Cameron goes to Europe

First Trip Abroad Takes British Leader to Europe

In a recent New York times Article David Cameron, the Uk's newest elected Prime Minister has taken his first trip abroad. He travelled to Paris France where he met with Nicolas Szarscozy and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. This is an example of British politics, with loyalty to both the United States and with the European Union. His trip seemed to be mostly focused on Greece and aligning fears of the disruption of policy with Britain in its first coalition government in 3o years. This seems to effect the politics and legitimacy of Britain and is an example of future politics and foreign policy in the nation.

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Osbourne Outlines New Spending Cuts

This BBC article details the new spending cuts that will be implemented by the coalition governemtn in an effort to reduce the UK's budget deficit. Last week I reported on the announcement by Chancellor George Osbourne that he would announce the details this week, and here they are. The cuts plan to end ineffective elements of employment programmes, send a shock through government departments and discourage wasteful spending. The rest of the cuts as according to the government will go as follows:

• £1.15bn in "discretionary areas" like consultancy and travel costs, £95m through savings in IT spending, £1.7bn through delaying/stopping contracts and projects and renegotiating with suppliers


• £170m from reducing property costs, at least £120m from a civil service recruitment freeze and £600m from reducing quango costs and £520m from other "lower value" spend


• The biggest cuts by department are £683m (4.6% of departmental budget) at Transport, £780m (7.2%) at Communities and Local Government, £836m (3.8%) at Business, £670m (1.1%) at Education and £325m (3.2%) Department for Justice


• The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would have to save £704m - although they would have the option of deferring savings until the following year


• And local authorities - which will be expected to save £1.165bn - will be given more "flexibility" to find savings as "ring-fences" around government grants are being removed.

The Labour party has responded to this announcement with harsh criticism of the cuts saying that it's a "fantasy" to think that these cuts will not lower employment levels along with potential economic growth. Union representatives have also expressed concern with the cuts saying that with the state of the UK and its major trading partner's economies it's not the time to begin cutting back.

This announcement is the first big public policy move made by the new coalition government and their support level will have a lot to do with the success of these cuts. Much like the stimulus package that President Obama put into place this move is aimed to help the economy out of their current recession.

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Photocredit: The Telegraph

EU ministers seek better economic crisis response

In the BBC article EU ministers seek better economic crisis response, the EU ministers agreed on the need to be tougher on the budgets of member states. Pledging to react quicker and more efficiently in the future, the ministers agreed new sanctions were needed to be guide lines for the future. With the Euro falling to its lowest value compared to the dollar in four years, and the impending economic crisis in Spain and Portugal, the member states have agreed to four main objectives:

1) greater budgetary discipline

2) to look for ways to reduce the divergences in competitiveness between member states

3) to establish an effective economic crisis management mechanism

4) to strengthen economic governance to be able to act quicker and in a more co-ordinated and efficient manner to deal with any future economic crises

The new economic task force of the EU is centered on learning the lessons from the Greek crisis in order to avoid a similar situation in the future. Chancellor George Osborne said the UK government was keen "to show that we are serious about living within our means".
"Britain has the largest budget deficit in the EU and I'm very conscious of that and that's why in Britain we're going to accelerate the reduction of that deficit," he said. The EU taskforce comprises finance ministers from all 27 member nations of the European Union, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Olli Rehn, Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker, and Mr Van Rompuy, the European Council President.

This article relates to the concept of public policy and authority in supernational organizations. The UK is a member state of the European Union, and while it has the greatest deficit, it is working to correct that, despite its challenging coalition government situation.

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5/23/10

Picture credits to Getty.

Cameron will not yield more power to EU

According to the BBC news article, "Cameron wants strong EU role but will not yield powers," Cameron has told the German leader Angela Merkel that he will not back any treaties which give more power to the EU. At the same time he says that a strong eurozone is in the UK's best interest. He also has said he wants to form a strong partnership with Germany in the future.

This all comes on the heels of the financial crisis in Greece. The EU has been talking about passing treaties to better stabalize the eurozone. Clearly Cameron doesn't want to give up British sovereignty in any economic matter. He also has made statements reaffirming the British position against the Euro.

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This relates to the emerging trend of supranationalism, and the changing definition of national sovereignty. The UK has clearly had enough. They have always been opposed to the unified currency of the EU, and the recent events in Greece have seemed to confirm some of their fears. As a result, they are hesistant to give up more of their national sovereignty.

Budget Deficit

Osborne to give details of £6bn spending cuts next week

In a recent news article in the BBC , new chancellor, George Osbourne released a statment foreshadowing future cuts to spedning and that if the deficit isn't dealt with then it would be "disasterous". Although the shadow government, specifically former finace miniser Alistair Darling said that doing this too soon could create another recession. Mr Osbourne said a new Fffice for Budget Responsibility would manage push economic and fiscal responsibility. this effects the public policy in Briton but also shows that the checks and balances of this recently challenged democracy are still in tact.

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Conservatives Promise Upcoming Spending Cuts

The May 16th BBC article, "Savings pan next week - Osbourne", details new Chancellor David Osbourne's announcement of the emergency budget that is going to be announced next week and what goes along with the £6bn cuts. Osbourne also announced that there will be a new group that would publish economic and fiscal forecasts, the Office for Budget Reponsibility. According to Osbourne this new group was formed because of the innefficency of the current system, a function of the government, to produce a sound budget projection. Mr.Osbourne also believes that the Conservatives can "improve the quality of the education and health care that people recieve in this country". Osbourne goes on to say that the Labour party had left the nations finances in an unnacceptable state and that we needed to start living within our means.

Critics of the cuts have noted that a large round of cuts could lead to even higher unemployment and the risk of a deep recession. This current event has a lot to do with public policy and the outcome of the cuts will have a lot to do with estabishing the legitimacy of the newly formed coalition government.

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Photocredit: The Telegraph.

Labour's Future: Emerging from the Shadow

In the Economist article, "Labour's Future: Emerging from the Shadow," the author discusses his opinion on the direction Labour must take to remain competitive. He argues that domination of the Labour party by Blair and Brown prevented any new leadership from emerging--"such was their dominance that little could grow in the massive shadow they cast." The author attributes this dominance and a lack of serious competitors to the fact that Gordon Brown succeeded Blair unopposed, despite "all his previously well-known flaws."

It also argues that a change in government could ultimately be healthy for the party. He describes it as "exhausted," and suggests it needs to take some time to reevaluate its ideology and the direction it wants to go in the 21st century.

Throughout the article, the author points out several potential candidates for future leader of the Labour party. David Miliband is a charismatic and well liked former secretary of state who has publicly thrown his hat in the ring. Described by the author as "Blairite" candidate, it is likely he would have stepped up as prime minister had Labour been able to cut a coalition deal with the liberal democrats. He is criticized, however, for not making any attempt to challenge Mr. Brown after Tony Blair's resignation.

Miliband top competitor for the position will probably be Ed Balls, the former schools secretary and right hand man of Gordon Brown. His "thuggish ways" have left him with many enemies, however.

The article relates to change in government. The Labour party has lost power for the time being, and must regroup and reevaluate before the next election. In particular, now that Gordon Brown has stepped down, they must name a new party leader.

Promise of Major Changes

The New York Times' article "Side by Side, Britain's Improbable New Leaders Promise Major Changes" discusses the promises that the new coalition has agreed upon. Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy, Nick Clegg of the liberal democrat party, have agreed on a cabinet of mixed members of both parties. The political days of party self-interest are over, since the coalition requires much more conversation about policies. Also, the current tradition of dissolving parliament at any time during five years is being questioned, a fixed five year term proposed for the parliament. Apparently in the past David Cameron had joked that his favorite joke was "Nick Clegg". The coalition is launching a new campaign for "national" interest instead of "party" interest.

This is relevent to our class since the article has to do with public policy, and in such a critical time, the policies formed from this coalition will be an integral part of the future. The British system of government that we know today could be different in the next five years.

Article found in the Thursday May 13th issue of the New York Times.

Picture credits to flickr.

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Cold Feet

A Regulator Holds Up the Pru Giant Asian Merger

In the Economist on may 4th it was reported that British insurance Company Prudence PLC, Britain's largest insurer was about to strike a $35.5 billion dollar deal with AIA, the Asian version of AIG, when suddenly the FSA or Financial Services Authority decided that it would be to risky, given the recent economic collapse to create another conglomerate that is, " too big to fail". whether or not this breaks British anti trust laws was also in question. The OECD, endorses this idea. This merger would make Prudence the leading insurer in seven east Asian countries and the head foreign insurer in both India and Asia. This effects the ongoing repurcussions of the economy and public policy towards banks that can't fail.

The British Third World Ballot

This May 7th Telegraph article details the shortcomings of the current and aparently archaic ballot in the U.K. The day after the election fiasco that took place in the midst of an important election numerous media sources from the BBC to MSNBC have been criticizing Jenny Watson, the Chairman of the Election Commission. These attacks stem from numerous claims that election comission has become complacent with their outdated system at the polls. Reports that strict timing requirements were ignored and that many of the polling stations had run out of paper before the official closing of the polls at 10 p.m. All of these mistakes led to the misrepresentation of several districts and the loss of thousands of votes. Many British citizens were angered at this chaos because of the close race for the most seats in parliament.

This event calls into question the legitimacy of the U.K. government becasue with the race being so close they couldn't afford to mess up the voting and now the citizens have a reason to question the outcome. This also brings up holes in their transparency because the governtment has denied a recount even with the uproar in the public.

Pound Volatile on Hung Parliament

In BBC's article, Pound Volatile on Hung Parliament, the current value of the pound is being speculated. Due to the messy and confusing situation in the new British parliament, with all three major parties lacking a majority, the sterling is sinking to a year low against the dollar. What's even more surprising is that the pound is losing ground against the euro, which has spiraled downward from the eurozone crisis. Speculators are worried that the weak government will not have the ability to work past the UK's high debt. They are also worried that the parties will spend too much time worried about the government formation rather than dealing with the economic crisis.

This article displays the concepts of sovereignty authority and power as they apply to the UK. Due to the power split, who will gain control and be the prime minister is a major question, especially during such a critical period.

Grade this post. Picture thanks to Getty images.

5/7/10

Claire Austin

Cameron makes offer to Liberal Democrats

According to the BBC News article, "Election: Cameron makes offer to Lib Dems on government" Cameron has given a vague and open offer to the Liberal Democrats to form a coalition government. In the last election, the conservatives gained a significant number of seats in parliament, but not enough for a majority. The result is a hung parliament that will rest on coalition government. Unwritten rules in the constitution let the sitting Prime Minister make the first attempt to form a coalition government. Mr. Cameron however is arguing that Gordon Brown has "lost his mandate to rule," and believes he should get the first attempt. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, has made statements supporting Cameron's claim. Meanwhile, Mr. Brown is making assertions about his "constitutional duty" as prime minister to try to "resolve the situation."

In speeches, Cameron referred to the Labour party as "outgoing," and cites his desire to fix Britains most "urgent problems - the debt crisis, our deep social problems and our broken political system," he said. He has made several comments about reaching out to multiple parties.

There are some large differences in Liberal Democratic and Conservative ideology, especially in regards to defense and the European Union. Cameron, however, cites "many areas of common ground." The two parties agree on reducing carbon emmissions, tax reform, and they both oppose to the Labour party's "ID card scheme."

Other political analysts doubt the possibility of a coalition government. There is another possibility, however--the liberal democrats could allow Cameron to govern by refraining from voting down the budget and the queens speech. This would prevent them from being associated with decisions they do not agree with, while still giving them some power in the new government.

This article relates to the concept of change in government. The British electoral system is unusual in that it can result in a "hung parliament" and no chief executive. This article discusses possible results from this hung parliament.

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Mephedrone Outlawed

Home secretary Alan Johnson says in a recent BBC article that he will out law Mephedrone, turning it into a Class B drug, similar to cannabis. this would be an increase in the legal action taken against those who use and those who distribute the drug. Importation has already been banned and they are seizing all shipments. This comes from the Liberal Democrats, oddly the shadow cabinet completely approves, bu they took the opportunity to say that they would make the Law even harsher announcing how they could do it more effectively. This shows the use of the shadow party in Britain, the general public policy of England and the countries move towards Conservatives. there have been no deaths in the UK due to Mephedrone.
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MPs Subject to New Expense Rules

In the light of past MP spending scandals the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is levying new restrictions on MP spending, deatils the BBC article "MPs to lose right to claim second home expenses". MPs will now not be able to claim funds for the purchase of a second home unless their seat is more than 20 miles or an hour from Westminster. Those falling under that distinction will be able to claim rent up to 1,450 a month - equivalent to a one-bed flat. Another limit will be put on employment operations, from now on MPs will only be able to hire one relative and will have to report a precise salary for that person every year. The news rules will reduce annual maximum accomodation and office claims by 16000 a year for those inside of London, and 14,000 for those in other areas of the nation. MPs who already own second homes will be able to hold onto them until August 2012 at which point profits will be recouped.

This act increases the legitamacy of the MPs in parliament because with these new rules the people of the UK can be assured that they are not abusing their privieges. This also shows how swiftly the government can run in the UK because the response to these spending claims was dealt with quickly, cleanly, and efficiently.

Local Politics in Glasgow

The article "Heartland Attack: the Death and Messy Rebirth of Labour in Glasgow" published March 25 in the Economist discusses the loss of support for the labour party in a city it has dominated for 30 years. The article describes the labour presence in Glasgow as a "formidable political power machine." In previous years labour was doing poorly if it won 70 out of the 79 council seats. Now they hold only 45, with the Scottish Nationalists posing fierce competition.

There are many reasons for this decline in support. The once popular Labour leader of the city council, Steven Purcell, was forced to resign due to drug problems. In the wake of his leaving, the Labour Party has come under allegations of favoratism and pocket lining. A recent restructuring of city government handed over duties previously managed by the council to 11 private businesses. Opponents of the Labour Party are accusing the council of favoring businesses owned by Labour supporters. Glasgow is also facing economic difficulties which the Labour regime is proving unable to cope with. Unemployment is at 8.9%, close to double the Scottish average.

This article relates to change in government and transparency. Support is shifting away from the party that has held power since the 1980s. The Labour party has come under allegations of favoratism and shady economic practices (both of which relate to transparency) and as a result is losing votes.

PM 'Weakness' Blamed for Strikes

In BBC's broadcast "PM 'Weakness' Blamed for Strikes", David Cameron, leader of the Conservative's party, claims that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has failed to take a tough stand against the Unions, like Unite, that have been causing the recent strikes in the UK. The strike mentioned in the broadcast is of the cabin crews for British Airways that are members of the union Unite. The disruption to the flight schedules has seriously affected the number of planes leaving and coming into Heathrow, the airport reporting that 59% of their flights left one day and 63% arrived. A possible rail strike has also been threatened. PM Gordon Brown claims that "we [labour] want them to work, but we also want arbitration and negotiation to be possible within the union's management and work force. One union leader claimed that the strike had nothing to do with the Labour party, but rather that it was simply an industrial dispute between Unite and British Airways.

The strike could not come at a more inconvenient time, as Gordon Brown must decide when to dissolve parliament and call for reelections. Whether or not Labour will stay in power is a question many have, and the strikes cause questioning of their policies. Economic reform may then become an issue of debate during the elections.

Slouching Towards Westminster

The Economist article, "Slouching Towards Westminster: Devolved Scotland Goes its own way," published March 4th, discusses the decline in the Scottish National Party and the reasons why this decline has not led to growth of the conservative party. The reasons for the loss of SNP seats recently are immediately evident. The current SNP administration has been rocked with controversy. The Prime Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, was caught auctioning lunches in the Scottish Parliament in return for campaign contributions. A terrorist who was released from prison out of mercy because he was predicted to only have 3 months left to live is still very much alive more than 3 months later. Ofcom (similar to the US SCC) is investigating the government sponsorship of programs on the television station STV to determine whether such contributions undermine the impartiality of the news.

Given all these events, its no surprise that the Scottish National Party is losing support. What is surprising to British political analysts is that the conservative parties isn't picking any of those seats up. Predictions and polls in the UK all seemed to point towards the current financial crisis as a "winning card" the conservatives could play against labour and the SNP. The lack of conservative support might go back to the Thatcher years, where her anti-union policy hurt Scotland especially bad. There might be a much simpler explanation, however. While conservatives have seen little growth in support, the Labour party is benefiting significantly off the SNP's decline. John Curtice, a professor of politics, argues that, while conservatives are the main alternative to Labour in England and Wales, the SNP is Labour's main opponent.

This article touches on a number of concepts we've studied this year. The recent scandals the SNP has been involved with seems to be leading to a change in government. The article also relates to civil society. Parties and interest groups are an important part of civil society. Here we see realignment with different parties as one loses popularity.

Picture courtesy of The Economist

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Business Leaders Demand Reform

The March 8th BBC article, Business Leaders urge faster action on UK's 178bn debt, leaders of two important employer groups, the CBI and Institute of Directors, have shown that they are concerned with the governments current actions regarding economic reform. These two groups believ that the government should cut spending as soon as possible to reduce the nations deficit. The current administrations plan is to balance the budget by the 2017-2018 period while the CBI believes that, with the correct moves now, it can be done by 2015-2016. Taking advantage of this reaction with the upcoming election, were the Tories. The Tory leaders from David Cameron to shadow chancellor George Osbourne have said that they plan to do exactly what these groups are asking for.

This article calls into question the Legitimacy of the current administration and with the upcoming election this does not bode well for Gordon Brown and the Labour Party. This also shows the influence of civil society in the UK that two important employer groups are being influencial in politics.

Photocredit: The article.

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No Surrender

Cutting the BBC

In a recent Economist article it discusses the recent voluntary cut by the BBC to its budget. Considered, " the world's first, and mightiest, national public broadcaster" it is shocking to commercial media firms. although critics have claimed that it is not a really cutting very much, just limiting its already exponential expansion. 98% of all Britons use the BBC in some form weekly. And about of third of Britons go to their website daily. OF course many people call the BBC's power "chilling" but according to a recent poll 63% of Britons trust the BBC, this is more than most politicians, other media sources and journalists. This effects legitimacy of the BBC, it displays the effects of the world wide recession. It also shows an interesting blend of a governmental controlled organization competing with free market media.

grade this post. 3/7/10

Civil Servants to Strike

According to the BBC article 270,000 civil servants to join 48 hour strike, many of the Public and Commercial Services Union workers will partake in a strike due to the loss of up to a third of their entitlements. Members of government departments, museums, the Royal Court of Justice, as well as workers in Parliament are all expect to join in on the strike. Many Britons fear that this strike will affect their everyday lifes, as the jobs held by these civil servants help run day to day operations. The reason for the strike comes from the tearing up of contracts with low paid civil and public service workers, while contracts with bankers and other wealthier groups continued to be honored.

This article is relevant to the nature of the British class system, easily its most obvious social cleavage. Does the government respect the "higher class" more than it does the workers who keep society running smoothly? Those on the short end of the deal could possibly be questioning the legitimacy of any government contracts at all since theirs were not honored and kept, as promised.

Grade this post. 3/7/2010.

Picture credits to BBC.

Cameron Claims He Can "Turn Britain Around"

In the BBC article David Cameron Tells Tories He Can Turn Britain Around, Cameron claims the the UK is a "complete and utter mess". The conservatives have outlined six key themes for the upcoming election campaign: dealing with the deficit; boosting enterprise; shoring up families; backing the NHS; raising standards in schools; and cleaning up politics. Cameron promises there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel of the UK's problems. Many of the opposition parties claim that Cameron's optimistic speech was sparked by the fall in poll ratings to just two points ahead of Labour. A recent poll suggest that at the moment, the population would currently vote 37% Torie, 35% Labour, and 17% Liberal Democrat.

In relation to the themes of sovereignty, authority, and liberal democracies, the United Kingdom is an exemplary example of each theme. The country has always been known for its fair elections, and the outcome of the elections will determine whether the Labour party will continue to hold the power of the government or if once again the Conservatives will regain authority.

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2/28/2010

Al-Shabaab Banned in UK

According to a recent Economist article, "Alan Johnson bans Somali 'terrorist' group Al-Shabaab," the Home Secretary of the UK has officially designated Al-Shabaab a terrorist group and has banned it in the UK. Al-Shabaab is a radical Islamic organization based in Somalia, where it has considerable influence. The UK ban is in response to a statement by the group that linked it with Al-Qaeda.

"Banning" Al-Shabaab makes it illegal for the group to openly operate in the UK. It also makes it illegal for UK citizens to become members.

Alan Johnson recently banned another Muslim group, Islam4UK, which was trying to march through Wootton Bassett Wiltshire.

The article is important because it highlights social cleavages in the UK. Politics in the UK are strongly anti-immigration, and there are racial overtones to the rhetoric used by British politicians. Al-Shabaab is clearly a terrorist organization, and warrants the ban. However, there seems to be a general distrust of minorities, particularly Muslims, in the UK.

The article also demonstrates a piece of UK foreign policy. Al-Shabaab is extremely influential in Southern Somalia. By banning the group in the UK, Mr. Johnson is sending a message to Somalia as a whole.

Photo Courtesy of the Economist

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Conservatives announce Education Reform Plans

In the BBC article, Tories to create more academies, posted on February 28th the Tory government outlined their education reform plans that they would put into effect after an upcoming election victory. Shadow education secretary Michael Gove told that a new education bill would be brought in days after a Tory election victory that would exempt the best schools from Ofsted inspections and allow them to focus on problem schools. Mr. Gove also detailed that, "We need a new generation of independent state schools run by teachers who know your child's name, not by politicians." Party Leader David Cameron is obviously on board with these reforms, saying that schools would gain a multitude of benefits such as direct money flow, more in-school control, and admissions authority. Another part of the reforms would be to pledge money to help cut school class sizes, get better teachers, and provide more one-to-one tuition.

This article relates to Public Policy and Political Institutions. If the Tories win the upcoming election as expected they will most surely pass an education reform bill that would be continuing Britain's current trend of devolution, or the moving away from a centralized system. While the shadow cabinet is an informal "institution" in the UK this article shows the power and influence that it can have.

Photo credit: The Telegraph

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British Premier Struggles to Repaint Blotched Image

In a recent New York Times article Prime Minister Gordon Browns image was discussed, and his need and failure to create a more positive image of himself. Despite Mr. Browns immediate popularity after becoming Prime Minister his public image has lead to harsh accusations and his falling behind in the polls by his main rival and leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron. The Labour Party is attempting to revamp his image making him seem like a more down to earth "regular guy" attempting to juxtapose the Conservatives. This shows the differences of class in Great Briton, its largest social Cleavage. Recently The Observer portrayed Brown as "paranoid, bullying...chaotic" this shows the deep divide of the Newspapers and the people they pander to, that is the papers in Great Briton identify with a party openly. This article goes as far to say something about popularity of Gordon is based on his charisma. Interesting how public opinion has shifted from experience to wanting the young new leader, Cameron.

Conservatives and Co-Operatives

The Article "All Together Now: David Cameron Searches for his Council House Moment," published February 18th in the Economist, discusses several plans Conservative leader David Cameron has for reforming the public service sector. Mr. Cameron has repeatedly stated his support for devolution in the UK. He recently announced a plan to publish online a list of all government contracts over 25,000 pounds. This would allow other businesses to better compete for future contracts, and would potentially save the government a huge amount of money. Critics wonder whether Conservatives are prepared for the level of transparency this will bring to government.

Less than a week after this announcement, Mr. Cameron went public with a plan to allow public-sector organizations to be run cooperatively by the employees. This means that "nurses could manage their clinics, job advisers take over their employment offices, and teachers run their schools." The state set certain goals and requirements for the cooperatives to ensure basic standards are met. One big question largely remains unanswered, however. Tories have said little about what they will do when some of the cooperatively run services inevitably fail.

This article demonstrates the concept of public policy and change in government. If the conservatives win in the upcoming election, it seems extremely likely that the current trend of devolution in British politics will be taken even farther. The implications of decentralization are huge, especially in an area as important as public services.

Picture courtesy of the Economist
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Orange Order Leaders Voice Concern

Founded more than 200 years ago, following violent clashes between Catholics and Protestants, the Orange Order is Northern Ireland's largest Protestant organization. Its name commemorates the victory of Protestant William of Orange over Catholic King James in 1690. Today the Orange Orger is concerned about parading, as discussed in the BBC News article, Orange Order Leaders Voice Concern on Parade Proposals. Three members from each party in Northern Ireland, the DUP and Sinn Fein, were selected to design a new and improved framework to rule on controversial marches. The nationalists in Northern Ireland oppose Orange Order processions because they feel they are "triumphalists," a feeling also felt by the Catholics in the state.

Following the themes of social cleavage and civil liberties, this article emphasizes the differences between the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland that often turn violent during parades, like those advocated by the Orange Order. It also restricts the right to assemble of the people, calling for a question of freedom that Northern Irish will have.

Grade this post. Picture rights to BBC.

Politics of the Environment

The Article "The Politics of the Environment: Greener than thou," published February 11th in the economist, discusses environmental policy in England and, more importantly, the effect the recession and the upcoming election will have on it. It predicts a fairly grim future for "green" issues. The recession has convinced many voters that, right now, environmental policy is a luxury the country cannot afford. A recent poll in the UK showed that the number of voters who considered "pollution a major concern" has dropped from 19% to 8% since 2007. Furthermore, a number of recent scandals (such as evidence that climate scientists were tampering with data) and the relatively cold winter we've had this year has significantly reduced the percentage of British citizens who are certain that climate change is real.

The predicted conservative victory in the upcoming election is another factor that will have a major effect on the future of environmental policy in the country. The conservatives are generally less supportive of the green agenda. In particular, they care less about reducing emissions, and more about preserving the natural beauty of the countryside by preventing it from being filled with wind generators and nuclear power plants. As the article states, the difference is mostly "one of emphasis," with the conservative emphasis being on "the small and local" rather than on sweeping legislation.

This article is a clear example of public policy, and the effects the economic state and a change of government can have on it. Environmental policy can have broad implications in a country, and particularly affects the economy. It seems only natural that a downturn of the economy would result in politicians generally backing away from the green agenda.

Image courtesy of David Simonds and the Economist.

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"torture" secrets revealed

Under Duress

In a recent Economist article there was a discussion on whether or not the United Kingdoms foreign and home intelligence offices were using terror in order to extract information. The conclusion was no they did not use torture but they were privy to others, namely Americans using "at the very least cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment". But the over all impact of this was the release of these documents to the British public. By a court order it forced the hand of M16 to release documents containing torture information on Binyam Mohamed, a British born Ethiopian. This effects the strength of the judiciary the public policy, and the way the foreign culture views Briton as another country using torture.

Brown praises Northern Ireland decomissioning

In the BBC article, "PM praises Northern Ireland decomissioning moves", on February 7th Gordon Brown praised the "decomissioning", or removal of weapons, that occured through three of Northern Ireland's main parties. The decomissioning was started by a piece of legislation that was proposed in the Northern Ireland Genereal Assembly. The prime minister said that the act was "a central part of the process of moving NI from violence to peace". This strongly elevates the legitamacy of the government because now the people of Northern Ireland know that their parties are not taking part in any shady activity. It also helps with the transparency and shows that Gordon Brown can have a significant voice in Northern Ireland.

Electoral Reform in the UK

According to Bagehot's editorial "1997 Revisited" published February 4th in the Economist, PM Gordon Brown is suprising the UK by beginning a push for electoral reform. Britain has, for a very long time, operated under the same electoral system as the US. "First-Past-the-Post" gives the win to whichever MP gets the most votes, and doesn't require a majority. The new voting system Brown is supporting (Alternative Voting, or AV) is the system used in Australia. In this method, people rank candidates rather than choosing one to vote for. This system ensures that the winning politician has more than 50% of the total vote.

One of the major features of AV, according to Bagehot, is that it ends up electing inoffensive candidates. Anyone who is too partisan or too controversial has virtually no chance of winning. There are a number of theories as to why Brown is supporting electoral reform right now. The most obvious is that he fears he will lose the upcoming election, and hopes a change in the rules of the game might help him. Brown might also be trying to woo the Liberals, with whom he might hope to form a coalition following the next election. The Liberal Democrats have wanted electoral reform for years. This is not the kind of system that will particularly benefit, them, however. A final, far more simple explanation is that Brown wants an AV electoral system because the conservatives don't want it. As the article states, "Sometimes the line matters more than the position it divides," and Brown is introducing this not as a debate over AV vs. FPTP but as "reform vs. the status quo."

It is the author's opinion that, regardless of why Brown wants reform, it will probably never happen. Even if a bill is pushed through the House of Commons, there is a good chance the House of Lords will delay it past the election, which Brown is slated to lose.

This article demonstrates the concept of political institutions. Changing from a FPTP system to an AV system would fundamentally change the way politicians are elected in the UK. It is also an interesting example of the UK's gradualism, and ability to reform its own institutions.

Illustration by Steve o'Brien, courtesy of the Economist

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Britain's "broken society"

Through a glass darkly

In a recent Economist article, Britain's broken society, it talks of Britons crime rates past and present and what politicians can do, plan to do, and have done. Most recently Conservative Party leader David Cameron said that Briton had a broken society siting recent brutal crimes by children to children. He goes on to say that the UK is dealing with a "Social Recession". Apparently the people of Briton agree with 71 percent of people saying the UK was becoming worse, this was before the recession. And fear of Crime has become the biggest problem for voters. Ironically the statistics don't back the people up, in fact criminologist are saying that over the past fifteen years crime has fallen in all walks of crime. Domestic violence has been the greatest effected with a 70 percent drop since 1981, it is believed to be part of Britons formerly good economy, taking men away from the home and allowing women to leave if they need to. But crime has also dropped in non-violent crimes, although criminologist account for increase in housing security in recent years than governmental policies. Oddly the day before Mr. Cameron's announcement, it was reported that homicides was at a 19-year low. Child murder has gone down as well, this is attributed to the social services and police working hand in hand. what many believe is the reason behind Mr. Cameron's promulgation is the more and more non-conservative themes brewing in England, in five years more babies are expected to be born to single mothers than married families, and living alone has "more than trebled". This shows the transparency of Britons political statistics, the involvement of voters and the opinions of the politicians coming up for elections soon. It also has an effect on the stability of society in Great Briton and its changing electorate.

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Tories Plan to Shift School Power

In the BBC News broadcast, Tories Plan To Shift School Power, Paola Buonadonna explains that the Conservatives, in their new policy on development will allow local authorities to decide how much development they'll allow, but with one exception-the building of schools. At the moment, local authorities can block the building of schools, but Conservatives plan on stripping the councils of this power in that planning area. Schools will be treated like other major infrastructure projects, like airports and power plants. Ironically this will anger the local authorities the Conservatives have been trying to reach out to.

This policy reflects the issues found in a unitary system of government, where the legitimacy of the local and regional government is challenged by the federal authorities. Instead of looking to the town hall, people will be looking to Whitehall to determine where their schools will be.

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(2/7/2010)
Thank you Jeff Monroe for the image.

Ministers Told of Iraq Kit Risk

According to the article "Ministers told of Iraq kit risk - armed forces chief," published Monday February 1st on BBC news, ministers were warned before the UK sent troops to Iraq that the military would not have time to prepare for the war. Equipment shortages, especially a lack of body armor, were blamed for the deaths of many British soldiers in the Iraq war. The head of the armed forces, Sir. Jock Stirrup, is now arguing that, if the military had been given more time to prepare, British lives could have been saved. He also says that there was a communications problem between London and the forces on the ground, and that London wasn't fully informed of the severity of equipment shortages once the war began.

This article relates to our theme of public policy. The Iraq war was an extremely unpopular piece of public policy that destroyed Tony Blair's popularity. In this article, the head of armed forces is arguing that, had the government given the military more time to prepare, the war might not resulted in so many deaths, and thus might not have been so unpopular. This is also important to the upcoming election. The Iraq war is connected to the Labour party. If this inquiry convinces people that Blair's administration was responsible for deaths in Iraq through poor public policy, it could hurt the party.

Photo credit to St. John's College Democrats

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Rich and Poor Gap Widens

In a recent Economist Article, "For he that hath" it was discovered that a study commission by Harriet Harman, the eqalities minister, division between rich in poor have grwon over the last decade. Infact a lot of rich nations have had a recent increase in the rich in poor divide including the US, Portugal and Italy. Despite the UK's Welfare states attempt at allowing social mobility, it has been shown taht children in poor households are outperformed by there wealthy counterparts by age 3. Fortunatley in Britain it does not seem that minority lines are particularly affected by this rich poor divide. Not surprisingly equality is one of the main campaign slogans for Gordon Browns upcoming election, although the polls shown he isn't doing well.

Northern Ireland Talks Near Collapse

In the NY Times article Northern Ireland Talks Near Collapse, Northern Ireland's two main parties, Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party, exceed their Friday deadline to come up with a proposal regarding the police and justice powers. Both the the British and Irish prime ministers attended the first three days of the talks, spending hours talking with the heads of the two parties. Wednesday, Cowan and Brown both left with an ultimatum, come up with a solution by Friday or they will impliment their own proposals and lay out an unilateral schedule for carrying them out. Catholic Sinn Fein and the Protestant DUP's cleavage ultimately lies with the disagreement on whether to join Ireland or remain part of Britain.

This article emphasizes the social cleavages present in Northern Ireland. Both party leaders have expressed little desire to give in to their rival party's agenda. In the past three decades, 3600 deaths can be attributed to violence between social cleavages in Northern Ireland.

Photo credit to the European Pressphoto Agency

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You can't fight in here, this is the war room

Defense-Spending Cuts
In a recent Economist article it acknowledged that, because of the UK's recent recession, it would have to make spending cuts. But now there is a conflict within the UK's military on what branch of the military should make the cuts. The navy and air force believe that it is in the countries best interest, over the long run, if the government did not cut their creation of more air craft carriers. Their argument is that Britain is a sea nation and national defence should start there. On the other hand, the army says that the war in Afghanistan demands resource allocation. More importantly the Conservative power is split over where these resources are going. And it seems the public is favoring the cut of aid to foreign nations over military spending cuts.

Jan. 21st, 2010
L. Belury
http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15331325&fsrc=rss

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Brown Looks to Win Votes

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has promised to "create more middle class jobs than ever before" if his party, the Labour Party, can overcome its lag in the polls and win a national vote that must be held by June. With these Obama-esque promises Brown hopes to win back the votes that have traditionally fueled the Labour Party to victory in past elections, the middle class. The Conservatives have blasted Browns messages and have accused him of sending mixed messages along the campiagn trail. With Brown sending messages that emphasize the importance of social mobility he hopes that the Labour Party can overcome a recent slide in support and maintain control come election time.

Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth Leaks Date of General Elections

British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth referred to May 6th as the date for the new polling. However, many Conservatives, the opposite party of today's Prime Minister, believe that this is only manipulation by the New Labour party to trick the conservatives into believing they have more time to prepare for elections. The Prime Minister has the authority to set the date of the election, leaving many to think that the election process is not transparent and undemocratic.

(1.24.10)

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Marriage and the State: A menege a trois

The article "Marriage and the State: A menege a trois," published January 21st, 2010 in the Economist, brings up a growing problem in many Western European countries. In England, the number of yearly divorces is almost equal to the number of new marriages. The tendency for young couples to avoid married is increasing. This has become such an issue that the candidates in Britain's upcoming election are sparring over how to confront it. The conservatives, led by David Cameron, are pushing for recognition of marriage and civil unions in the income-tax system. The labour party, on the other hand, wants special perks for married couples. Some more extreme groups are even calling for mandatory financial responsibility after a certain amount of time living together, whether or not the couple is married.

While this might not seem like an issue of political importance, it is actually deeply significant. The importance of "civil society" in connecting people to the state cannot be overstated. All across the western democracies, there is a growing trend of detachment from civil society. The less people feel like part of a community, the less active they are within that community. This manifests itself in lower voter turnout, and a greater apathy in general towards the political process. Democracies are built around civic duty. Anything that negatively affects civic duty can ultimately hurt the health of the democracy.