1.
David Cameron
–
David William Donald Cameron is a British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. He served as the Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016 and was Member of Parliament for Witney from 2001 to 2016, Cameron identifies as a One-Nation Conservative, and has been associated with both economically liberal and socially liberal policies. Born in London to wealthy upper middle-class parents, Cameron was educated at Heatherdown School, Eton College, from 1988 to 1993 he worked at the Conservative Research Department, assisting the Conservative Prime Minister John Major, before leaving politics to work for Carlton Communications in 1994. Becoming an MP in 2001, he served in the shadow cabinet under Conservative leader Michael Howard. Cameron sought to rebrand the Conservatives, embracing an increasingly liberal position. The 2010 general election led to Cameron becoming Prime Minister as the head of a government with the Liberal Democrats. His administration introduced large-scale changes to welfare, immigration policy, education and it privatised the Royal Mail and some other state assets, and legalised same-sex marriage. When the Conservatives secured a majority in the 2015 general election he remained as Prime Minister. To fulfil a manifesto pledge, he introduced a referendum on the UKs continuing membership of the EU, Cameron supported continued membership, following the success of the Leave vote, he resigned to make way for a new Prime Minister and was succeeded by Theresa May. Cameron has been praised for modernising the Conservative Party and for decreasing the United Kingdoms national deficit, conversely, he has been criticised by figures on both the left and right, and has been accused of political opportunism and elitism. Cameron is the son of Ian Donald Cameron a stockbroker, and his wife Mary Fleur, a retired Justice of the Peace. Camerons parents were married on 20 October 1962, the journalist Toby Young has described Camerons background as being upper-upper-middle class. Cameron was born in Marylebone, London, and raised in Peasemore, Berkshire and he has a brother, Alexander Cameron, QC, a barrister, and two sisters, Tania Rachel and Clare Louise. Blairmore was built by Camerons great-great-grandfather, Alexander Geddes, who had made a fortune in the trade in Chicago, Illinois. Blairmore was sold soon after Ians birth, Cameron has said, On my mothers side of the family, her mother was a Llewellyn, so Welsh. Im a real mixture of Scottish, Welsh, and English and he has also referenced the German Jewish ancestry of one of his great-grandfathers, Arthur Levita, a descendant of the Yiddish author Elia Levita. From the age of seven, Cameron was educated at two independent schools, at Heatherdown School in Winkfield in Berkshire, which counts Prince Andrew, owing to good grades, Cameron entered its top academic class almost two years early. At the age of thirteen, he went on to Eton College in Berkshire and his early interest was in art
David Cameron
–
The Right Honourable David Cameron
MP
David Cameron
–
Chapel of Eton College
David Cameron
–
Brasenose College, Oxford
David Cameron
–
The
Home Office building Cameron worked at during the 1990s
2.
Philip Dunne (Ludlow politician)
–
Philip Martin Dunne is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for the Ludlow constituency in Shropshire. He was also elected as the secretary of the Ludlow Conservative Association for a year in 2001, since 2005 Dunne has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ludlow. Philip Dunne was born in Ludlow, Shropshire, and has an ancestry of politicians, Philip Dunne was educated at Abberley Hall School, followed by Eton College and Keble College, Oxford, where he was awarded a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He was elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election for Ludlow when he unseated the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP, Dunne regained the seat for the Conservatives, the seat having been lost at the 2001 general election. He made his speech on 8 June 2005. During his first term in Parliament he was a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, in the 2015 general election Dunne again increased his share of the vote and substantially increased his majority. Just before the Conservative leadership election of 2005, he balloted his constituents about whom he should vote for in the contest, following on from this ballot Dunne announced that he would be supporting David Cameron and was also Chairman of Camerons campaign in Shropshire. In September 2012, he was appointed Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology with responsibility for Defence procurement, in this role, he was the minister responsible for, and one of the backers of, the bill which became the Defence Reform Act 2014. He is married to Domenica and they have two sons and two daughters, as well as farming, Dunne has also worked in banking and has experience of working in New York and Hong Kong. He also helped start up Ottakars bookshop and he was born and raised in and around Ludlow and has a keen interest in diabetes research. Dunnes wealth is estimated at £5m, the Public Whip – Philip Dunne MP
Philip Dunne (Ludlow politician)
–
Philip Dunne
MP
Philip Dunne (Ludlow politician)
–
Keble College, Oxford
3.
Mid Worcestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
–
Mid Worcestershire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by Nigel Huddleston, a Conservative. The present Mid Worcestershire constituency, has existed almost intact since 1997, covers central and it covers most of the Wychavon district, including Broadway, Droitwich and Evesham, but excluding the areas around Pershore and ward of Inkberrow. The original constituency, which was created in 1983, covered a different area. Situated to the north of Worcester, it included the towns of Droitwich and Redditch, eric Forth of the Conservative Party represented the original Mid Worcestershire constituency from 1983 until 1997. Following the 2015 General Election, Nigel Huddleston was elected as the new Conservative MP for the constituency, income levels are on average considerably higher than the national average and levels of rented and social housing are below the national average, particularly levels seen in cities. List of Parliamentary constituencies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire Notes References
Mid Worcestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
–
Boundary of Mid Worcestershire in Worcestershire.
4.
Worcester (UK Parliament constituency)
–
Worcester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885 it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election, 1918-1950, The County Borough of Worcester. 1950-1983, The County Borough of Worcester, the Municipal Borough of Droitwich, 1983-1997, The City of Worcester, and the District of Wychavon wards of Drakes Broughton, Inkberrow, Lenches, Pinvin, Spetchley, and Upton Snodsbury. The constituency covers the city of Worcester, with exactly the same boundaries as the city and it borders the Mid Worcestershire constituency to the east, and West Worcestershire to the west. A Conservative seat for many years, Worcester was represented by the high-profile Conservative cabinet minister Peter Walker for three decades, from a by-election in 1961 until he stood down in 1992, Peter Luff held the seat until 1997, when he moved to the redrawn Mid Worcestershire constituency. Michael Foster of the Labour Party took the seat in the 1997 general election, Peter Walkers son, Robin Walker, was elected as the Conservative MP in 2010. The constituency is marginal and was selected as a target by the Labour Party in 1997, many political commentators and journalists look on Worcester as having the demographic statistics which most closely mirror those in the United Kingdom as a whole. As such the term Worcester woman has come into use as a description for a swing voter. Constituency created in 1295 General Election 1939/40, Another general election was required to place before the end of 1940. List of Parliamentary constituencies in Herefordshire and Worcestershire Worcester woman
Worcester (UK Parliament constituency)
–
Boundary of Worcester in Worcestershire.
5.
Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester
–
Peter Edward Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester, MBE, PC was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet as the Environment Secretary, Trade and Industry Secretary, Agriculture Minister, Energy Secretary and he was a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Worcester from 1961 to 1992. He was made a peer in 1992. In 1958 he became the youngest to-date National Chairman of the Young Conservatives, Walker was a founder of the Tory Reform Group, and served as Chairman of the Carlton Club. He died in 2010, shortly after his son, Robin Walker, had elected the Conservative MP for Worcester. Walker was educated at Latymer Upper School in London and he did not go to college or university. Walker rose through the ranks of the Conservative Partys youth wing and he was a branch chairman at the age of 14, and later National Chairman. He fought the Parliamentary seat of Dartford in the elections of 1955 and 1959. He later served as Minister of Housing and Local Government, Secretary of State for the Environment, from late-1974 to February 1975, Walker served as Shadow Defence Secretary. When Margaret Thatcher became the party leader, Walker did not serve in her Shadow Cabinet, but when the party to power in 1979, he returned to the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in 1979. He later served as Secretary of State for Energy, whilst at the Department for Energy he played an important role in the Governments successful opposition to the 1984–85 miners strike. Walker then served as Secretary of State for Wales between 1987 and 1990, although the role of Welsh Secretary was ostensibly one of the most junior jobs in the Cabinet, Walker claimed it gave him more influence as it gave access to key economic committees. He stood down from the Cabinet shortly before Thatcher herself was ousted in 1990, however, the Tories were re-elected in 1987, by which time unemployment was falling. Walkers appointment in 1970 as Secretary of State for the Environment was notable in that he became the worlds first environment minister. The creation of the Department of the Environment was in response to the environmental concerns of the 1960s. The measures put in place have had substantial results for river life, for instance, the Thames was declared biologically dead in 1957 but today many species of fish thrive in the river, including wild salmon and trout. Walker was a supporter of the hospice movement, becoming a patron of St Richards Hospice in Worcester when it was founded in 1984. He campaigned determinedly for greater NHS support for St Richards and the hospice movement
Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester
–
Shaftesbury
6.
Michael Foster (Worcester MP)
–
He later studied at the University of Wolverhampton where he received a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in 1995. He followed in his father Brians footsteps when he joined Jaguar Cars in 1984 as a financial analyst, becoming a senior analyst in 1985 and a management accountant in 1987. He left Jaguar in 1991 to become a lecturer in accountancy and finance at Worcester College of Technology and he joined the Labour Party in 1980, and was a shop steward for the Transport and General Workers Union for two years from 1986. He became the secretary of the Worcestershire Mid Constituency Labour Party in 1987, Michael Foster was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election for Worcester with a majority of 7,425, and remained the MP there until 2010. He made his speech on 2 June 1997. Where he spoke of the constituency and the Royal Worcester porcelain and he was the only Labour MP ever to represent Worcester in parliament. After the 2005 General Election he became the PPS to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain, in the reshuffle of May 2006, he entered the government as an assistant whip. In another reshuffle in October 2008, he was promoted to be a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, Michael Foster lost his seat to Robin Walker in the May 2010 election. He has been married to Shauna Ogle since 28 September 1985 and he is a member of the Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Michael Foster official site Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle, Michael Foster MP TheyWorkForYou
Michael Foster (Worcester MP)
–
Michael John Foster
7.
Windsor, Berkshire
–
Windsor is a historic market town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the residences of the British Royal Family. The town is situated 23 miles west of Charing Cross, London,7 miles south east of Maidenhead and it is immediately south of the River Thames, which forms its boundary with its ancient twin town of Eton. Windlesora is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the name originates from old English Windles-ore or winch by the riverside. By the late 12th century the settlement at Windelsora was renamed Old Windsor, the early history of the site is unknown, although it was almost certainly settled some years before 1070 when William the Conqueror had a timber motte and bailey castle constructed. The focus of royal interest at that time was not the castle, however, from about the 8th century, high status people started to visit the site occasionally, and possibly this included royalty. From the 11th century the sites link with king Edward the Confessor is documented, after the Conquest of 1066 royal use of the site increased, probably because it offered good access to woodlands and opportunities for hunting – a sport which also practised military skills. Windsor Castle is noted in the Domesday Book under the entry for Clewer, although this might seem strange, it occurred because plans for the castle had changed since 1070, and more land had been acquired in Clewer on which to site a castle town. This plan was not actioned until the early 12th century, King Henry married his second wife at Windsor Castle in 1121, after the White Ship disaster. The settlement at Old Windsor largely transferred to New Windsor during the 12th century,1170, under Henry II, following the civil war of Stephens reign. At about the time, the present upper ward of the castle was rebuilt in stone. It had a merchant guild from the early 13th century and, under patronage, was made the chief town of the county in 1277. Somewhat unusually, this gave no new rights or privileges to Windsor. Windsors position as town of Berkshire was short-lived, however. Wallingford took over this position in the early 14th century, as a self-governing town Windsor enjoyed a number of freedoms unavailable to other towns, including the right to hold its own borough court, the right of membership and some financial independence. The town accounts of the 16th century survive in part, although most of the once substantial borough archive dating back to the 12th century was destroyed, probably in the late 17th century. New Windsor was a significant town in the Middle Ages. Its prosperity came from its association with the royal household
Windsor, Berkshire
–
Windsor Bridge, Windsor and
Windsor Castle
Windsor, Berkshire
–
Windsor Castle, viewed from the Long Walk
Windsor, Berkshire
–
The Last Supper by Franz de Cleyn in the West Gallery of Windsor parish church of St John The Baptist.
Windsor, Berkshire
–
The
Windsor Guildhall
8.
England
–
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west, the Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east, the country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain in its centre and south, and includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Wight. England became a state in the 10th century, and since the Age of Discovery. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the worlds first industrialised nation, Englands terrain mostly comprises low hills and plains, especially in central and southern England. However, there are uplands in the north and in the southwest, the capital is London, which is the largest metropolitan area in both the United Kingdom and the European Union. In 1801, Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland through another Act of Union to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1922 the Irish Free State seceded from the United Kingdom, leading to the latter being renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain, the name England is derived from the Old English name Englaland, which means land of the Angles. The Angles were one of the Germanic tribes that settled in Great Britain during the Early Middle Ages, the Angles came from the Angeln peninsula in the Bay of Kiel area of the Baltic Sea. The earliest recorded use of the term, as Engla londe, is in the ninth century translation into Old English of Bedes Ecclesiastical History of the English People. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its spelling was first used in 1538. The earliest attested reference to the Angles occurs in the 1st-century work by Tacitus, Germania, the etymology of the tribal name itself is disputed by scholars, it has been suggested that it derives from the shape of the Angeln peninsula, an angular shape. An alternative name for England is Albion, the name Albion originally referred to the entire island of Great Britain. The nominally earliest record of the name appears in the Aristotelian Corpus, specifically the 4th century BC De Mundo, in it are two very large islands called Britannia, these are Albion and Ierne. But modern scholarly consensus ascribes De Mundo not to Aristotle but to Pseudo-Aristotle, the word Albion or insula Albionum has two possible origins. Albion is now applied to England in a poetic capacity. Another romantic name for England is Loegria, related to the Welsh word for England, Lloegr, the earliest known evidence of human presence in the area now known as England was that of Homo antecessor, dating to approximately 780,000 years ago. The oldest proto-human bones discovered in England date from 500,000 years ago, Modern humans are known to have inhabited the area during the Upper Paleolithic period, though permanent settlements were only established within the last 6,000 years
England
–
Stonehenge, a
Neolithic monument
England
–
Flag
England
–
Boudica led an uprising against the
Roman Empire
England
–
Replica of a 7th-century ceremonial
helmet from the
Kingdom of East Anglia, found at
Sutton Hoo
9.
United Kingdom
–
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
United Kingdom
–
Stonehenge, in
Wiltshire, was erected around 2500 BC.
United Kingdom
–
Flag
United Kingdom
–
The
Bayeux Tapestry depicts the
Battle of Hastings, 1066, and the events leading to it.
United Kingdom
–
The
Treaty of Union led to a single united kingdom encompassing all Great Britain.
10.
Conservative Party (UK)
–
The Conservative Party, officially the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a political party in the United Kingdom. It is currently the party, having won a majority of seats in the House of Commons at the 2015 general election. The partys leader, Theresa May, is serving as Prime Minister. It is the largest party in government with 8,702 councillors. The Conservative Party is one of the two major political parties in the United Kingdom, the other being its modern rival. The Conservative Partys platform involves support for market capitalism, free enterprise, fiscal conservatism, a strong national defence, deregulation. In the 1920s, the Liberal vote greatly diminished and the Labour Party became the Conservatives main rivals, Conservative Prime Ministers led governments for 57 years of the twentieth century, including Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. Thatchers tenure led to wide-ranging economic liberalisation, the Conservative Partys domination of British politics throughout the twentieth century has led to them being referred to as one of the most successful political parties in the Western world. The Conservatives are the joint-second largest British party in the European Parliament, with twenty MEPs, the party is a member of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe Europarty and the International Democrat Union. The party is the second-largest in the Scottish Parliament and the second-largest in the Welsh Assembly, the party is also organised in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The Conservative Party traces its origins to a faction, rooted in the 18th century Whig Party and they were known as Independent Whigs, Friends of Mr Pitt, or Pittites. After Pitts death the term Tory came into use and this was an allusion to the Tories, a political grouping that had existed from 1678, but which had no organisational continuity with the Pittite party. From about 1812 on the name Tory was commonly used for the newer party, the term Conservative was suggested as a title for the party by a magazine article by J. Wilson Croker in the Quarterly Review in 1830. The name immediately caught on and was adopted under the aegis of Sir Robert Peel around 1834. Peel is acknowledged as the founder of the Conservative Party, which he created with the announcement of the Tamworth Manifesto, the term Conservative Party rather than Tory was the dominant usage by 1845. In 1912, the Liberal Unionists merged with the Conservative Party, in Ireland, the Irish Unionist Alliance had been formed in 1891 which merged anti-Home Rule Unionists into one political movement. Its MPs took the Conservative whip at Westminster, and in essence formed the Irish wing of the party until 1922. The Conservatives served with the Liberals in an all-party coalition government during World War I, keohane finds that the Conservatives were bitterly divided before 1914, especially on the issue of Irish Unionism and the experience of three consecutive election losses
Conservative Party (UK)
–
Sir Robert Peel, twice
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and founder of the Conservative Party, as well as the 'most considered' first Prime Minister of the UK.
Conservative Party (UK)
–
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
–
Sir Winston Churchill, twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Conservative Party (UK)
–
1929 poster attacking the
Labour Party
11.
Alma mater
–
Alma mater is an allegorical Latin phrase for a university or college. In modern usage, it is a school or university which an individual has attended, the phrase is variously translated as nourishing mother, nursing mother, or fostering mother, suggesting that a school provides intellectual nourishment to its students. Before its modern usage, Alma mater was a title in Latin for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele. The source of its current use is the motto, Alma Mater Studiorum, of the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world and it is related to the term alumnus, denoting a university graduate, which literally means a nursling or one who is nourished. The phrase can also denote a song or hymn associated with a school, although alma was a common epithet for Ceres, Cybele, Venus, and other mother goddesses, it was not frequently used in conjunction with mater in classical Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater is a well-known 11th century antiphon devoted to Mary, the earliest documented English use of the term to refer to a university is in 1600, when University of Cambridge printer John Legate began using an emblem for the universitys press. In English etymological reference works, the first university-related usage is often cited in 1710, many historic European universities have adopted Alma Mater as part of the Latin translation of their official name. The University of Bologna Latin name, Alma Mater Studiorum, refers to its status as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. At least one, the Alma Mater Europaea in Salzburg, Austria, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been called the Alma Mater of the Nation because of its ties to the founding of the United States. At Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, the ancient Roman world had many statues of the Alma Mater, some still extant. Modern sculptures are found in prominent locations on several American university campuses, outside the United States, there is an Alma Mater sculpture on the steps of the monumental entrance to the Universidad de La Habana, in Havana, Cuba. Media related to Alma mater at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of alma mater at Wiktionary Alma Mater Europaea website
Alma mater
–
The Alma Mater statue by
Mario Korbel, at the entrance of the
University of Havana in
Cuba.
Alma mater
–
John Legate's Alma Mater for Cambridge in 1600
Alma mater
–
Alma Mater (1929, Lorado Taft),
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
12.
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
–
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. With around 250 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates, it also has the second smallest student body of the colleges of the University. The College has traditionally one of the more academically successful colleges in the University of Cambridge. The colleges average position between 2003 and 2012 was 9th, and in the most recent rankings, placed in 10th, Corpus ranks among the wealthiest Cambridge colleges in terms of fixed assets, being exceptionally rich in silver. The Colleges endowment valued at £97. 4M at the end of June 2016 and its freehold land, the guild of Corpus Christi was founded in Cambridge in 1349 by William Horwode, Henry de Tangmere, and John Hardy in response to the Black Death. They determined to found a new college in the University of Cambridge, later the same year the new guild merged with an older guild, the Guild of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which had been decimated by the Plague. The united guilds acquired land in the centre of town and their patron, the Duke of Lancaster, applied to King Edward III for a licence to found a new college, which was granted in 1352. Construction began immediately of a single modest court near the church and in 1356 it was ready to house the Master. The colleges statutes were drawn up in 1356, the united guild merged its identity with the new college, which acquired all the guilds lands, ceremonies, and revenues. The parade continued until the English Reformation, when the Master, William Sowode, the college continues to have a grand dinner on the feast day of Corpus Christi, the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. The newly constructed court could house 22 fellows and students, the statutes laid down the rules governing the behaviour of fellows only. Students were not part of the foundation at this stage and would not come within the scope of the statutes for another 200 years. In its early centuries, the college was relatively poor and so could not construct new buildings and it had no chapel, so the members worshipped in St Benets Church next door. For many years, particularly during the Reformation when Catholic references were discouraged, Corpus was the only University college, although by no means the only University building, to be attacked. The revolt, which took place during the Corpus Christi week. The college claimed £80 in damages, in 1460 during the Wars of the Roses, the college paid for armaments including artillery and arrows, and protective clothing to defend the colleges treasures from a tempestuous riot. As a monument a talbot, the supporter of the Talbot family, was placed on the gable of Old Court. At the same time the Master, Thomas Cosyn, built the colleges first chapel, over the next few centuries, garret rooms were added in Old Court increasing student numbers
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
–
Colleges of the
University of Cambridge Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
–
The main gate of the college
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
–
The back of Old Court, built in 1356, seen from the Old Cavendish Lab.
13.
Berkshire
–
Berkshire is a county in south east England, west of London. It was recognised as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of Windsor Castle by the Queen in 1957, Berkshire is a county of historic origin and is a home county, a ceremonial county and a non-metropolitan county without a county council. Berkshire County Council was the main county governance from 1889 to 1998 except for the separately administered County Borough of Reading, in 1974, significant alterations were made to the countys administrative boundaries although the traditional boundaries of Berkshire were not changed. The towns of Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage were transferred to Oxfordshire, Slough was gained from Buckinghamshire, since 1998, Berkshire has been governed by the six unitary authorities of Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. It borders the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, according to Asser, it takes its name from a large forest of box trees that was called Bearroc. Berkshire has been the scene of notable battles through its history. Alfred the Greats campaign against the Danes included the Battles of Englefield, Ashdown, Newbury was the site of two English Civil War battles, the First Battle of Newbury in 1643 and the Second Battle of Newbury in 1644. The nearby Donnington Castle was reduced to a ruin in the aftermath of the second battle, another Battle of Reading took place on 9 December 1688. It was the only military action in England during the Glorious Revolution. Reading became the new county town in 1867, taking over from Abingdon, boundary alterations in the early part of the 20th century were minor, with Caversham from Oxfordshire becoming part of the Reading county borough, and cessions in the Oxford area. On 1 April 1974 Berkshires boundaries changed under the Local Government Act 1972, Berkshire took over administration of Slough and Eton and part of the former Eton Rural District from Buckinghamshire. 94 Signal Squadron still keep the Uffington White Horse in their insignia, the original Local Government White Paper would have transferred Henley-on-Thames from Oxfordshire to Berkshire, this proposal did not make it into the Bill as introduced. On 1 April 1998 Berkshire County Council was abolished under a recommendation of the Banham Commission, unlike similar reforms elsewhere at the same time, the non-metropolitan county was not abolished. Berkshire divides into two distinct sections with the boundary lying roughly on a north-south line through the centre of Reading. The eastern section of Berkshire lies largely to the south of the River Thames, in two places the county now includes land to the north of the river. Tributaries of the Thames, including the Loddon and Blackwater, increase the amount of low lying land in the area. Beyond the flood plains, the land rises gently to the county boundaries with Surrey, much of this area is still well wooded, especially around Bracknell and Windsor Great Park. In the west of the county and heading upstream, the Thames veers away to the north of the county boundary, leaving the county behind at the Goring Gap
Berkshire
–
Windsor Castle, viewed from the Long Walk
Berkshire
–
Berkshire shown within England
Berkshire
–
Aerial view of
Virginia Water Lake on the southern edge of
Windsor Great Park
Berkshire
–
Physical map of Berkshire. From a book called Berkshire, by H. W. Monckton, published by Cambridge University Press, 1911. Map is credited to George Philip & Son, Ltd.
14.
Bachelor of Arts
–
A Bachelor of Arts is a bachelors degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both. Bachelor of Arts degree programs take three to four years depending on the country, academic institution, and specific specializations, majors or minors. The word baccalaureus or baccalarium should not be confused with baccalaureatus, degree diplomas generally are printed on high-quality paper or parchment, individual institutions set the preferred abbreviation for their degrees. In Pakistan, the Bachelor of Arts degree can also be attained within two years as an external degree, in colleges and universities in Australia, New Zealand, Nepal and South Africa, the BA degree can be taken over three years of full-time study. Unlike in other countries, students do not receive a grade for their Bachelor of Arts degree with varying levels of honours. Qualified students may be admitted, after they have achieved their Bachelors program with an overall grade point average. Thus, to achieve a Bachelor Honours degree, a postgraduate year. A student who holds a Honours degree is eligible for entry to either a Doctorate or a very high research Master´s degree program. Education in Canada is controlled by the Provinces and can be different depending on the province in Canada. Canadian universities typically offer a 3-year Bachelor of Arts degrees, in many universities and colleges, Bachelor of Arts degrees are differentiated either as Bachelors of Arts or as honours Bachelor of Arts degree. The honours degrees are designated with the abbreviation in brackets of. It should not be confused with the consecutive Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours, Latin Baccalaureatus in Artibus Cum Honore, BA hon. de jure without brackets and with a dot. It is a degree, which is considered to be the equivalent of a corresponding maîtrise degree under the French influenced system. Going back in history, a three-year Bachelor of Arts degree was called a pass degree or general degree. Students may be required to undertake a long high-quality research empirical thesis combined with a selection of courses from the relevant field of studies. The consecutive B. cum Honore degree is essential if students ultimate goal is to study towards a two- or three-year very high research masters´ degree qualification. A student holding a Baccalaureatus Cum Honore degree also may choose to complete a Doctor of Philosophy program without the requirement to first complete a masters degree, over the years, in some universities certain Baccalaureatus cum Honore programs have been changed to corresponding master´s degrees. In general, in all four countries, the B. A. degree is the standard required for entry into a masters programme, in science, a BA hons degree is generally a prerequisite for entrance to a Ph. D program or a very-high-research-activity master´s programme
Bachelor of Arts
–
A certificate or diploma evidencing the granting of a bachelor's degree
15.
Edward Heath
–
It was, says biographer John Campbell, Heaths finest hour. Although he planned to be an innovator as Prime Minister, his government foundered on economic difficulties, including high inflation and he led his party to defeat by the Labour Party twice in 1974. He became a vehement opponent of Margaret Thatcher, who supplanted him as party leader in 1975, Heaths lower middle-class origins were quite unusual for a Conservative Party leader. However, he was a leader in student politics at Oxford University and he worked briefly in the Civil Service, but resigned in order to stand for Parliament, and was elected for Bexley in the 1950 general election. He was the Chief Whip from 1955 to 1959, having entered the Cabinet as Minister of Labour in 1959, he was promoted to Lord Privy Seal and later became President of the Board of Trade. Heath was elected leader of the Conservative Party in 1965, he retained that position despite losing the 1966 general election, Heath became Prime Minister after winning the 1970 election. Possibly most significantly, he took Britain into the European Economic Community in 1973, Heaths premiership also oversaw the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with the suspension of the Stormont Parliament and the imposition of direct British rule. Heath also tried to curb the trade unions with the Industrial Relations Act 1971, however, rising unemployment in 1972 led him to reflate the economy, he attempted to control the resulting high inflation by a prices and incomes policy. Two miners strikes, in 1972 and at the start of 1974, damaged the government, Heath resigned as Prime Minister after trying in vain to form a coalition with the Liberal Party. Despite losing a general election in October that year, he vowed to continue as leader of his party. In February 1975, however, Margaret Thatcher challenged and defeated him to win the leadership, returning to the backbenches, Heath became an active critic of Thatchers policies. He remained a backbench MP until retiring at the 2001 election, outside politics, Heath was a world-class yachtsman and a talented musician. He was one of only four British prime ministers never to have married, in August 2015, the Wiltshire Police announced the beginning of Operation Conifer, a posthumous investigation of Heath for historical incidences of sex abuse. Edward Heath was born at 54 Albion Road, Broadstairs, Kent on 9 July 1916, the son of William George Heath, a carpenter and builder, and Edith Anne Heath and his father was later a successful small businessman. Heath was educated at Chatham House Grammar School in Ramsgate, and in 1935 with the aid of a county scholarship he went up to study at Balliol College, while at university Heath became active in Conservative politics. On the key issue of the day, foreign policy. His first Paper Speech at the Oxford Union, in Michaelmas 1936, was in opposition to the appeasement of Germany by returning her colonies, confiscated during the First World War. In June 1937 he was elected President of the Oxford University Conservative Association as a pro-Spanish Republic candidate, in 1937–38 he was chairman of the national Federation of University Conservative Associations, and in the same year he was Secretary and then Librarian of the Oxford Union
Edward Heath
–
The Right Honourable Sir Edward Heath
KG MBE
Edward Heath
Edward Heath
–
Heath and Queen Elizabeth II with U.S. President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon during the Nixons' 1970 visit to the United Kingdom
Edward Heath
–
Heath in 1987
16.
Special advisers (UK government)
–
A special adviser works in a supporting role to the British government. With media, political or policy expertise, their duty is to assist and they are often referred to as SPADs. Being a special advisor has become a frequent career stage for young politicians, before being elected Members of Parliament, special advisers are paid by central government and are styled as so-called temporary civil servants appointed under Article 3 of the Civil Service Order in Council 1995. For this reason, advisers may resign when an election is called to campaign on behalf of their party. Special advisers have sometimes been criticised for engaging in advocacy while still on the government payroll or switching directly between lobbying roles and the adviser role. A large number have gone on to accept lucrative jobs in the private sector. There is no limit on the number of special advisers. The government had previously accepted calls, made in 2000 by the Neill Committee on Standards in Public Life, the issue is about being transparent about accountability, roles and responsibilities and numbers. At the last full reporting the government had 68 such personnel in its employment,18 of whom worked in 10 Downing Street, special advisers may be paid up to £142,668. Before his resignation Andy Coulson was the highest paid special adviser with a salary of £140,000, the total cost of special advisers in 2006–07 was £5.9 million
Special advisers (UK government)
–
United Kingdom
17.
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
–
Her Majestys Principal Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, or informally Business Secretary, is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. The secretary of state was, until July 2016, also President of the Board of Trade when that position was transferred to the newly created post of Secretary of State for International Trade. During the government of Sir Alec Douglas-Home, the then President of the Board of Trade Edward Heath was given in addition the job of Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development. The head of this department became known as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the title President of the Board of Trade became the secondary title of the Secretary of State for Trade. In 1979 the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection was abolished by the incoming Conservative government, in 1983 the offices of trade and industry were remerged and the title of Secretary of State for Trade and Industry was recreated. When Michael Heseltine held this office, he preferred to be known by the title of President of the Board of Trade. Heseltines decision to reuse the old title caused some comment and it was discovered that the Board of Trade had not in fact met since the mid-nineteenth century, under Gordon Browns premiership there were two renamings of the role and three re-alignments of responsibility. In his first cabinet of 2007, he called the post Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise, in this change, the Better Regulation Executive was added to the department but the Office of Science and Innovation was lost. In 2008, the remained the same but responsibility for energy was lost. In 2009, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was merged into the existing department, at the same time the post of President of the Board of Trade was transferred to the newly created post of Secretary of State for International Trade
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
–
Incumbent
Sajid Javid since 11 May 2015
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
–
Arms of
Her Majesty's Government
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
–
The Earl of Shaftesbury
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
–
The Earl of Bridgewater
18.
David Young, Baron Young of Graffham
–
David Ivor Young, Baron Young of Graffham, CH, PC, DL is a British Conservative politician and businessman. Young is the son of a businessman who imported flour. In 1961 he left GUS and set up his first business, during the sixties he built up a group of companies in industrial property, construction and plant hire, selling out in June 1970 to Town & City Properties PLC and joined the board. After the property crash of 1973/4 he assisted Jeffrey Sterling to reverse his company into T&CP to form a group later became P&O. He also had a number of commercial interests. He sold out all his interests in 1980 upon entering the Department of Industry. His younger brother Stuart Young served as Chairman of the BBC, on the first day of the new government, Keith Joseph, the Secretary of State for Industry appointed him his advisor responsible for what later became known as privatisation. As such he became involved in government decisions and the Cabinet ministers who dealt with him regarded him very positively and he was created a life peer taking the title Baron Young of Graffham, of Graffham in the County of West Sussex on 10 October 1984. One month later, on 11 September it was announced that Young was to enter the cabinet as Minister without Portfolio to advise the government on unemployment issues, on 2 September 1985 he became Secretary of State for Employment. He was in charge of organising Mrs Thatchers tours and appearances on television, one week before polling day on 4 June 1987, Young and Tebbit had a major disagreement about the campaign strategy, a day nicknamed Wobbly Thursday. It is claimed that Young grabbed Tebbit by the lapels and said Norman, listen to me, after the election, Tebbit announced his retirement from the government and Young was promoted to Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. He was a somewhat stiff figure in public whom Private Eye nicknamed Lord Suit and he served two years in the role and privatised the last of the state industries in the department. In May 1989 he told the Prime Minister he would like to return to private life, Young then went back to business as a Director of Salomon Inc. and Executive Chairman of Cable and Wireless. From 1993 he was President of the Institute of Directors and from 1995 was Chairman of Council of University College, Young was the first President of Jewish Care. Outside Young Associates he has a number of business interests and he is chairman and controlling shareholder of the Camcon Federation of companies, a Cambridge-based federation of companies with innovative technology in the Oil and Gas, Auto and Medical fields. He is controlling shareholder and on the board of TSSI Systems Ltd and he is a substantial shareholder and Chairman of KashFlow Software Ltd, a leading provider of online accounting for SMEs. In December 2010, he became a Patron of Lifelites. Following the agreement of the report, to work with appropriate departments across government to bring the proposals into effect, see report Common Sense Common Safety below
David Young, Baron Young of Graffham
–
The Right Honourable The Lord Young of Graffham
CH,
PC,
DL
19.
Bell Pottinger
–
Bell Pottinger Private is a British multinational public relations and marketing company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the largest UK-based public relations consultancy measured by 2010 fee income, Bell Pottinger has been criticised numerous times for edits that the company has made on Wikipedia pages that involve or are about their clients. The company was hired by the Pentagon to work in Iraq against the interests of al-Qaeda for the sum of $540m. A report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism said the company made fake terror and news-style videos, the firm has been described as having the most controversial client list in the PR industry. Bell Pottinger was, until July 2012, an owned subsidiary of Chime Communications plc. Lord Bell, who advised Margaret Thatcher on media matters when she was UK Prime Minister, is a co-founder of Bell Pottinger. In June 2012, Lord Bell and Bell Pottinger CEO James Henderson completed a £19. 6m MBO from Chime, Bell Pottinger Private acquired Centreground Political Communications Limited, founded by former Tony Blair adviser Darren Murphy, in June 2014. In September that year, the company launched a new service aimed at the luxury sector, Bell Pottingers origins go back to 1985, when Bell and Frank Lowe founded Lowe Bell as a subsidiary of Lowe Howard-Spink. Bell and Piers Pottinger bought out Lowe Bell in 1989, and it was floated in 1994 as Chime Communications plc. In 1998, the subsidiaries were renamed as Bell Pottinger after Frank Lowe demanded that his name be removed, in 2000 the Bell Pottinger Group acquired Harvard Public Relations and QBO, which was renamed Bell Pottinger Public Relations. In 2001 Bell Pottinger acquired MMK in Germany and also The Smart Company, in 2003 Resonate, a consumer public relations company was set up. In 2004 Bell Pottinger Communications USA was launched and in 2005 Bell Pottinger Middle East was launched with offices in Bahrain in 2009, in 2009 Bell Pottinger Change & Internal Communications was launched and Ptarmigan in Leeds was acquired by the Bell Pottinger Group. The MBO was completed on 30 June 2012 with BPP Communications trading as an independent business from 1 July 2012, the Bell Pottinger Group had been ranked number one in the PRWeek and Marketing magazine league tables. Bell Pottinger has offices in London, North America, the Middle East and south-east Asia, Bell Pottinger donated £11,900 to the Conservative Party in the twelve months to September 2011. At one point, Tim Collins of Bell Pottinger—who has close connections with Prime Minister David Cameron, Edward Llewellyn, during a meeting with reporters, David Wilson—the chairman of Bell Pottinger Public Relations—had stated, We had a team working in the Presidents office. We wrote the Presidents speech to the UN last year which was well received. It went a way to taking the country where it needed to go. One of the techniques specifically mentioned by Collins was the use of search engine optimization to alter Google results, im not saying we can always do this but just as an example of what we can sometimes do
Bell Pottinger
–
BPP Communications Ltd. (
trading as Bell Pottinger Private)
20.
United Kingdom general election, 1987
–
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on Thursday 11th June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservatives ran a campaign focusing on lower taxes, a strong economy and they also emphasised that unemployment had fell below 3,000,000 for the first time since 1981, and inflation was standing at 4%, its lowest level for over twenty years. The tabloid media also had support for the Conservatives, particularly The Sun. The Labour Party, led by Neil Kinnock, was moving towards a more centrist policy platform. Indeed, the Labour Party succeeded in doing so at this general election, the Conservatives were returned to government, having suffered a net loss of only twenty-one seats, leaving them with 376 MPs. Labour succeeded in resisting the challenge by the SDP-Liberal Alliance to replace them as the main opposition, however, Labour still returned only 229 MPs to Westminster. The election was a disappointment for the SDP-Liberal Alliance, who saw their vote share decline and this led to the two parties eventually amalgamating to become the Liberal Democrats. The election night was covered live on the BBC, and presented by David Dimbleby, Peter Snow and it was also broadcast on ITV and presented by Sir Alastair Burnet, Peter Sissons and Alastair Stewart. The 1987 general election saw the election of the first Black and ethnic minority Members of Parliament, Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng, Bernie Grant, and Keith Vaz. The Conservatives campaign emphasized lower taxes, an economy, and defence. Norman Tebbit and Saatchi and Saatchi spearheaded the Conservative campaign and this was when, according to Youngs memoirs, Young got Tebbit by the lapels and shook him, shouting, Norman, listen to me, were about to lose this fucking election. In his memoirs Tebbit defends the Conservative campaign, We finished exactly as planned on the ground where Labour was weak and we were strong – defence, taxation, during the election campaign however Tebbit and Thatcher argued. The first Conservative party political broadcast played on the theme of Freedom and ended with a fluttering Union Jack, the hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country and the slogan, Its Great To Be Great Again. Labours first party political broadcast, dubbed Kinnock, The Movie, was directed by Hugh Hudson of Chariots of Fire fame, kinnocks personal popularity jumped 16 points overnight after the initial broadcast. The Conservatives were returned by a landslide victory with a comfortable majority. Yet the overall result of this proved that the policies of Margaret Thatcher retained significant support. Despite initial optimism and the professional campaign run by Neil Kinnock, in many southern areas, the Labour vote actually fell, with the party losing seats in London. However, it represented a victory against the SDP–Liberal Alliance
United Kingdom general election, 1987
–
All
650 seats in the
House of Commons 326 seats needed for a majority
United Kingdom general election, 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1987
–
Data from Guardian daily polls published in
The Guardian between April and June 1987 Colour Key: BLUE Conservative, RED Labour, ORANGE SDP-Liberal Alliance, BLACK Others
21.
Labour Party (UK)
–
The Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Labour later served in the coalition from 1940 to 1945. Labour was also in government from 1964 to 1970 under Harold Wilson and from 1974 to 1979, first under Wilson and then James Callaghan. The Labour Party was last in government from 1997 to 2010 under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, beginning with a majority of 179. Having won 232 seats in the 2015 general election, the party is the Official Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the party also organises in Northern Ireland, but does not contest elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Labour Party is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Progressive Alliance. In September 2015, Jeremy Corbyn was elected Leader of the Labour Party, the first Lib–Lab candidate to stand was George Odger in the Southwark by-election of 1870. In addition, several small socialist groups had formed around this time, among these were the Independent Labour Party, the intellectual and largely middle-class Fabian Society, the Marxist Social Democratic Federation and the Scottish Labour Party. In the 1895 general election, the Independent Labour Party put up 28 candidates, Keir Hardie, the leader of the party, believed that to obtain success in parliamentary elections, it would be necessary to join with other left-wing groups. Hardies roots as a lay preacher contributed to an ethos in the party led to the comment by 1950s General Secretary Morgan Phillips that Socialism in Britain owed more to Methodism than Marx. The motion was passed at all stages by the TUC, the meeting was attended by a broad spectrum of working-class and left-wing organisations—trades unions represented about one third of the membership of the TUC delegates. This created an association called the Labour Representation Committee, meant to coordinate attempts to support MPs sponsored by trade unions and it had no single leader, and in the absence of one, the Independent Labour Party nominee Ramsay MacDonald was elected as Secretary. He had the task of keeping the various strands of opinions in the LRC united. The October 1900 Khaki election came too soon for the new party to campaign effectively, only 15 candidatures were sponsored, but two were successful, Keir Hardie in Merthyr Tydfil and Richard Bell in Derby. Support for the LRC was boosted by the 1901 Taff Vale Case, the judgement effectively made strikes illegal since employers could recoup the cost of lost business from the unions. In their first meeting after the election the groups Members of Parliament decided to adopt the name The Labour Party formally, the Fabian Society provided much of the intellectual stimulus for the party. One of the first acts of the new Liberal Government was to reverse the Taff Vale judgement, the Peoples History Museum in Manchester holds the minutes of the first Labour Party meeting in 1906 and has them on display in the Main Galleries. Also within the museum is the Labour History Archive and Study Centre, the governing Liberals were unwilling to repeal this judicial decision with primary legislation
Labour Party (UK)
–
Keir Hardie, one of the Labour Party's founders and its first leader
Labour Party (UK)
–
Labour Party Plaque from Caroone House, 14 Farringdon Street
Labour Party (UK)
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Ramsay MacDonald: First Labour Prime Minister, 1924 and 1929–31
Labour Party (UK)
–
Aneurin Bevan speaking in October 1952
22.
Frank Dobson
–
Frank Gordon Dobson is a British Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras from 1979 to 2015, Dobson stood down at the United Kingdom general election,2015. Dobson was born in York in 1940 and his father, a railwayman, died when Dobson was sixteen years old. Dobson attended Dunnington County Church of England Primary School and the Archbishop Holgate Grammar School and he then studied Economics at the London School of Economics, gaining a BSc in 1962. He worked at the headquarters of the Central Electricity Generating Board from 1962-1970 and he stood down as Leader and resigned from the Council in 1975 on taking up a non-partisan job as Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Local Ombudsman, which he held until 1979. At the 1979 general election, Dobson was elected as MP for Holborn and he voted for Tony Benn for Labour Deputy Leader in 1981 but thereafter became disillusioned, and chose to align with what he called the sane left. He once remarked about Hazel Blears, who is 410 in height, after the privatisation of the Rover Group in 1988 he quipped, The price charged for Rover was so low that there is some suspicion that Lord Young thought it was a dog. As Spokesman on Environment and London from 1994, he led the national Labour response to the series of scandals over City of Westminster council, following Labours landslide victory at the 1997 general election, Dobson was appointed as Secretary of State for Health. This was a high-profile post but Dobson found it hard to make a big impact and he faced interference from civil servants, who would claim that Blair raised the issue of further private sector involvement in meetings with Dobson, which Dobson said to them just wasnt true. He also had his hands tied by the decision to stick within spending limits set by the previous Conservative government, Dobson wrote a memo to Blair, saying If you want a first-class service, you have to pay a first-class fare – and were not doing it. When money was diverted to the NHS, Blair credited Dobson for kickstarting it. Dobson was manoeuvred by the Labour Party leadership into announcing his resignation as an MP in order to stand as Mayor of London in the inaugural elections. He beat Ken Livingstone in the Labour Partys internal selection, helped by its electoral college system, in May 2000, Livingstone won the Mayoral election as an independent candidate. Dobson finished third behind the Conservative candidate Steven Norris, and just ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate Susan Kramer, Dobson was subsequently re-elected as an MP, albeit with reduced majorities, at the June 2001 and May 2005 general elections. Dobson said that he had them to Stick it up their wickit. Frank Dobson has been the subject of controversy for living in a flat whilst on a six figure ministerial salary. He continues to live in it, despite owning a property in Yorkshire. In an interview in July 2014, he responded to criticism, saying
Frank Dobson
–
The Right Honourable Frank Dobson
23.
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
–
The House of Commons of the United Kingdom is the lower house of the countrys parliament. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster, officially, the full name of the house is, The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. The House is a body consisting of 650 members known as Members of Parliament. Members are elected to represent constituencies by first-past-the-post and hold their seats until Parliament is dissolved, under the Parliament Act 1911, the Lords power to reject legislation was reduced to a delaying power. The Government is primarily responsible to the House of Commons and the prime minister stays in office only as long as he or she retains the support of a majority of its members. Although it does not formally elect the prime minister, the position of the parties in the House of Commons is of overriding importance, by convention, the prime minister is answerable to, and must maintain the support of, the House of Commons. Since 1963, by convention, the minister is always a member of the House of Commons. The Commons may indicate its lack of support for the Government by rejecting a motion of confidence or by passing a motion of no confidence, confidence and no confidence motions are sometimes phrased explicitly, for instance, That this House has no confidence in Her Majestys Government. Many other motions were considered confidence issues, even though not explicitly phrased as such, in particular, important bills that form a part of the Governments agenda were formerly considered matters of confidence, as is the annual Budget. Parliament normally sits for a term of five years. Subject to that limit, the minister could formerly choose the timing of the dissolution of parliament. By this second mechanism, the government of the United Kingdom can change without a general election. In such circumstances there may not even have been a party leadership election, as the new leader may be chosen by acclaim. A prime minister may resign if he or she is not defeated at the polls. In such a case, the premiership goes to whoever can command a majority in the House of Commons, in practice this is usually the new leader of the outgoing prime ministers party. Until 1965, the Conservative Party had no mechanism for electing a new leader, when Anthony Eden resigned as PM in 1957 without recommending a successor and it fell to the Queen to appoint Harold Macmillan as the new prime minister, after taking the advice of ministers. By convention, all ministers must be members of the House of Commons or of the House of Lords, a handful have been appointed who were outside Parliament, but in most cases they then entered Parliament either in a by-election or by receiving a peerage. Since 1902, all ministers have been members of the Commons
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
–
The House of Commons in the early 19th century by
Augustus Pugin and
Thomas Rowlandson.
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
–
Another picture of the old House of Commons chamber. Note the dark veneer on the wood, which was purposely made much brighter in the new chamber.
24.
United Kingdom general election, 1997
–
The United Kingdom general election of 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. Under the leadership of Tony Blair, the Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition and won the election with a landslide victory, winning 418 seats. Blair, as a result, became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, under Blairs leadership, the Labour Party had adopted a more centrist policy platform under the name New Labour. This was seen as moving away from the traditionally more left-wing stance of the Labour Party, the Labour campaign was ultimately a success and the party returned an unprecedented 418 MPs and began the first of three consecutive terms for Labour in government. However,1997 remains the last election in which Labour had a net gain of seats, a record number of women were elected to parliament,120, of whom 101 were Labour MPs. This was in thanks to Labours policy of using all-women shortlists. The Conservative Party was led by incumbent Prime Minister John Major and ran their campaign emphasising falling unemployment, however, future Prime Minister Theresa May was elected to the safe Conservative seat at Maidenhead, and future Speaker John Bercow in the seat at Buckingham. The Scottish National Party returned 6 MPs, double their total in 1992, as with all general elections since the early 1950s, the results were broadcast live on the BBC, the presenters were David Dimbleby, Peter Snow and Jeremy Paxman. Labour had elected John Smith as its party leader in 1992, Blair brought the party closer to the political centre and abolished the partys Clause IV in their constitution, which had committed them to mass nationalisation of industry. Labour also reversed its policy on nuclear disarmament and the events of Black Wednesday allowed Labour to promise greater economic management under the Chancellorship of Gordon Brown. Fast-track punishment for persistent young offenders by halving the time from arrest to sentencing, cut NHS waiting lists by treating an extra 100,000 patients as a first step by releasing £100 million saved from NHS red tape. Get 250,000 under-25-year-olds off benefit and into work by using money from a levy on the privatised utilities. No rise in tax rates, cut VAT on heating to 5 per cent. Disputes within the Conservative government over European Union issues, and a variety of sleaze allegations had affected the governments popularity. The previous Parliament first sat on 29 April 1992, therefore, the latest date the election could have been held on was 22 May 1997. British elections have been held on Thursdays by convention since the 1930s, Prime Minister John Major called the election on Monday 17 March 1997, ensuring the formal campaign would be unusually long, at six weeks. The election was scheduled for 1 May, to coincide with the elections on the same day. This set a precedent, as the three subsequent general elections have also held alongside the May local elections
United Kingdom general election, 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
–
All 659 seats to the
House of Commons 330 seats needed for a majority
United Kingdom general election, 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
25.
Parliamentary Private Secretary
–
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a United Kingdom or New Zealand Member of Parliament designated by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as the ministers contact with MPs. This role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, although not paid other than their salary as an MP, PPSs help the government to track backbench opinion in Parliament. In particular, the PPS in the Department for Communities and Local Government may not participate in planning decisions or in the consideration of planning cases, PPSs are not members of the government, and all efforts are made to avoid these positions being referred to as such. They are instead considered more simply as normal Members, however, their close confidence with ministers does impose obligations on every PPS. The guidelines surrounding the divulging of information to PPSs are rigid, Ministers choose their own PPSs, but must seek the written approval for each candidate from the Prime Minister, and it is traditional procedure to consult the Chief Whip. Similarly, a PPS must not appear as a representative for any special policies, when on official Departmental business, a PPS receives travel and subsistence allowance paid out of government funds, as with formal members of the government. This makes the PPS the only type of unpaid advisor who receives reimbursement in the course of duty, a PPS may stand in for the minister at an event as a last resort when the minister cannot appear. This can only happen in exceptional circumstances and must be justified by the minister, if this event is overseas, the substitution also requires the Prime Ministers consent. While not technically part of the government, a PPS is still bound to Collective Ministerial Responsibility, the role of PPS is seen as a starting point for many MPs who are looking to become ministers themselves. According to Philip W. Buck, a professor of science at Stanford University. Recruitment to the front bench clearly begins with two offices. Despite having risen to the rank of MP, those with Governmental ambitions will need to pay their dues once more - as a bag carrier, brendan Bracken, To Winston S. Churchill, 1940-41. Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister BBC, A-Z of Politics TheyWorkForYou, List of MPs and the posts that they hold Ministerial code related to PPSs
Parliamentary Private Secretary
–
UK government titles
26.
Ann Widdecombe
–
Ann Noreen Widdecombe, PC DSG is a former British Conservative Party politician. She is a Privy Councillor and was the Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 1997 and for Maidstone and she was a social conservative and a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship. She retired from politics at the 2010 general election, since 2002 she has also made numerous television and radio appearances, including as a television presenter. She is a convert from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism, born in Bath, Somerset, Widdecombe is the daughter of Rita Noreen and Ministry of Defence civil servant James Murray Widdecombe. Widdecombes maternal grandfather, James Henry Plummer, was born to an Irish Catholic family of English descent in Crosshaven and she attended the Royal Naval School in Singapore, and La Sainte Union Convent School in Bath. She then read Latin at the University of Birmingham and later attended Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, to read Philosophy and she worked for Unilever and then as an administrator at the University of London before entering Parliament. From 1976 to 1978, Widdecombe was a councillor on Runnymede District Council in Surrey and she contested the seat of Burnley in Lancashire in the 1979 general election and then, against David Owen, the Plymouth Devonport seat in the 1983 general election. She was first elected to the House of Commons in the 1987 general election as member for the constituency of Maidstone, although a committed Christian, she has characterised the issue as one of life and death on which her view had been the same when she was agnostic. Along with John Gummer MP, she converted from the Church of England to the Catholic Church following the decision of the Church of England on the Ordination of women as priests. In her speech at the 2000 Conservative conference, she called for a tolerance policy of prosecution. This was well received by rank-and-file Conservative delegates, on the issue of an equal age of consent, she said in 2000, I do not believe that issues of equality should override the imperatives of protecting the young. In 2003, Widdecombe proposed an amendment opposing repeal of Section 28 of the Local Government Act and she is a committed animal lover and one of the few Conservative MPs to have consistently voted for the ban on fox hunting. Widdecombe was among more than 20 high-profile people who signed a letter to Members of Parliament in 2015 to oppose David Camerons plan to amend the Hunting Act 2004. She has expressed a variety of views on issues such as climate change but has been opposed to legislation reducing emissions. Her views on the appear to have hardened over time. She was one of the five MPs who voted against the Climate Change Act 2008, in 2011 she expressed the view that climate change money should go to armed services. The previous year, she voted to support a motion supporting homeopathy, criticizing the Science. Over the years, Widdecombe has expressed her support for a reintroduction of the death penalty and she supported the argument that the death penalty would have deterrent value, as within five years of its abolition the national murder rate had more than doubled
Ann Widdecombe
–
The Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe
DSG
Ann Widdecombe
–
The
University of Birmingham, where Ann Widdecombe read
Latin
Ann Widdecombe
–
Widdecombe in 2006.
27.
Home Office
–
The Home Office is a ministerial department of the Her Majestys Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for immigration, security and law and order. As such it is responsible for the police, fire and rescue services, visas and immigration and it is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs, counter-terrorism and ID cards. It was formerly responsible for Her Majestys Prison Service and the National Probation Service, the Cabinet minister responsible for the department is the Home Secretary. The Home Office continues to be known, especially in official papers, the Home Office is headed by the Home Secretary, a Cabinet minister supported by the departments senior civil servant, the Permanent Secretary. The plan said the department will,1, simplify national institutional structures and establish a National Crime Agency to strengthen the fight against organised crime 3. Create a more integrated criminal justice system Help the police and other public services work together across the criminal justice system 4, secure our borders and reduce immigration Deliver an improved migration system that commands public confidence and serves our economic interests. Limit non-EU economic migrants, and introduce new measures to reduce inflow and minimise abuse of all migration routes, process asylum applications more quickly, and end the detention of children for immigration purposes 5. Protect peoples freedoms and civil liberties Reverse state interference to ensure there is not disproportionate intrusion into people‟s lives 6, protect our citizens from terrorism Keep people safe through the Government‟s approach to counter-terrorism 7. Build a fairer and more equal society Help create a fair, on 27 March 1782, the Home Office was formed by renaming the existing Southern Department, with all existing staff transferring. On the same day, the Northern Department was renamed the Foreign Office, to match the new names, there was a transferring of responsibilities between the two Departments of State. All domestic responsibilities were moved to the Home Office, and all foreign matters became the concern of the Foreign Office, most subsequently created domestic departments have been formed by splitting responsibilities away from the Home Office. On 7 April 2012, hacktivist group Anonymous temporarily took down the UK Home Office website, the group took responsibility for the attack, which was part of ongoing Anonymous activity in protest against the deportation of hackers as part of Operation TrialAtHome. One Anonymous source claimed in their tweet it was launched in retaliation for draconian surveillance proposals. On 18 July 2012, the Public and Commercial Services Union announced that thousands of Home Office employees would go on strike over jobs, pay and other issues. However, the PCSU called off the strike before it was planned it claimed the department had, subsequent to the threat of actions, announced 1,100 new border jobs. From 1978 to 2004, the Home Office was located at 50 Queen Annes Gate, many functions, however, were devolved to offices in other parts of London and the country, notably the headquarters of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Croydon. g. Wales Under the Welsh devolution settlement, specific areas are transferred to the National Assembly for Wales rather than reserved to Westminster
Home Office
–
2 Marsham Street, the headquarters of the Home Office
Home Office
–
The former Home Office building at
50 Queen Anne's Gate,
London
Home Office
–
Lunar House in
Croydon, which holds the headquarters of the Home Office UK Border Agency
28.
James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern
–
James Peter Hymers Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern, KT, PC, QC is a British advocate. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, Lord Advocate and he is an active member of the House of Lords where he sits as a Conservative. Mackay was born in Edinburgh, the son of railway signalman James Mackay and he won a scholarship to George Heriots School, and then studied mathematics and physics at the University of Edinburgh, receiving a joint MA in 1948. He taught mathematics for two years at the University of St Andrews before moving to Trinity College, Cambridge on a scholarship and he then returned to Edinburgh University where he studied law, receiving an LLB in 1955. Mackay was elected to the Faculty of Advocates in 1955 and he was appointed a Queens Counsel in 1965. He was Sheriff Principal for Renfrew and Argyll from 1972 to 1974, in 1973 he became Vice-Dean of the Faculty on Advocates and from 1976 until 1979 served as its Dean, the leader of the Scots bar. Although an eminent lawyer in his own right, Mackay was not a member of the newly elected Conservative Party, convention was that governments appointed as Lord Advocate a QC of their own party. At the time the only eligible Conservative Scottish QC was Nicholas Fairbairn, Mackay joined the Conservative Party on taking up the office. In anticipation of the retirement of Lord Fraser of Tullybelton as one of the two Scots Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, Mackay took an appointment as a judge of the Court of Session in 1984. He served until he was promoted to the committee of the House of Lords in 1985 when Fraser stepped down. In 1987 Margaret Thatcher made Mackay Lord Chancellor, when she resigned in 1990, it was Mackay who read the Cabinets tribute to her at her last cabinet meeting. He was reappointed by Thatchers successor John Major, serving until the 1997 general election, on his retirement he was one of the longest serving Lord Chancellors. Since his retirement, Mackay has sat in the House of Lords and was Commissary to the University of Cambridge until 2016. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Halsburys Laws of England, the legal work which states the law of England, first published in 1907. He is also a Senior Fellow of The Trinity Forum, a Christian nonprofit that supports the renewal of society through the development of leaders, Mackay was raised a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, as an adult he was an elder of the church. The church forbids its members to attend Roman Catholic religious services, the church suspended Mackay as an elder and withdrew his right to take Holy Communion. The dispute precipitated a schism, leading to the formation of the Associated Presbyterian Church, Mackay did not, however, join the new communion, but worships at both its parishes and those of the Church of Scotland. As a Presbyterian, Mackay was a believer in moderation
James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern
–
The Right Honourable The Lord Mackay of Clashfern
KT PC QC
James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern
–
A tree planted in the grounds of the
National Law School of India University in
Bangalore by Lord Mackay
29.
Lord Chancellor
–
The Lord Chancellor, formally the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. They are appointed by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking after only the Lord High Steward. Prior to the Union there were separate Lords Chancellor for England and Wales, the Lord Chancellor is a member of the Cabinet and, by law, is responsible for the efficient functioning and independence of the courts. In 2007 there were a number of changes to the legal system, the current Lord Chancellor is Elizabeth Truss, who is also Secretary of State for Justice. One of the Lord Chancellors responsibilities is to act as the custodian of the Great Seal of the Realm, a Lord Keeper of the Great Seal may be appointed instead of a Lord Chancellor. The two offices entail exactly the same duties, the distinction is in the mode of appointment. The seal is then said to be in commission, since the 19th century, however, only Lord Chancellors have been appointed, the other offices having fallen into disuse. The office of Lord Chancellor of England may trace its origins to the Carolingian monarchy, in England, the office dates at least as far back as the Norman Conquest, and possibly earlier. Some give the first Chancellor of England as Angmendus, in 605, other sources suggest that the first to appoint a Chancellor was Edward the Confessor, who is said to have adopted the practice of sealing documents instead of personally signing them. A clerk of Edwards, Regenbald, was named chancellor in some documents from Edwards reign, in any event, the office has been continuously occupied since the Norman Conquest. The chancellor headed the office or chancery. Formerly, the Lord Chancellor was almost always a churchman, as during the Middle Ages the clergy were amongst the few men of the realm. The Lord Chancellor performed multiple functions—he was the Keeper of the Great Seal, the royal chaplain. Thus, the position emerged as one of the most important ones in government and he was only outranked in government by the Justiciar. As one of the Kings ministers, the Lord Chancellor attended the curia regis or Royal Court, if a bishop, the Lord Chancellor received a writ of summons, if an ecclesiastic of a lower degree or, if a layman, he attended without any summons. The curia regis would later evolve into Parliament, the Lord Chancellor becoming the prolocutor of its upper house, as was confirmed by a statute passed during the reign of Henry VIII, a Lord Chancellor could preside over the House of Lords even if not a Lord himself. The Lord Chancellors judicial duties also evolved through his role in the curia regis, petitions for justice were normally addressed to the King and the curia, but in 1280, Edward I instructed his justices to examine and deal with petitions themselves as the Court of Kings Bench. Important petitions were to be sent to the Lord Chancellor for his decision, by the reign of Edward III, this chancellery function developed into a separate tribunal for the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
–
Incumbent
Michael Gove since 9th May 2015
Lord Chancellor
–
Arms of
Her Majesty's Government
Lord Chancellor
–
Sir
Thomas More, one of the most famous early Lord Chancellors, served and was executed under King
Henry VIII.
Lord Chancellor
–
The uniform of the Lord High Chancellor, depicted on a
cigarette card produced for the
Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937.
30.
India
–
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety
India
–
Flag
India
–
The granite
tower of
Brihadeeswarar Temple in
Thanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by
Raja Raja Chola I.
India
–
Writing the will and testament of the Mughal king court in Persian, 1590–1595
31.
Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition
–
It was a coalition government, composed of members of both the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. The governments Cabinet was made up of sixteen Conservatives and five Liberal Democrats with eight other Conservatives and one other Liberal Democrat attending cabinet, the Cameron ministry was the first coalition government to have governed the United Kingdom since the Churchill war ministry of the Second World War. Following the 2015 British general election, the ministry was replaced by the single-party Second Cameron ministry, the previous Parliament had been dissolved on 12 April 2010 in advance of the general election on 6 May. The election resulted in a parliament, no single party having an overall majority in the House of Commons. In the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition agreement of 11 May 2010, the two formed a coalition government. The Queens Speech on 25 May set out the legislative agenda. Of the 57 Liberal Democrat MPs, only two refused to support the Conservative Coalition agreement, with former leader Charles Kennedy and Manchester Withington MP John Leech both rebelling. If a Liberal Democrat minister resigned or was removed from office, each cabinet committee had a chair from one party and a deputy chair from the other, there was also a cabinet committee specifically overseeing the operation of the coalition. Clegg, as Deputy Prime Minister, took Prime Ministers Questions when Cameron was unavailable, on 4 September 2012, David Cameron reshuffled his cabinet for the first time. He reshuffled his cabinet for the time on 14 July 2014. David Laws resigned as Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 29 May 2010 because of an expenses irregularity dating from the previous Parliament and he was replaced by Sir George Young. On 7 January 2013, Lord Strathclyde resigned as Leader of the House of Lords and he was replaced by Lord Hill of Oareford. On 7 October 2013, Michael Moore was replaced as Secretary of State for Scotland by Alistair Carmichael, on 9 April 2014, Maria Miller resigned as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities. She was replaced as Culture Secretary and Minister for Equalities by Sajid Javid, Morgan, who succeeded Javid as Financial Secretary to the Treasury, was not a full cabinet member but attended meetings in her role as Minister for Women. She was replaced at the Foreign Office by Baroness Anelay of St. Johns, with Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles taking on Warsis former Faith and Community brief. Premiership of David Cameron Shadow Cabinet of Ed Miliband List of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, 2000–present Hazell, Robert, Yong, the Politics of Coalition, How the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government Works. Camerons government, A guide to whos who, BBC News,14 May 2010 Election 2010, the new cabinet guardian. co. uk,12 May 2010, interactive guide
Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition
Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition
–
Cameron ministry
Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition
–
Government
32.
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
–
The Ministry of Defence is the British government department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by Her Majestys Government and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. The MoD states that its objectives are to defend the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its interests and to strengthen international peace. The MoD also manages day-to-day running of the forces, contingency planning. As rearmament became a concern during the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin created the position of Minister for Coordination of Defence. Winston Churchill, on forming his government in 1940, created the office of Minister of Defence to exercise control over the Chiefs of Staff Committee. The post was held by the Prime Minister of the day until Clement Attlees government introduced the Ministry of Defence Act of 1946, the new ministry was headed by a Minister of Defence who possessed a seat in the Cabinet. These departments merged in 1964, the functions of the Ministry of Aviation Supply merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971. The Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are as follows, The Ministers and Chiefs of the Defence Staff are supported by a number of civilian, scientific, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence is the senior civil servant at the MoD. His or her role is to ensure the MoD operates effectively as a department of the government, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Stephen Lovegrove—commencing April 2016 Defence Equipment & Support CEO - Tony Douglas — commencing 2016 Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Vernon C. He is supported by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Gordon Messenger, Royal Marines. First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, Royal Navy Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, the Surgeon General, represents the Defence Medical Services on the Defence Staff, and is the clinical head of that service. These forces must be capable of representing Britain as lead nation in any coalition operations, the ability, at longer notice, to deploy forces in a large-scale operation while running a concurrent small-scale operation. The MoD has since been regarded as a leader in elaborating the post-Cold War organising concept of defence diplomacy, the UK is establishing air and naval bases in the Persian Gulf, located in the UAE and Bahrain. A presence in Oman is also being considered, the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 included £178 billion investment in new equipment and capabilities. The review set a policy with four primary missions for the Armed Forces, Defend and contribute to the security and resilience of the UK. Contribute to improved understanding of the world through strategic intelligence and the defence network. Reinforce international security and the capacity of our allies, partners. Conduct operations to restore peace and stability, conduct major combat operations if required, including under NATO Article 5
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
–
Jon Thompson, Permanent Under-Secretary of State
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
–
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
–
The plaque outside the South Door of the MoD's Main Building.
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
–
A British armed forces careers office in
Oxford
33.
United Kingdom general election, 2015
–
The United Kingdom general election of 2015 on 7 May 2015 elected the 56th Parliament of the United Kingdom. Each of the 650 parliamentary constituencies elected one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons and it was the first general election at the end of a fixed-term Parliament. Local elections took place in most of England on the same day, polls and commentators had predicted the outcome would be too close to call and would result in a second hung parliament similar to the 2010 election. Opinion polls were eventually proven to have underestimated the Conservative vote as they won an outright majority. Having governed in coalition with the Liberal Democrats since 2010, the Conservatives won 330 seats and 36. 9% of the vote, the British Polling Council began an inquiry into the substantial variance between opinion polls and the actual result. The Labour Party, led by Ed Miliband, saw an increase in its vote share to 30. 4%. This was its lowest seat tally since the 1987 election, senior Labour shadow cabinet members, notably Ed Balls, Douglas Alexander, and Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy, were defeated. The UK Independence Party came third in terms of votes with 12. 6%, the Green Party won its highest-ever share of the vote with 3. 8%, and held Brighton Pavilion with an increased majority, though did not win any additional seats. Labours Miliband and Murphy resigned, as did Clegg, Farage claimed that his resignation was rejected by his party, and he remained in post. In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Unionist Party returned to the Commons with two MPs after an absence, while the Alliance Party lost its only seat despite an increase in total vote share. That renegotiation was followed by an in-out referendum a year later in June 2016, as a result, it is likely that this was the last general election to be held in the UK during its membership of the EU. There were local elections on the day in most of England. No other elections were scheduled to take place in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, all British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens over the age of 18 on the date of the election were permitted to vote. In general elections, voting takes place in all constituencies of the United Kingdom to elect members of parliament to seats in the House of Commons. Each parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom elects one MP to the House of Commons using the first-past-the-post system, if one party obtains a majority of seats, then that party is entitled to form the Government. If the election results in no party having a majority. In this case, the options for forming the Government are either a minority government or a coalition government, the next boundary review is now set to take place in 2018, thus the 2015 general election was contested using the same constituencies and boundaries as in 2010. Of the 650 constituencies,533 are in England,59 in Scotland,40 in Wales and 18 in Northern Ireland, in addition, the 2011 Act mandated a referendum in 2011 on changing from the current first-past-the-post system to an alternative vote system for elections to the Commons
United Kingdom general election, 2015
–
All
650 seats in the
House of Commons 326 seats needed for a majority
United Kingdom general election, 2015
United Kingdom general election, 2015
United Kingdom general election, 2015
34.
Knight Bachelor
–
The appointment of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic and lowest rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch, Knights Bachelor are the most ancient sort of British knight, but Knights Bachelor rank below knights of the various orders. There is no counterpart to Knight Bachelor. The lowest knightly honour that can be conferred upon a woman is Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – which, also, foreigners are not created Knights Bachelor, instead they are generally made honorary KBEs. It is generally awarded for service, amongst its recipients are all male judges of Her Majestys High Court of Justice in England. Sir Patrick Stewart, and Sir Tom Jones are Officers of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, like other knights, Knights Bachelor are styled Sir. Since they are not knights of any order of chivalry, there is no post-nominal associated with the award. This style is adopted by Knights Bachelor who are also peers, baronets or knights of the various statutory orders, such as Sir William Boulton, Bt, Kt, or The Lord Olivier. Until 1926 Knights Bachelor had no insignia which they could wear, the Knights Bachelor badge may be worn on all such occasions upon the left side of the coat or outer garment of those upon whom the degree of Knight Bachelor has been conferred. In 1974, Queen Elizabeth II issued a warrant authorising the wearing on appropriate occasions of a neck badge, slightly smaller in size. In 1988 a new certificate of authentication, a knights only personal documentation, was designed by the College of Arms. The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor was founded for the maintenance and consolidation of the Dignity of Knights Bachelor in 1908, the Society keeps records of all Knights Bachelor, in their interest
Knight Bachelor
–
Knight Bachelor
35.
The London Gazette
–
The London Gazette claims to be the oldest surviving English newspaper and the oldest continuously published newspaper in the UK, having been first published on 7 November 1665 as The Oxford Gazette. This claim is made by the Stamford Mercury and Berrows Worcester Journal. It does not have a large circulation, in turn, The London Gazette carries not only notices of UK-wide interest, but also those relating specifically to entities or people in England and Wales. However, certain notices that are only of specific interest to Scotland or Northern Ireland are also required to be published in The London Gazette, the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes are published by TSO on behalf of Her Majestys Stationery Office. They are subject to Crown Copyright, the London Gazette is published each weekday, except for Bank Holidays. The official Gazettes are published by The Stationery Office, the content, apart from insolvency notices, is available in a number of machine-readable formats, including XML and XML/RDFa via Atom feed. The London Gazette was first published as The Oxford Gazette on 7 November 1665. Charles II and the Royal Court had moved to Oxford to escape the Great Plague of London, the Gazette was Published by Authority by Henry Muddiman, and its first publication is noted by Samuel Pepys in his diary. The King returned to London as the plague dissipated, and the Gazette moved too, the Gazette was not a newspaper in the modern sense, it was sent by post to subscribers, not printed for sale to the general public. Her Majestys Stationery Office took over the publication of the Gazette in 1889, publication of the Gazette was transferred to the private sector, under government supervision, in the 1990s, when HMSO was sold and renamed The Stationery Office. In time of war, dispatches from the conflicts are published in The London Gazette. People referred to are said to have mentioned in dispatches. When members of the forces are promoted, and these promotions are published here. Man tally-ho, Miss piano, Wife silk and satin, Boy Greek and Latin, the phrase gazetted fortune hunter is also probably derived from this. Notices of engagement and marriage were also published in the Gazette. Gazettes, modelled on The London Gazette, were issued for most British colonial possessions
The London Gazette
–
The London Gazette, dated 14–17 May 1705 detailing the return of
John Leake from
Gibraltar after the
Battle of Cabrita Point.
The London Gazette
–
The London Gazette: later reprint of the front page from 3–10 September 1666, reporting on the
Great Fire of London.
36.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
–
It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories. Its head is the Sovereign of the United Kingdom and its seat is the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster, one of the boroughs of the British capital, the parliament is bicameral, consisting of an upper house and a lower house. The Sovereign forms the third component of the legislature, prior to the opening of the Supreme Court in October 2009, the House of Lords also performed a judicial role through the Law Lords. The House of Commons is an elected chamber with elections held at least every five years. The two Houses meet in separate chambers in the Palace of Westminster in London, most cabinet ministers are from the Commons, whilst junior ministers can be from either House. The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Treaty of Union by Acts of Union passed by the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The UK parliament and its institutions have set the pattern for many throughout the world. However, John Bright – who coined the epithet – used it with reference to a rather than a parliament. In theory, the UKs supreme legislative power is vested in the Crown-in-Parliament. However, the Crown normally acts on the advice of the Prime Minister, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created in 1801, by the merger of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland under the Acts of Union. The principle of responsibility to the lower House did not develop until the 19th century—the House of Lords was superior to the House of Commons both in theory and in practice. Members of the House of Commons were elected in an electoral system. Thus, the borough of Old Sarum, with seven voters, many small constituencies, known as pocket or rotten boroughs, were controlled by members of the House of Lords, who could ensure the election of their relatives or supporters. During the reforms of the 19th century, beginning with the Reform Act 1832, No longer dependent on the Lords for their seats, MPs grew more assertive. The supremacy of the British House of Commons was established in the early 20th century, in 1909, the Commons passed the so-called Peoples Budget, which made numerous changes to the taxation system which were detrimental to wealthy landowners. The House of Lords, which consisted mostly of powerful landowners, on the basis of the Budgets popularity and the Lords consequent unpopularity, the Liberal Party narrowly won two general elections in 1910. Using the result as a mandate, the Liberal Prime Minister, Herbert Henry Asquith, introduced the Parliament Bill, in the face of such a threat, the House of Lords narrowly passed the bill. However, regardless of the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the Government of Ireland Act 1920 created the parliaments of Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland and reduced the representation of both parts at Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
–
Parliament at night, with the
London Eye visible at right
Parliament of the United Kingdom
–
Leading 17th century Parliamentarian
John Hampden is one of the
Five Members annually commemorated
37.
Hansard
–
Hansard is the traditional name of the transcripts of Parliamentary Debates in Britain and many Commonwealth countries. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, a London printer and publisher, though the history of the Hansard began in the British parliament, each of Britains colonies developed a separate and distinctive history. Before 1771, the British Parliament had long been a highly secretive body, the official record of the actions of the House was publicly available, but there was no record of the debates. The publication of remarks made in the House became a breach of Parliamentary privilege, as the populace became interested in parliamentary debates, more independent newspapers began publishing unofficial accounts of them. Several editors used the device of veiling parliamentary debates as debates of fictitious societies or bodies, the names under which parliamentary debates were published include Proceedings of the Lower Room of the Robin Hood Society and Debates of the Senate of Magna Lilliputia. The Senate of Magna Lilliputia was printed in Edward Caves The Gentlemans Magazine, the names of the speakers were carefully filleted, for example, Sir Robert Walpole was thinly disguised as Sr. R―t W―le. In 1771 Brass Crosby, who was Lord Mayor of the City of London, had brought him a printer by the name of John Miller who dared publish reports of Parliamentary proceedings. He released the man, but was ordered to appear before the House to explain his actions. Crosby was committed to the Tower of London, but when he was brought to trial, several judges refused to hear the case and after protests from the public, Crosby was released. Parliament ceased to punish the publishing of its debates as harshly, partly due to the campaigns of John Wilkes on behalf of free speech, there then began several attempts to publish reports of debates. Among the early successes, the Parliamentary Register published by John Almon and John Debrett began in 1775, cobbetts avocation for the freedom of the press was severely punished by the British Government. On June 5,1810 William Cobbett stood trial for libel for an article he wrote against the British Government which was published by Thomas Curson Hansard. Cobbett was found guilty, upon the fullest and most satisfactory evidence, the sentence was described by J. C Trewin as vindictive. Cobbetts Parliamentary Debates became Hansard Parliamentary Debates, abbreviated over time to the now familiar Hansard, from 1829 the name Hansard appeared on the title page of each issue. Neither Cobbett nor Hansard ever employed anyone to take notes of the debates. For this reason, early editions of Hansard are not to be relied upon as a guide to everything discussed in Parliament. The last attempt at a rival was The Times which published debates in the 1880s. In 1878 a subsidy was granted to the Hansard press and at that point reporters were employed, despite hiring contract reporters there were still widespread complaints about the accuracy of the debates
Hansard
–
Hansard title page from 1832
Hansard
–
Sample of Hansard from The House of Commons, 1895. Shows sample of several members speaking as described in the text.
Hansard
–
Cover page of Hansard for the Province of Ontario, February 12, 1953
38.
TheyWorkForYou
–
It also helps create accountability for UK politicians by publishing a complete archive of every word spoken in Parliament, along with a voting record and other details for each MP, past and present. TheyWorkForYou does not publish original content, it scrapes from the sources, then presents debates. For example, TheyWorkForYou’s version of Hansard may be searched, and it also has a facility to alert users by email to speeches by an MP or specific words appearing in Hansard. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph rated it 41st in a list of the 101 most useful websites, TheyWorkForYou was not originally built by mySociety, but was adopted by them in 2006. As time passed, more features were added and more areas of Parliament were covered, such as debates, around the 2005 general election, Channel 4 used a branded version of TheyWorkForYou to supply their MP data. In summer 2006, the Department for Constitutional Affairs funded the creation of an API for the site so other sites could use the data from the site themselves. This has enabled a variety of uses, from MPs publishing out their most recent speeches onto their own websites, later that year, Matthew Somerville added the entire Northern Ireland Assembly Hansard and all MLAs to the site. As with most of other projects, TheyWorkForYou’s underlying code is open source. In April 2009, an Irish version of TheyWorkForYou was launched in beta form, called KildareStreet, it contains Irish parliamentary data from January 2004 to the present day. When the site launched, it did not have the right to reproduce Hansard, a licence was later given, and click-use licences for Parliamentary copyright information were created as a result. This led to a debate in the House of Commons on the increase in questions, the site removed absolute rankings and added some more explanatory text in response, and held a meeting at Parliament later in the year to discuss better metrics. In summer 2006, Jack Straw, Leader of the House of Commons also mentioned TheyWorkForYou as a site which seems to measure Members work in quantitative rather than qualitative terms, of a fair and accurate account of a debate in either House is protected
TheyWorkForYou
–
Mzalendo, the Kenyan website, running on Pombola
TheyWorkForYou
–
mySociety logo
39.
United Kingdom general election, 1992
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The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on Thursday 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. It was the last outright win for the Conservatives until 2015 and this election result took many by surprise, as opinion polling leading up to the election day had shown the Labour Party, under leader Neil Kinnock, consistently, if narrowly, ahead. John Major had won the election in November 1990 following the resignation of Margaret Thatcher. The economy was facing a recession around the time of Majors appointment, because it confounded the opinion polls, the 1992 election was one of the most dramatic elections in the UK since the end of the Second World War. The BBCs live television broadcast of the results was presented by David Dimbleby and Peter Snow. Sky News presented full coverage of an election night for the first time. The Conservative Party received what remains the largest number of votes in British history, Labour began to lead the Conservatives in the opinion polls by as much as 20 percentage points. Thatcher resigned after the party leadership ballot in November 1990 and was replaced by John Major and this was well received by the public, Labour lost some momentum as it reduced the impact of their calls for Time for a Change. Parliament was due to no later than 16 June 1992. Major called the election on 11 March, shortly after Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont had delivered the Budget, under the leadership of Neil Kinnock the Labour party had undergone further developments and alterations since its 1987 election defeat. Labour entered the campaign confident, with most opinion polls showing a slight Labour lead that if maintained suggested a hung parliament, the parties campaigned on the familiar grounds of taxation and health care. Major became known for delivering his speeches while standing on an upturned soapbox during public meetings, immigration was also an issue, with Home Secretary Kenneth Baker making a controversial speech stating that, under Labour, the floodgates would be opened for immigrants from developing countries. Some speculated that this was a bid by the Conservatives to shore up its support amongst its white working-class supporters. The Conservatives also pounded the Labour Party over the issue of taxation, producing a memorable poster entitled Labours Double-Whammy, showing a boxer wearing gloves marked tax rises, Labour seemingly recovered from the NHS controversy, and opinion polls on 1 April showed a clear Labour lead. But the lead fell considerably in the following days polls, however some analysts and participants in the campaign believed it actually had little effect, with the event only receiving widespread attention after the election. This was the first general election for the newly formed Liberal Democrats and its formation had not been without its problems, but under the strong leadership of Paddy Ashdown, who proved to be a likeable and candid figure, the party went into the election ready. They focused on education throughout the campaign, as well as a promise on reforming the voting system, in Scotland the Scottish National Party hoped for a major electoral breakthrough in 1992 and had run a hard independence campaign with Free by 93 as their slogan. Although the party increased its vote by 50% compared to 1987
United Kingdom general election, 1992
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All
651 seats in the
House of Commons 326 seats needed for a majority
United Kingdom general election, 1992
United Kingdom general election, 1992
