The independent commentary on British political affairs.
The independent commentary on British political affairs.
May 2008
Vol. 11, No. 11
A People's War: Brenda Boardman | The shadow over Brown's plan's to change the way we are governed: … More…
Available for subscribers to download now, in the Print Magazine section.
Alister Scott, Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex, assesses government science and innovation policy, and identifies the ideas of weakness and confusion in UK strategy. 123
Martin Large warns that too much TV is damaging to a child's physical and mental development , and that it turns children into passive consumers, under the spell of marketers. He recommends a health warning to parents, and a ban on advertising to children.
Is Ian Paisley facing a back-lash from his own Free Presbyterian congregation as he prepares to back a power-sharing agreement with IRA/Sinn Fein? Smyth suggests that he is is, and that opposition to a detente with his long-time foes runs deeper still within Ulster's Protestant community.
Author: Clifford Smyth
Published: 1st December 2006
Filed Under: Norhern Ireland, Paisley, Protestant, Sinn Fein, Unionist
Think an Englishman's home is his castle? Time to think again: the common law that prevents forced entry by bailiffs is effectively about to be abolished by the Commons. Nicolson warns that it is primarily society's most vulnerable members that will fall victim to the passing of this centuries-old protection.
With Labour's refom of the Lords still unfinished business, Donald Shell suggests that any solution must retain the primacy of the Commons while more effectively holding the executive to account. Could Jack Straw's forthcoming white paper hold the key?
In the wake of Stern, can emissions trading deliver the desired drop in carbon pollution? Kevin Smith thinks not, and suggests a return to good old-fashioned tax as a possible solution.
With the NHS in a deficit-crisis, health economist Alan Maynard argues that the Labour government's failure to manage the NHS competently has a long history, and that recommendations made by Barbara Castle thirty years ago remain to be acted upon.
With British state pensions lagging behind the rest of western Europe (and even the US), will Tony Blair's latest reforms to tackle the issue through private provision work? Noel Whiteside argues not: only reliable and adequate state provision can rescue many of Britain's future pensioners from a retirement in poverty.
With Uganda on the brink of real peace after a long and bloody civil war, John Ashworth argues for a South Africa-style 'truth commission' in a bid to heal the wounds of decades of fighting. Rather than emphasising the punishment of alleged 'war criminals' such as LRA leader Joseph Koney, the authorities such seek restoratve rather than retributive justice.
Thought that slavery had been abolished during Wilberforce's time? Think again. Baroness Cox investigates slavery in the 21st century and comes to the conclusion that the world still has a long road to travel before completing the great campaigner's victory.
With South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon about to replace Kofi Annan as Secretary General of the UN in the new year, Chung-in Moon profiles the man. Does he have the skills and the personality to succeed in this 'impossible' task? Our man in Korea thinks he does.
Author: Chung-in Moon
Published: 1st December 2006
Filed Under: UN, Ban Ki-moon, Korea, Secretary General
With the issue of Cyprus remaining a thorn in the side of Turkish relations with the EU, and with many existing member-states expressing grave reservations about Turkey's membership, has Turkey's enthusiasm for the membership of the European club gone cold? Ozel argues that unless relations are handled carefully the prospect of Turkish membership may be a distant one indeed.
While the black Africans of Darfur are the main victims of the Khartoum government's offensive in the region, Julie Flint highlights the forgotten plight of the region's Arab nomads. Camel herders by trade, these tribes are caught in the crossfire between Khartoum and its Janjaweed proxy militia, and their African victims. Only by including these forgotten Arabs in the peace process can any such process hope to succeed.
With peace in Darfur continuing to exist only on paper, Julie Flint argues for the imperative of greater involvement by the international community in the area to attempt to encourage a ceasefire and bring about a new, and more credible, peace agreement.
Mark Evans ,of the Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit at the University of York, counters the negative image of Afghanistan as a hopeless case. He tells of a people desparate for peace and security, and the economic and social development that they hope will accompany it. He argues that the military investment by NATO in Afghanistan must be matched (at the very least) by investment in development projects if the Taliban are to be defeated.
With politicians on bnoth sides of the Atlantic talking up Iraqisation of security as the quickest exit route from Iraq, Olga Liker's exhaustive study exposes the shortfalls in such a strategy: to make it work requires a commitment spanning years. And it may not work.
Author: Olga Oliker
Published: 1st December 2006
Filed Under: Middle East, Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police, Iraqi Security
With Iraq descending into chaos by the day, Zaki Chehab makes the case for giving the tribes — the traditional source of authority in Iraq — a more formal role in the political process.
Author: Zaki Chehab
Published: 1st December 2006
Filed Under: Iraqi Tribes, Middle East, Peace-making, Tribes Of Iraq