Unit 2 & 4: Cameron and the EU Referendum

The latest attempt by Cameron to bolster support from potential UKIP voters is seen in this article. The article highlights the division on Europe, both between the major parties and within parties themselves.

Unit 3: Help to Work schemes for Unemployed

Click here to access the article on the Coalitions new policy on long term benefits. Useful for discussion on how Conservative policy/views have changed over the years.

Unit 4: A few articles on Europe

I am sure you have read these, but just in case, click here for an article on why UK leaving EU would be bad for business (the 'related stories' provide further useful information)

and click here for UKIP perspective.

Unit 4: Usual from UKIP!

Click here to to access fear! :-)

Is this the way we want politics to run in UK. This does not help improve democracy, only panders to the fears of the electorate.

Unit 2: Minister resigns from the cabinet.

Click here to access a BBC article about Maria Miller, the (Former) Culture Secretary. She was forced to resign after falsely claiming thousands of pounds of taxpayers money.

Unit 4: EU - The Facts!

Economic Benefits of EU Membership

Membership of the European Union (EU) has had a big positive effect on average incomes in all but one of its member countries. That is the central finding of research by Nauro Campos, Fabrizio Coricelli and Luigi Moretti, to be presented at the Royal Economic Society’s 2014 annual conference. 

They also find that the more financially developed countries have grown significantly faster after joining the EU.

The study examines data for each EU member to answer the question, ‘what would levels of per capita income and labour productivity be if countries had not joined the EU when they did?’ Among the findings:

* For the average country, average incomes would be 12% lower if they had not joined – and annual rates would have been 1.2 percentage points lower.

* Denmark, Ireland, the UK, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Estonia and Latvia have benefitted most from EU membership.

* Spain, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania have also benefitted financially, but by less.

* Greece is the only country where joining the EU has resulted in lower levels of per capita income.

* The benefits for the UK have slowed down over time, but the benefits for Ireland have not. This suggests that the former benefited more from the single market while the latter did mostly from the euro.

Cleeg v Farage fact check: www.theguardian.com/news/reality-check/2014...

Channel 4 news - does Europe bring each household £3000?: http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-euro...

Unit 3: Law & Order - League tables criticised

An interesting article here, where the Metropolitan Police say there is a "culture of fear" in the force because of what it calls the "draconian" use of performance targets.

Useful when discussing the issue of targets and league tables.....this could be a pressure group response.

Unit 4: EU, UK and CFSP

Thanks to Jacob for finding this article where William Hague finally signs the UN arms treaty

Also, as the Clegg/Farage debate rumbles on, the BBC has written lots about the EU and the UK's relationship with it over the years. This article was one of the best, highlighting the key issues since the war.

Excellent contextual stuff. Also, here is the BBC coverage of the latest Farage/Clegg debate.

Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage in heated BBC debate over EU

COMMENTS (963)

Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg make their opening statements

Continue reading the main story

Nick Clegg has accused Nigel Farage of peddling "dangerous fantasies" in an ill-tempered BBC TV debate on Britain's future in Europe.

Mr Farage accused the Lib Dem leader of "wilfully lying" to the British people about Brussels' grip on UK laws.

He also claimed EU immigration had hit the "white working class" the hardest.

Instant polls said Mr Farage had won by a bigger margin than he did in their first debate last week.

YouGov's snap poll gives the debate to Mr Farage by 68% to 27%, while a poll by ICM/Guardian suggested 69% of people watching thought the UKIP man came out on top.

A YouGov/Sun poll suggested Mr Farage won their first clash last Wednesday by 57% to 36%.

The BBC's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said Mr Clegg was much more fired up than he had been last week, while Mr Farage had been more measured.

'Billy no mates'

Mr Clegg kicked off the one-hour debate - hosted by David Dimbleby - by accusing his opponent of foisting a "dangerous con" on the public by arguing for Britain's exit from the EU, telling the audience in the BBC's radio theatre "if it sounds too good to be true, it is".

He warned leaving the EU would lead to a 'Billy-no-mates Britain".

An early flashpoint was Mr Farage's support for Vladimir Putin over Syria.

The UKIP leader accused the Lib Dem leader of being "hell bent" on getting Britain involved in a war - but Mr Clegg accused him of trivialising the issue.

Mr Clegg and Mr Farage both produced leaflets during the debate

Mr Clegg also said Mr Farage's views on Mr Putin were reminiscent of a "pub bar discussion" - and that the Russian leader could have brought the conflict in Syria to an end with "one phone call".

Poking fun at Mr Farage, the Lib Dem leader suggested the UKIP leader would claim next that "the moon landing never happened, Barack Obama is not American and Elvis is not dead".

Mr Farage said the British people had "had enough of getting involved in foreign wars".

'Making things up'

He said he did not want Britain to be part of an "expansionist" EU foreign policy, claiming that the EU wants its own "army and navy".

Mr Clegg said this was a "dangerous fantasy that is simply not true".

The pair traded verbal blows over the percentage of British laws made in Brussels, with Mr Clegg claiming it was only about 7%. He also said the European Commission only employed the same amount of staff as Derbyshire County Council.

Mr Farage told the Lib Dem leader: "When I said yes to these debates I thought you would honestly make the pro-EU case.

"By saying 7% of our laws are made in Brussels, you are wilfully lying to the British people about the extent to which we have given control of our country and our democracy and I am really shocked and surprised you would do that."

Mr Clegg hit back, accusing the UKIP leader of "making things up to make a point".

The pair again clashed on EU immigration, with Mr Farage saying it was "good for the rich because it's cheaper nannies and cheaper chauffer and cheaper gardeners but it's bad news for ordinary Britons".

The UKIP leader said the scale of immigration over recent years had "shocked" the country and increased segregation in towns and cities.

But he said the worst social impact was that "it has left the white working class effectively as an underclass, and I think that is a disaster for our society".

The Lib Dem leader suggested that Mr Farage "does not like modern Britain" and that, in contrast, he was very comfortable with it.

'Crazy Horse'

Mr Clegg attempted to mock the UKIP leader as someone who was not a serious politician.

At one point, he brandished a UKIP leaflet - featuring a picture of a Native American - which he said suggests that if the British people ignore immigration, they will "end up on a reservation".

"What are you going to say next, that you are Crazy Horse or Sitting Bull?," he asked.

Mr Farage said he did not "recognise" the leaflet and did not "endorse its sentiments".

The Lib Dem later claimed the leaflet was distributed in Lancaster and Fleetwood ahead of the 2010 election but UKIP said it was not "official" party literature.

Towards the end of the debate, the UKIP leader issued a warning about the rise of far right parties in Europe, saying: "I want the EU to end but I want it to end democratically. If it doesn't end democratically I'm afraid it will end very unpleasantly."

He used his closing statement to make a pitch for votes in May's European elections, saying: "Let's free ourselves up and in doing so let's give an example to the rest of Europe.

"I know the people are behind this. I would urge people - come and join the people's army. Let's topple the establishment who got us into this mess."

Mr Clegg sketched out a vision of Britain's future in Europe entirely at odds with his Eurosceptic opponent in his closing remarks, promising "real remedies for the way the world is today not dangerous fantasies about a bygone world that no longer exists

"And that is why I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that we remain part of the European Union because that is how we protect the Britain we love."

Conservative leader David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband declined to take part in the debate.

Tory defence minister Anna Soubry said Mr Clegg backed the status quo in Europe while Nigel Farage could not deliver the change the British public wanted.

In contrast, she said the Conservatives were "absolutely united in our desire to renegotiate with Europe and to have a referendum - and to trust the British people to make up their minds".

For Labour, shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said voters were more concerned about "making ends meet" than the future of Europe and the party's focus was on securing a debate between Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband in the run-up to next year's general election.

The SNP said it believed in "positive engagement" with the EU and an independent Scotland would have "a seat at the top table in Europe".

Plaid Cymru said it wanted a "strong voice" for Wales at the heart of Brussels and it was concerned that Wales could be "pulled out of the EU against its own will and its own interests".

Unit 2: Past Questions on Prime Ministerial Power

Past questions on ministerial power from mattbentley34

Unit 2 & 4: The Coalition - The first 2 1/2 years

Interesting clip discussing the effectiveness and issues of a coalition govt.

Issues raised include:

Prime Ministerial Power
Splits in party are greater than coalition