consumer household and individual data collated from a number of governmental and commercial sources...
’). - The 20 seats with the highest %: of employed in manufacturing industry; pensionerPensionerIn common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more...
s; single-parent households; non-white residents; - The 20 seats with the highest / lowest %: of owner occupied households; of professional/managerial workers; and household disposable incomeDisposable incomeDisposable income is total personal income minus personal current taxes. In national accounts definitions, personal income, minus personal current taxes equals disposable personal income...
per week; - The 20 seats with the highest / lowest: house prices; and house price % increase 2003-06;
- The 20 seats with the lowest: % of 18 year olds in higher education.
- The 30 seats with the highest unemploymentUnemploymentUnemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
2006. - The most marginalMarginal seatA marginal seat, or swing seat, is a constituency held with a particularly small majority in a legislative election, generally conducted under a single-winner voting system. In Canada they may be known as target ridings. The opposite is a safe seat....
and safest constituencies - 2005 general election - by party. - The seats with over 10 % MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
/ HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
/ SikhSikhA Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
/ Jewish residents.
MP tables
- Conservative target seats
- Majorities list (%, by party)
- The 20 most rebellious MPs 2001 -2005
- The longest continuously serving MPs
- The oldest MPs (by party)
- The youngest MPs
- Unchanged constituencies
Statistics in the individual entry for each constituency
- %: increase in property values 2003-06; long-term illness; non-white; pensioners; professional/managerial; social renters; unemployment; and urban intelligence.
- average disposable incomeDisposable incomeDisposable income is total personal income minus personal current taxes. In national accounts definitions, personal income, minus personal current taxes equals disposable personal income...
£s; and average property value £s. - the 2005 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
result.