"This book presents a socio-legal examination of national and devolved-level developments in social protection in the UK, through the eyes of politicians and officials at the heart of this process. Since its inception in 1998, devolution has altered the character of the UK welfare state, with...

Introduction : from social problems to social policies -- The social worldview of medieval Christianity as prologue -- Secular transitions and assumptions -- Marx, Durkheim, and the limits of laissez-faire capitalism -- From theory to ideology -- Origins of social policy in Europe and the United...