Tag "Boris Johnson"
UK Conservative Leadership: Climate Policy?
Recent unprecedented temperatures experienced within the United Kingdom – recorded as exceeding 40 degrees celsius for the first time – exemplify the increasing likelihood and intensity of severe heatwave events in the region as a result of climate change. This comes not long after the publishing of a new Progress Report by the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC), which highlights major failures in delivery of policy commitments vital to achieving the UK’s climate goals. With the Conservative leadership race in its final stage, Conservative party members are left with two choices, former chancellor Rishi Sunak and former foreign secretary, Liz Truss, but what of their commitments to a net-zero UK?
Opinion: Leveling Up Britain: Long-awaited White Paper Details Promised Post-Brexit Economic Policy
In the first week of February 2022, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published a long-awaited White Paper. The White Paper details a series of promised policies espoused by the Conservative Party aimed at helping grow the UK’s economy, while balancing regional inequalities.
Watchdog Report and Corruption Discourse in London
The recent resurgence of the debate around the often cosy relationship between elected Members of the UK’s House of Commons and private sector actors has been dominating headlines. It throws into sharp relief the issues around paid work by MPs alongside their parliamentary duties and essential role of advocating for their own constituents. Despite the UK’s consistently high ranking on Transparency International’s corruption index (CPI), which measures perceived corruption as assessed by experts in academia and industry, continued coverage of ‘sleaze’ (hereafter corruption) and undue influence risk damaging the UK’s reputation on an international stage.
Britain’s Economic Outlook – Navigating Brexit
As news of the last-minute trade deal with the EU emerged, right-wing commentators in publications such as The Spectator embraced it with cautious optimism. Johnson’s administration will not be leaping into the dark, but the economic costs of the pandemic and Brexit, irrespective of the trade deal, will likely pave the way for a bleak decade.
Populism, Leadership and Broken Campaign Pledges
Despite their struggle against the spread of the virus, populist leaders should not necessarily be counted out by their opponents. Their failings in the face of COVID-19 means their political opponents should regard them with greater attention than before, as the ensuring political landscape is one easily taken advantage of by populist rhetoric.
HS2: Steadfast Progress or Slam the Brakes?
February 1, 2020: Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that a high-speed rail link through the centre of England will be built, admitting it was a ‘controversial and difficult decision’. Behind schedule and over budget, the return on investment from this planned rail network is increasingly in doubt under the UK’s current economic conditions.
The Internal Market Bill: Updates on the UK-EU Brexit deal
Negotiations between the UK and EU over their post-Brexit relationship are now at risk of failing. This comes after the UK Government introduced the Internal Market Bill (IMB), the provisions of which amount to the breaking of international law, as it would enable UK ministers to implement regulations relating to state aid and customs procedures between Northern Ireland (NI) and Britain that are in breach of the UK’s obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement (WA).
Brexit: Will Labour launch a vote of no confidence?
The previous two years have taught that anything can emerge from the mire of Brexit, but it does appear that a Labour motion of no confidence will be little more than a last ditch (and ultimately futile) effort to exert its influence over Brexit from the increasingly distant opposition benches. While Labour would be apt to measure the risks and advantages of a general election, it is far more likely that a no confidence bid will be counted by all observers as a symbolic show of discontent by an opposition which has had virtually no impact on the Brexit process to date.
Trump’s “America First” policy: provoking adversaries and alarming allies
When U.S. president Donald Trump addressed the General Assembly in late September, he promised “to defend America’s interests above all else.”
Getting realistic about Brexit UK’s Empire 2.0 vision for Africa
A deeper UK engagement with African trade is sensible and beneficial, however, negotiators will need to wake up to complexities of hashing out any deals on the continent. When The
