Category
In the News
Record number of female MPs in 2017
A record number of women MPs were elected at the 2017 UK General Election but how many women stood, and were they in winnable seats? This briefing blog from the UK House of Commons Library gives...
Voter Turnout in Elections
Here is a handy graphic to use in lessons on elections. The United Kingdom had a turnout of 68.7 percent in the May 2017 general election, marginally higher than France when Macron was elected...
5 Key Charts from the 2015 General Election
As news breaks of the 2017 General Election on 8th June, here are five key charts from the 2015 election that might be useful as we head into yet another campaign.
Tam Dalyell passes away
A Parliamentarian from a different generation perhaps most famous for asking the West Lothian Question.
RIP Professor Anthony King
Professor Anthony King, one of the most renowned academics in UK political science has sadly passed away at the age of 82. He was for many years a mainstay of the BBC's election coverage noted for...
A Report Card on Obama's Presidency
Here's a useful article from the BBC providing a "report card" on elements of Obama's presidency.
Why Britain Joined the European Union
Politics students returning to the classroom after the New Year break and discussing the resignation of the UK's Ambassador to the EU might want to watch this classic clip from Yes Minister! Has...
The US Presidential Election in Under 2 Minutes
After a hair raising night that echoes June 23rd and the Brexit vote, the polls are closed, Trump has crossed the line and the world begins to come to terms with the 45th President of the United...
Political Party Conference summary
Here's a handy guide from the BBC summarising the key messages and soundbites from the 2016 Autumn Party Conferences - good for getting to grips with key policies and analysing the differences /...
Politics news quiz for w/e 28 October 2016
Here's this week's Politics news quiz. 5 multi-choice questions as either a Powerpoint quiz or paper version.
Walla where? How one region just larger than Wales wrecked CETA
It was all going so well for the CETA (The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement) process between Canada and the EU. Brussels and Ottawa have spend seven years negotiating the finer points of...
How Big Data Might Shape the US Election
Michael Crick's Channel 4 piece last night on how big data might be influencing the US election is well worth a watch - slightly scary in many ways!
Introducing the Parliament topic
The news that the Labour Party has set out 170 Brexit-related questions to the government in order to scrutinise the Brexit process is a great starting point for teaching the Parliament topic. I...
Politics Quiz of the Week
By popular request, here is this week's super starter In the News Politics Quiz, courtesy of Clive Owen of Minster School, Southwell.
The barriers facing third party presidential candidates
The vast majority of the US Presidential focus is on Hillary Clinton (D) and Donald Trump (R), but dig a little deeper and you'll discover the third party candidates too, including Libertarian...
Judicial Review - Justice for Health and Junior Doctors' Contract
It's not that often that a really high profile Judical Review case hits the headlines, but there's one today! Justice for Health - a pressure group acting on behalf of the UK's junior doctors - has...
BBC Manifesto Tracker
The manifesto tracker from the BBC takes a look at how well the government is keeping its manifesto pledges from the 2015 general election - a great tool for assessing the continued relevance of...
The challenges for Diane James
When considering the differences between pressure groups and political parties, UKIP help to exemplify how an organisation can be both. Their electoral success in terms of vote share in 2015and in...
Which is more shocking - Cameron resigning as MP or Mel and Sue leaving the Bake off?
Okay, so the title to this blog may be a little frivolous! I'll declare that I've rarely watched the Great British Bake Off so don't get what the fuss is about with the change in channel and...
The four leadership elections and Michel’s Iron Law of Oligarchy
At the beginning of the 20th Century, Michel argued that all organisations, regardless of how democratic they intend to be, will inevitably be controlled by the few. One of the many ways in which...