Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies Collection

The central controversy running through this book is whether Mrs Thatcher''s famous ''green'' speeches of 1988 marked a fundamental shift by the Conservative Government towards environmentalism, or whether they were merely political rhetoric, designed to rule out a temporary surge of popular support for the Green Party. The conclusion arrived at is mixed: in some policy areas a definite shift has occurred, but in others it is ''business as usual''. An overall change of gear is still awaited.