BRITAIN - Politics

The Bristish House of Parliament and Big Ben under a cloudy night sky. The building and clock tower is lit up in an orange glow. The river Thames flows infront with the light reflecting on it.

Guide to BRITISH POLITICS

This comprehensive ➡️ platform for British politics includes over 10,000 resources on elections, key political issues, UK government, political parties, and key politicians.

Britain is currently under the leadership of its fifth prime minister in six years. They are still suffering the fallout of EU separation, on top of an economic crisis, a weak currency, nationwide general strikes, a crumbling healthcare system, poor management of the covid-19 pandemic, and crippling austerity measures. Years of political turmoil has left the population exasperated and demanding change.

Learn about the consequences of 13 years of Conservative governing and lack of public confidence in the alternatives. For independent and trustworthy critical analysis of British inner workings look no further.

Additionally, we recommend checking out our human rights coverage of Britain, events for a better world in the UK, peace movements and NGOs, our guide to British media, top picks of alternative media, the best places to find critical comment and video news.

The British Prime Minister sits behind a wooden desk wearing a black suit with two red, white, and blue British flags on flag poles behind him. His hands are held together on the table and he smiles into the camera.

British Elections, Political Parties, and Key Politicians

With over 1,000 links on general elections, navigating past and upcoming UK elections has never been easier. Find a collection of the most informative and reliable news sources, directories, and useful tools for voters.

Check out our political party guide to stay informed on policies, leadership contests, and the Labour party, the Conservatives, the Scottish National party, and other key contenders.

Stay up to date on the most divisive, contentious, and influential British prime ministers, MPs, and party leaders such as current PM Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Corbyn, George Galloway, Tony Blair, and Margaret Thatcher.

Many people gather in the streets of London to show their desire for Britain to stay in Europe. Many demonstrators hold EU flags, and banners against Brexit.

What are the Key Political Issues in Britain?

Without a doubt Britian is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent decades. Years of a struggling UK economy, and budget cuts and austerity programmes under the Conservative government have pushed the British population to their limits.

Learn more about economic inequality, the financial sector, the ongoing housing crisis, and comprehensive analysis on Brexit and the resulting economic, social, and environmental fallout.

Low pay, poor working conditions, spiralling inflation, and years of NHS dismantling and privatisation has forced nurses and paramedics to strike for better pay. Trade unions are working hard to secure healthcare workers and other public sectors such as rail and transport, education, and postal workers a liveable wage.

The Ukraine War and the resulting sanctions on Russia have been disastrous for British energy prices. The government has refused to implement a windfall tax on oil and gas companies despite their profits spilling into the billions. The 2022/23 winter of discontent has produced some of the largest scale industrial action ever seen.

In an assault on freedoms, the new Public Order Bill gave British police additional powers allowing them to shut down peaceful protests. The Kill the Bill demonstrations which followed clearly showed the peoples anguish at further attempts by the Conservatives to scrap the Human Rights Act.

Other contentious issues include ongoing calls for Scottish independence, British involvement in tax dodging, and strict immigration laws. Regarding foreign policy, find information on U.S. relations, controversial involvement in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Libya 2011 uprising, and complicity in war crimes in Syria and Yemen.

Great Britain is one of the world's biggest players in the deadly arms trade, they maintain a large stockpile of nuclear warheads, and are a member of the controversial AUKUS pact. Read more about the British military, its gigantic defence budget, and the peace and human rights organisations calling for sanity such as CAAT and CND UK.

Better World Info is an excellent platform for British politics. Get the full picture here with perspectives from the fields of social justice, peace, environmentalism, and human rights.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 08.03.23 licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

For further reading on British Politics see below ⬇️

Info on BRITAIN - Politics

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Caricatures of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer stand either side of a ballot box. There is a map of the UK in the background with the British flag on it and ballot papers with the main candidates are flying in the air.

UK General Election - 4 July 2024

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On the 23rd of June 2016, a referendum was held for the UK's withdrawal from the EU. With a mere 51.9 percent supporting the separation, based on migrant fear, false promises, voter exclusion and lies, the UK is due to separate from the EU in January 2021. Keep track on the latest news here.

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Wealth Taxes for a Fairer Britain – Tax the Rich

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A view of British troops from behind who are standing infront of a British flag

UK Military Budget & Alternative Security

Tired of bloated military budgets, underfunded peace efforts, and lack of social investment – Rethinking Security are looking to curb military spending by challenging government policies that fail citizens and the planet. After four failed wars, the Covid-19 pandemic, damning climate reports, and now the cost-of-living crisis, can the government still justify massive military budgets with the very low probability of future military threats? Let's prioritise non-violent conflict resolution which tackles the root causes of wars. Focus on sustainable spending and use of resources, reject all involvement with nuclear weapons, including funding, and restrict arms exports.

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Privatization of the NHS

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Since the UK referendum in 2016, the world has watched the withdrawal process from the EU with curious eyes. From the very beginning it was marred with deadlocks, voting controversy, delays, extensions, and a seemingly never-ending transition period. We cover the trade deals, Article 50, the economy, environment, energy, and many more issues yet to be agreed on.

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Pro's and con's of high speed rail in the UK

To cope with increasing passenger numbers work has commenced on a second high-speed rail line in the UK. Great for commuters, not so much for the environment or anything sitting in its path. Delays and further reviews have set back progress over various concerns including noise, CO2 emissions, and the destruction of ancient woodlands.

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