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The Queen’s speech is, as Her Majesty pointed out, written by the government. In the case of the speech she delivered on 11 May 2021, opinions seem divided. Some have claimed that there was not much to it. Tim Montgomerie, a former adviser to Number 10 described it as “a thin Queen’s Speech. This is […]

Labour has lost Hartlepool. A once-safe labour seat now has a Conservative majority of 25%. And a variety of conflicting explanations are already forthcoming, including: the Labour Party still hasn’t recovered from Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership; Sir Keir Starmer is not the leader the Labour Party needs – with over 150,000 dead from COVID in the […]

In the UK, the NHS is widely regarded as a national treasure. It ensures that every member of the population, regardless of their level of wealth, has access to healthcare when they need it – and it is free at the point of use. In many countries, healthcare bills can be a serious concern. In […]

in May, 2020, the UK Prime Minister promised to create a world-beating test and trace system. Many people have criticised the results of his initiative. This article explores whether such criticism is justified, and, if so, what lessons we should draw from this episode. Our conclusion is that the UK’s test and trace system, the […]

According to the government, there have now been 126,000 deaths from Covid in the UK. But according to the Office for National Statistics, the true total is now over 150,000. It is extraordinary that such a death toll should receive so little coverage in the media. And perhaps even more extraordinary that there is so […]

This article was written by 99% members Norma Cohen and Mark E Thomas in response to a question posed by the FT as part of the 2021 Political Essay Competition. Their entry did not win. Norma is the FT’s former demography correspondent and author of a PhD thesis, How Britain Paid for War: Bond Holders […]

There is one critically important area on which the Conservative government, which has been in power since 2010, is performing strongly relative to other countries – vaccine roll-out. On other measures, the government has turned in a desperately weak performance: the UK has the fifth worst COVID death toll in the world – if we […]

The right to peaceful protest is, at least in principle, internationally accepted. Article 21 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) governs the right of peaceful assembly, providing that: “The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those […]

On 3 March 2021, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, unveiled his Budget. Billed as a ‘spend now, tax later’ Budget, the government claims that it represents a decisive break with the austerity of the past in favour of investing in growth and yet will take a responsible attitude to the health of the nation’s finances. The […]

This article was written by 99% member, Lynne Jones,  Member of Parliament for Birmingham Selly Oak from 1992 until the dissolution of parliament in April 2010. The article was published in Order! Order!  — the official journal of the The Association of Former Members of Parliament.   Since 1980, we have adopted a system of […]