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...
China's diplomatic relations with neighbours
In recent weeks, the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, has upped the charm offensive in China's diplomatic relations with its neighbours. The most reported venture of Mr Xi was the talks that he held...
Famous Conservative poster campaigns
This blog post explores some of the best Conservative advertising campaigns since the early 1900s. The first poster below is from the 1909 General Election, showing the perceived threat of Socialism:
Presidential Executive Orders and Federalism - Immigration on the Line
Today the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against President Obama's executive order preventing the deportation of 5 million illegal immigrants, following an earlier ruling by a Texas court...
Jeremy Corbyn and the Trident nuclear programme
The spat between Jeremy Corbyn and General Sir Nicholas Houghton, the Head of the Armed Forces, looks set to run on a little longer.
Famous UK Cabinet Reshuffles
I've picked out 3 examples of historical Cabinet reshuffles that are either really meaningful or have had a big impact on British politics.
Canada's new, more representative Cabinet
Following on quickly from Justin Trudeau's new government in Canada were announcements about his new, diverse, representative government, which has been acclaimed around the world as being a sign...
Al-Shabab's strategies
Al-Shabab, the Islamic insurgency group in North-Eastern Africa, hit the news headlines again last week when they carried out a double-suicide attack on a hotel in Mogadishu, the capital city of...
Cameron vs Corbyn - Can you guess who made which quote?
Here's a fun 10 minute starter for your next Government and Politics lesson. Your students are presented with 16 quotes and the question 'Which of these are quotes from David Cameron?' They must...
Can Jeremy Corbyn ever become Prime Minister?
Whilst much of the media coverage of Mr Corbyn is fairly negative, and a good number of Labour MPs expressing their concern over his leadership, he continues to appear confident and optimistic. At...
Great Political Speeches
There are some classic political speeches that good students should be aware of. As a starting point, this website (aptly named British Political Speech!) collates speeches from UK political...
How useful are e-petitions?
The link below takes you to a radio clip on the changes and history of the e-petitions in the UK.The use of e-petitions is a fascinating aspect of a modern democracy as, in principle, it would...
Global Politics - Why Saudi Arabia Matters
Saudi Arabia plays a pivotal role in international political and economic affairs in the Middle East and beyond. This short 60 second video from the BBC is a useful summary of the reasons why Saudi...
Why the General Election in Turkey is important
Here's one of those fantastic little video clips from the BBC (worth every penny of the licence fee!) that explains the reason why the outcome of the General Election in Turkey is important. Of...
Topical News Quiz – take the lollipop challenge!
Here’s a quick topical news quiz challenge on various stories from the world of Government and Politics over the last week. It comes in the format of an onscreen quiz called the ‘Lollipop...
Hail to the Chief - President Romney
Imagine the scene, its Tuesday 12th February 2013, all of Congress is assembled to hear the State of the Union, there is a buzz of excitement rippling through those assembled. The Sergeant at Arms...
Trudeau or Bieber? Battle of the Justins
Here’s a nice (and short!) video clip comparing the recently elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with that other famous Canadian Justin (as in Bieber).