David Cameron has criticised “state multiculturalism” in his first speech as prime minister on radicalisation and the causes of terrorism.
At a security conference in Munich, he argued the UK needed a stronger national identity to prevent people turning to all kinds of extremism.
Sounds like Germany?
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Last year [2009] Northern Ireland suffered 22 terrorist-related attacks; so far this year there have been 39. Last year 17 people in the province were charged with terrorist offences; this year, according to Matt Baggott, the chief constable of Northern Ireland’s police service (PSNI), the figure is already 74. On September 24th, acting on advice from the Security Service, MI5, Theresa May, the home secretary, raised the official perception of the threat from republican groups to a level that implies an attack on the mainland is “a strong possibility”.
the specter of the Bad Old Days in the UK?
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SINCE the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government was formed in May, most observers have looked to the Lib Dems as the main source of disaffection. Yet the big arguments within the cabinet so far have been “blue on blue”, mostly involving causes dear to the Tory right.
Can David Cameron keep his own party happy?
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Here is some of the coverage by The Economist of the 5 candidate race to lead the Labour Party after its defeat in the 2010 general elections.
Bagehot Commentary on Ed Milliband
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Government spending has spiraled. See how much it has increased
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A graphic illustrating who’s who in Cameron’s cabinet and in each government department
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In the name of government transparency and accountability The Guardian offers the Aristotle program which allows the user to track the record of any given MP.
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A whirlwind tour of the UK election campaign from Slate
Britain’s teeming but invisible average earners will decide the coming election. Neither David Cameron nor Gordon Brown seems to understand them. Read about the impact of class on the 2010 election and beyond.
A dynamic, interactive election results map from the BBC
A graph showing how a proportional representation system would have changed the general election result
A chart showing which political parties national newspapers have supported in every general election since 1945 – and who they are endorsing at the 2010 election
Bagehot offers his take on the effect that this election will have on Britons (“Farewell Free Stuff”)
A look into Labour’s Future
In “Learning How to Share” the Economist offers a comparative perspective on coalition governing.
UK General Election Assignment
Write a 1200 word (2 page), single-spaced, thesis driven essay due in response to the following questions:
You may use the articles given and/or you may do your own research. In either case, you must properly cite your essay and provide a works cited page (which does not count in the abovementioned word count).
You will present and defend your essay in class. I very much look forward to it.
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Pessimists about politics might consider the following facts. Thirty one years ago yesterday, St David’s Day 1979, Welsh voters humiliatingly rejected the Callaghan government’s Wales devolution act in a referendum by 79.8% to 20.2%. Nearly two decades on, however, Welsh voters narrowly supported the Blair government’s Wales devolution act in a new referendum by 50.3% to 49.7%. Today, according to a St Davids Day BBC Wales/ICM poll, only 13% of Welsh voters now want to see the Welsh assembly abolished, while only 18% are satisfied with the limited powers conferred on the assembly in 1998. Most Welsh people would like to see not less or no devolution – but more. By 56% to 35% they say they would vote for an assembly with full legislative powers in a referendum now scheduled for next year.
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Mr Brown announced that the House of Commons would vote next week on legislation mandating a referendum, to be held by October 2011, on switching from the first-past-the-post system (FPTP) hitherto used in Westminster elections to the “alternative vote” method (AV) used in Australia.
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