In this paper we map briefly some of the arguments around the meaning and significance of the introduction of Civil Partnership in England and Wales, and in this way show how contested these meanings are with some groups profoundly against this legal reform and others supporting it, but for a...

The operation of local politics in Britain is changing. With the help of three case studies, this paper explores some of the implications of these changes. One key aspect of change is the increased salience of 'network' and 'partnership' arrangements associated with the rise of local economic...

Using the example of Manchester's Olympic bidding process, the paper examines some of the links between globalisation and what has become known as the 'new urban politics'. The politics of the city's Olympic bids powerfully symbolise many of the supposedly transformative features of the new...