From the Greek for ‘rule of the few’, this is a form of government in which power is centralised in the hands of an organised élite and is used for their social and/or economic benefit. Their power is maintained by force or by the shaping of the law to restrict the people and/or remove any need to consult them or be accountable to them. Many of the monarchies established in Europe during the Middle Ages began as oligarchies, with one family eventually gaining ascendancy over others.

Local businesses are missing out on a share of £1.5 billion by failing to sell their products online, a new study reveals.