Author Archives: Adrian McMenamin

After the Drama: What’s Next for British politics?

July is often the most fevered month in Britain’s politics. Politicians are tired, they need a holiday, and even in the most feeble of British summers – such as the one we are currently enduring – the seasonal heat adds to the discomfort of people locked up in offices all day long. But this July has been like no other in its intensity. The country’s most senior police officer and one of his deputies have been forced to resign. The biggest-selling Sunday newspaper has closed down. The most powerful media baron in the country has admitted, on live television, to being humbled, and for the first time in a long time, Conservative politicians and activists have been forced to consider the post-Cameron world as, even if for only a few hours, the idea that the stain of corruption might spread to the PM himself gained credibility.
Posted on July 21, 2011 By Adrian McMenamin
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Parliament’s Phoenix Moment

In the heady days of Blair’s 179-seat majority in 1997, it was fashionable among commentators to talk about the supine nature of the UK parliament: bending to the will of a strong executive buoyed by the power of royal prerogative and the whip system, and unchecked by a written constitution enforcing a separation of powers. In more recent times, the expenses crisis has seen public confidence eroded in MPs as waves of stories fuelled mistrust in politicians. This is beginning to change. In an era of coalitions, the corridors of Westminster, rather than Whitehall, were always going to be filled with additional intrigue. A new breed of intake from the 2010 General Election saw ambitious young parliamentarians emerge, many promoted to the front benches. Most are effective communicators who are fully engaged in social media.
Posted on July 20, 2011 By Adrian McMenamin
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The UK’s Public Services Open for Business

It will be difficult for the supporters of public service reform in the UK to see Monday's white paper on “Open Public Services” as anything other than a disappointment. Of course Prime Minister David Cameron was never going to concede that when he spoke at its launch. But given the emphasis he previously put on the “Big Society” and on opening up public service provision to new entrants and new methods of delivery, the limited and cautious words of the white paper speak of defeat.
Posted on July 13, 2011 By Adrian McMenamin
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The Fall of the News of the World has Political Ramifications too

As in every other western democracy, the internet has been wreaking havoc in the press in Britain. But there is no doubt that the papers are still extremely important in shaping and leading opinion in the United Kingdom and that has been reflected in sustained efforts by party leaders to be close to editors and proprietors of the major newspaper groups.
Posted on July 7, 2011 By Adrian McMenamin
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The Future of the Coalition Government

Pity the poor councillors of Northern Ireland. Five days on from the UK’s “super Thursday” of a referendum on voting reform and various combinations of local and regional polls, many of them are still stuck in counts, waiting to see how the electorate disposed of their political futures. Back in the Westminster bubble, however, most seem to have decided what that future looks like: an increasingly fraught relationship between the Tories and Lib Dems, so happily, if quickly, married, a year ago this week, with divorce now being discussed as a possible outcome.
Posted on May 10, 2011 By Adrian McMenamin
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Is this the End of the UK?

Neither Labour nor the Conservatives wish to acknowledge it, but clearly the most stunning results of the UK elections on Thursday have been the victories of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in Scotland, who now have a small overall majority in the Scottish parliament. The scale of that victory is particularly impressive because the electoral system for that parliament was more or less designed to ensure the SNP could never win a majority. Even as he won his own seat, the SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said he would press on with plans to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. So, is this an end to the “lang syne” of union between Scotland and the rest of the UK?
Posted on May 6, 2011 By Adrian McMenamin
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