Focusing on the policy approaches of Conservative governments since 2015, this book examines key social policy areas including education, health, housing, employment, children and young people, and more.





Respected social policy researchers explore the degree to which the positions and policies of recent Conservative governments have differed from the previous Coalition government (2010–15). They consider the extent to which austerity has continued and the influence of other policy emphases, such as a ‘levelling up’ agenda. Reflecting on the rapid changes of Prime Minister, they compare the themes of the Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak administrations, critically examine the impacts of the external shocks of Brexit and COVID-19, and the changing patterns of public expenditure.

Contributions by: Nick Ellison, Ian Greener, Peter Squires, Anne Daguerre, David Etherington, Catherine Bochel, Val Gillies, Rosalind Edwards, Stephen Ball, Harriet Churchill, Andrew Defty, Steven Corbett, Jon Glasby, Ann Marie Gray, Stephen D. McKay, Karen Rowlingson, Kirstein Rummery, Peter Somerville