Topical Information for Politics
Introduction
In this folder, you will find up-to-date information about recent political events, as recommended by your tutor, so make sure you check it regularly for updated content and make good use of it as you revise. We will make course announcements when we add new items.
To score a high grade in AS Politics, it is essential that you are able to draw upon up-to-date examples to illustrate the points you make when writing an essay. If you can explain and support your examples clearly, you will demonstrate a good understanding of key content to the examiner, as well as the ability to link debates and issues in the course with events in the real world.
Review
The following ‘Example Banks’ are free resources from the tutor2u website, which explain recent political events and provide links to further reading. You should make good use of these as you complete your assignments and revision at the end of the course. Please note that these materials also cover the full A Level Politics course, so some topics may fall outside of the AS syllabus.
EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 10-03-2020 (tutor2u) Download EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 10-03-2020 (tutor2u)
EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 10-02-2020 (tutor2u) Download EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 10-02-2020 (tutor2u)
EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 14-01-2020 (tutor2u) Download EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 14-01-2020 (tutor2u)
EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 16-12-2019 (tutor2u) Download EXPLORE - A Level Politics Example Bank 16-12-2019 (tutor2u)
EXPLORE - A Level Politics Topical Examples 18-11-2019 (tutor2u) Download EXPLORE - A Level Politics Topical Examples 18-11-2019 (tutor2u)
EXPLORE - A Level Politics Topical Examples 4-11-2019 (tutor2u) Download EXPLORE - A Level Politics Topical Examples 4-11-2019 (tutor2u)
Links
- The following page is the tutor2u Politics blog, which contains quizzes and activities you may like to try:
EXPLORE - Quizzes and Reviews of Recent Political Developments (tutor2u) Links to an external site.
- The following article is relevant for: devolution and the constitution, including the rule of law, executive power, the judiciary and judicial review, separation of powers and checks and balances:
- The following article explores the role of Parliament in the time of Covid-19 and raises questions about judicial neutrality. Lady Hale made comments when also sitting as a member of the Supreme Court on Brexit and now, when retired, is intervening to point out the erosion of Parliament’s authority.
- This article is helpful on the subject of the judiciary and executive power:
- The following blog post discusses excessive executive power. This could easily be the focus of an exam question, so make sure you read the post, and the article from The Guardian included within it.
- The following article provides useful information on the changing relationship between the executive (PM and Cabinet) and Parliament and is useful for Paper 2:
READ – Should the House of Commons Take Back Control of the Agenda? (BBC) Links to an external site.
- For anyone who cannot access the BBC materials above, you will find the following website helpful. This is also a great source of extension material for anyone hoping to study Politics at university:
EXPLORE – The Constitution Unit (University College London) Links to an external site.
- For this syllabus, you are expected to know the following:
- Key milestones in the widening of the franchise in relation to class, gender, ethnicity and age, including the 1832 Great Reform Act and the 1918, 1928 and 1969 Representation of the People Acts.
- The work of the suffragists/suffragettes to extend the franchise.
- The following link is a very useful one to explore, both for the topics above (under ‘Women in Parliament’) and also for a virtual tour of Parliament (under ‘Parliament Tour’) whilst a real one is not possible:
EXPLORE - House of Parliament 360 Tour (UK Parliament) Links to an external site.
- See also the following on judicial review which relates to judicial review and rights in the syllabus. The right to challenge the government in court may be limited by these changes.
READ – Right to Challenge Government in Courts Overhauled (BBC) Links to an external site.
READ - Do New Laws Mean an Early General Election is Likely? (BBC) Links to an external site.
- The following article is helpful for Topic 7.3: The Powers of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to Dictate Events and Determine Policy. What do the U-turns of the Johnson government tell us about the power of the PM (the relative power of 'events')?
- The following article is a helpful summary of important facts about the Conservative leadership contest. It is useful for Topic 2.2: The Established Political Parties. It explains the policies of the final two candidates and the process for electing the new leader.
- This article considers the potential parliamentary disputes relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill and the objections to the Bill from some members of the Lords. It is especially useful for Topic 6.4: The Ways in Which Parliament Interacts with the Executive.
- You may find it helpful to understand a bit more about the rise in energy prices and how this has affected the UK, as this is a key issue that the new Prime Minister will face. The BBC website below has a helpful summary of the situation. It is especially useful for Topic 7.3: The Powers of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to Dictate Events and Determine Policy.
- The briefing paper below describes the constitutional and ceremonial events that followed the Accession of King Charles III on 8th September 2022. It is useful for Topic 5.1: The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution.
READ – The Accession of King Charles III (House of Commons Library) Links to an external site.
- The following article is a short and accessible opinion piece on the Truss premiership, linking it to the content in Topic 7.3: The Powers of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to Dictate Events and Determine Policy and Topic 8.2: The Relationship Between the Executive and Parliament. Note: Several of the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s policies are expected to be confirmed in the autumn statement on 17 November.
READ – The End of “Elective Dictatorships”? (tutor2u) Links to an external site.
- The web page below summarises the ongoing uncertainty in Northern Ireland with respect to the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is useful for Topic 5.3: The Role and Powers of Devolved Bodies in the UK, and the Impact of this Devolution on the UK.
READ – Q&A: Is Northern Ireland Going Back to the Polls? (BBC News) Links to an external site.
- The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, set out his five priorities for 2023 in a Downing Street speech on 4th January. Have a look at these priorities and the speech itself in the context of Topic 2.2: The Established Political Parties.
READ – Prime Minister Outlines His Five Key Priorities For 2023 (Gov.UK) Links to an external site.
- This article contains some discussion of Reform UK and is therefore useful for Topic 2.3: Emerging and Minor UK Political Parties and for Assignment 2.
- The ongoing news story around Nadhim Zahawi’s sacking as the Conservative Party Chairman is covered on the webpage below. You might find this useful for Topic 7.2: The Concept of Ministerial Responsibility.
READ – Nadhim Zahawi: Sunak Says He Handled Case Decisively (BBC) Links to an external site.
- This article considers the issues raised over the secretary of state for Scotland triggering Section 35 of the Scotland Act in January 2023. It is useful for Topic 5.3 The Role and Powers of Devolved Bodies in the UK, and the Impact of this Devolution on the UK.
- The news article below considers the reaction from some Conservative and opposition MPs in January 2023 over the government's Retained EU Law Bill. This is useful for Topic 8.3: The Aims, Role and Impact of the European Union (EU) on the UK Government.
READ – Brexit: Clash Looms Over Plan to Scrap EU-Derived Laws (BBC) Links to an external site.
- This is useful for Topic 2.3: Emerging and Minor UK Political Parties. Humza Yousaf was elected the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on 28th March 2023. Read more about the challenges facing the new leader here:
- This is useful for Topic 1.1: Current Systems of Representative Democracy and Direct Democracy in the UK. Changes to voting rules mean that photo ID will be needed for most elections from May, and for UK general elections from October. The following blog explains the change and considers its implications:
READ – Voter ID and Democracy (Tutor2U) Links to an external site.
- This is useful for Topic 1.3: Pressure Groups and Other Influences. The latest case study on the Pre-Chewed Politics website looks at recent developments at the CBI and considers whether these have changed the status of this pressure group. Note: login details for this website are available in the General Resources section.
- This is useful for Topic 8.3: The Aims, Role and Impact of the European Union (EU) on the UK Government. The article below gives an update on the government's plans relating to EU Law (the Retained EU Law Bill) and discusses the implications of the latest developments:
- The following resource is useful for Module Two: Political Parties. Local elections (in district councils, metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities) took place across England on 4th May, 2023. The Conservatives lost control of more than 40 councils, and more than 1,000 Conservative council seats changed hands. The results are summarised here:
READ – Local Elections 2023: In Maps and Charts (BBC News) Links to an external site.
- The following Tutor2U blogs explore the significance of these May 2023 local elections for minor parties, focusing on the differing fortunes of the Green Party and Reform UK. This is useful for Topic 2.3: Emerging and Minor UK Political Parties.
READ – A Major Step Forward for the Greens? (Tutor2U) Links to an external site.
READ – Differing Fortunes for UK Minor Parties (Tutor2U) Links to an external site.
- This resource is helpful for Module Two: Political Parties. There is currently lots of speculation about what might happen in the next UK General Election, which is due no later than January 2025. You might like to keep an eye on Politico’s ‘Poll of Polls’, which tracks changes in public opinion by aggregating data from multiple sources:
EXPLORE – Poll of Polls – United Kingdom (Politico) Links to an external site.
- The latest case study on the Pre-Chewed Politics website looks at the impact of the House of Lords on the Public Order Act (2023). This is useful for Topic 6.2: The Comparative Powers of the House of Commons and House of Lords.