Category
In the News
John McDonnell's Little Red Book - political naivety?
Yesterday's spending revue from George Osborne was big political and economic news. The scrapping of the tax credit cuts will be seen as a huge political move as Osborne attempts to sideline a...
Politics at the Movies - Bridge of Spies
Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance star in the newly-released Cold War film Bridge of Spies - this looks like a super film to take students to, especially if they are studying the Ideologies option at A2,...
Could tax credits be the new "poll tax" issue?
In the Chancellor's anticipated Spending Review today, we will find out exactly what he plans to do over the tax credits debacle. The BBC has posed an interesting question on this topic this...
Explaining the Syrian war
The Hip Hughes History Channel on YouTube is full of short and engaging briefings on key US politics topics and an increasing number of global politics topics too - there are over 300 videos for...
What should we call Hillary?
There has been some hoo-ha this week in the more gossipy elements of the political media about Hillary Clinton's apparent "abandonment" of part of her name. During her time as First Lady (when...
Where do parties stand on Syria?
Last week, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution, drafted by the French, to "redouble" action against Islamic State (IS) in the wake of the Paris attacks. Throughout...
What does Donald Trump actually believe?
Trump's sketchiness with the details is common - what does he actually believe?
Politics and Social Networks
I found this report in this week's Economist on the link between social media "stars" and European political parties to be absolutely fascinating - and slightly worrying!
Analysing the language of the State of the Union Address
Article II of the US Constitution requires the President to periodically provide information to Congress on the "State of the Union". Today, this is done in the form of a speech by the President to...
A Level Politics Makes the Politics News
It's not often that A Level Politics makes the Politics news. But, that's exactly what has happened as disagreements emerge about the place of feminism in the new A Level specifications.
George Osborne's Spending Review - winning and losing departments
Next week's Spending Review will set the spending limits of each government department up to the next General Election in 2020. Prior to 1998. departments used to set their budgets on an annual...
Why do Washington outsiders become President?
One trend dominates the statistics when analysing Presidential trends over the last 60 years - usually, the Washington outsiders, rather than the insiders, tend to win the Presidential election....
The difficulty in passing a Private Members Bill
A couple of weeks ago, yet more Private Members Bills were stymied in the Commons. A PMB is a bill that is introduced to the House by an MP who is not a government minister. There are effectively...
The changing nature of terrorism
The recent attacks by ISIS in Beirut (last Thursday), Paris (last Friday), the Russian airliner over Egypt a few weeks ago, and in Baghdad (also last Friday) seem to show a new wave and new form of...
Myanmar's election through infographics
On November 8th, Myanmar held its first national elections since 2011 when a nominally civilian government was introduced after 50 years of military rule. The BBC carries a detailed analysis of the...
Countries most at risk from climate change
For students of the A2 Global options, climate change is an important issue.
Spitzenkandidaten - I'm sorry … what?
In an unusual departure from my normal blogging on the United States, I’ve taken a trip across the pond and landed in Brussels to blog about my other favourite political sphere, The European Union....
Has David Cameron Breached the Ministerial Code?
The Labour Party has written to Sir Jeremy Heywood, the cabinet secretary, arguing that David Cameron, who is MP for Witney, Oxfordshire, has broken the Ministerial Code, which requires ministers...
Cameron on the UK's membership of the EU
David Cameron's speech at Chatham House (the international affairs think tank) on Tuesday has led to mixed reactions both from his own party, from the Opposition, and from the media. You can listen...
Corbyn to be sworn in to the Privy Council
Jeremy Corbyn is expected to be sworn in as a member of the Privy Council today. The Privy Council is a 500-member strong Council for the Queen. Members include all Cabinet members (past and...