http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21576385-one-margaret-thatchers-legacies-has-grown-more-troubling-electoral-reform-and-devolution
This article in this week's ECONOMIST seems tailor made for the APCG exam...  This is a short op-ed and is definitely a must read! Super interesting analysis...

"n America politics has long been regional, with poor Georgians backing Republicans and rich Los Angelenos voting Democratic; but America is divided by culture wars (“God, gays and guns”) that are absent in Britain. The chasm in Britain is more like that in Spain, Belgium or even Italy, where regional voting trumps other sorts. But Britain, which is used to national, ideological politics, is struggling with the consequences."

"Regional political strongholds are not such a problem in federal countries. In America and Germany powerful regional and local governments mean that local views shape politics. But Britain has a vastly powerful central government that controls public spending and makes decisions affecting every aspect of life: this week, for example, Parliament debated the size of home extensions. Another difference is that Britons are unaccustomed to coalition, and seem to dislike it: they want clear leadership for the whole country. The country needs national political parties. At the moment, it does not have them."