Immigration points system begins

A long-expected overhaul of the UK's immigration system has come into force with the launch of a point-based system for foreign workers.

The first stage of the system becomes operational on Friday - and will apply fully by the end of the summer.

Ministers say the changes are the biggest for a generation - and will allow the UK to better control migrants from outside EU.

But the Conservatives say they want an annual cap on the numbers allowed in.

Under the system, migrant workers will need to show they have sufficient skills under new rules that assess whether or not the economy needs them.

Applicants are given a score based on their abilities, with a special body advising ministers on how many points to award to certain skills to reflect economic conditions.

Full Story

This article shows how important immigration limitations are to the British government. This policy in combination with the new citizenship policy could cause a sharp decrease in the amount of "England-bound" immigrants.

Grade this.

Prince Harry on Afghan front line

Prince Harry has been fighting the Taleban on the front line in Afghanistan, the MoD has confirmed.

Harry, 23, who is third in line to the throne, has spent the last 10 weeks serving in Helmand Province.

The prince joked about his nickname "the bullet magnet", but said: "I finally get the chance to do the soldiering that I want to do."

The deployment was subject to a news blackout deal, which broke down after being leaked by foreign media.

Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt, who is head of the British Army, said he was disappointed the news had leaked.

Full Article

Well, it seems that even the countries with the most strict policies on information security can have leaks.

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

Trivia Results

This weeks only correct response came from Kritesh who is now in 1st , followed by Camp behing by one point , Sean , Henry and Courtney are each 2 Points behind.

The answer to this weeks question was a Steel plated alcohol gel dispenser.

Northern Rock bill gets approval

The bill to allow Northern Rock bank to be nationalised has become law after peers backed down in their demands for extra safeguards.

The Banking (Special Provisions) Bill, which cleared the Commons on Tuesday, ran into opposition in the Lords.

But MPs rejected peers' demands for an independent audit, and for the bank to come under Freedom of Information laws.

The Conservatives said it was a matter of "deep regret" that ministers had rejected the amendments "out of hand".

A third amendment requiring the Office of Fair Trading to report annually to Parliament on the impact on competition in the UK's banking market, was rejected without a vote by MPs, after ministers offered a compromise.

Full article

This article is a prime example of how strict the U.K. is about allowing foreign companies to become naturalized within the country.

Grade this.

Judge YouTube

As a man who posted video online of himself speeding at 130mph has been handed a four-month suspended prison term, police are increasingly relying on YouTube as a crime fighting weapon.
When an anonymous e-mail dropped in the inbox of Suffolk Police last autumn the fate of Danny Hyde was sealed.
It drew to the attention of officers a video posted on YouTube of Hyde, 18, driving his Astra one-handed at 130mph along the A14 near Ipswich. He filmed it himself on his mobile phone and the footage included shots of the speedometer and the road ahead as he sped past other vehicles.

It's good evidence as long as you can get some proof that it's the person in the picture
Police managed to identify Hyde and he admitted the offence to magistrates, earning a four-month suspended prison term. It is another instance where police have used video-sharing sites like YouTube to track down bragging criminals.

Full Article

This is just proof of how Great Britain is the most intrusive society on earth , If you put something on Youtube they will find you, This really shows how tight nit most areas of Britain really are

Why Churchill Lost in 1945

Between 1940 and 1945 Winston Churchill was probably the most popular British prime minister of all time. In May 1945 his approval rating in the opinion polls, which had never fallen below 78 per cent, stood at 83 per cent. With few exceptions, politicians and commentators confidently predicted that he would lead the Conservatives to victory at the forthcoming general election. '... it is hard to imagine anyone who could have played the role of national leader with greater success than Churchill ...'

In the event, he led them to one of their greatest ever defeats. It was also one for which he was partly responsible, because the very qualities that had made him a great leader in war were ill-suited to domestic politics in peacetime.Politicians are often rejected by voters because they have failed in office. But one of the reasons why Churchill lost the general election in 1945 was because he had succeeded in completing the almost superhuman task he had taken on in 1940, and in a way this made him redundant.

His first act as prime minister in 1940 was to invite the leaders of the Labour, Liberal and Conservative parties - Attlee, Sinclair and Chamberlain - to serve in a Coalition Government. This became the administration, robustly surviving external shocks and internal quarrels, that mobilised the British for total war, and it is hard to imagine anyone who could have played the role of national leader with greater success than Churchill did at that time.

Full Article

This article is important because it focuses on one of if not Britains most like Prime Ministers and why he was not re-elected after his big World War II victory , this is one of historys biggest mystery. I suggest reading this full article.

Wright guilty of Suffolk murders

Steve Wright has been found guilty of murdering five women in Suffolk. The bodies of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls were found in Ipswich over a 10-day period in December 2006.

Wright, 49, of Ipswich, said during his trial that he had sex with four of the five women, who were working as prostitutes, but denied killing them.
Ipswich Crown Court jurors unanimously found him guilty of all five murders and he will be sentenced on Friday. 'Crucifix pose'

The trial heard the bodies of Miss Alderton and Miss Nicholls were found arranged with their arms outstretched in a crucifix pose. The prosecution said Wright "systematically selected and murdered" all five women over a six-and-a-half-week period.

Suffolk police began an inquiry after Miss Nicol, 19, vanished in late October 2006.
Two weeks later, Miss Adams, 25, vanished and detectives began a "major inquiry", saying there were "obvious similarities".
This was followed by the disappearance of Miss Alderton, 24, Miss Clennell, 24, and 29-year-old Miss Nicholls.

Click Here

This article is signifigant because it shows how bad crime can be even in countries where people have high amounts of security like in The U.K. No matter how much security you impose there will still be people who will do insane things.

British citizenship tests planned

Immigrants who want to become British and settle permanently in the UK will need to pass more tests to "prove their worth" to the country under new plans.

Some migrants may also have to pay into a fund towards public services and have a period of "probationary citizenship".

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK should expect a "demonstration of commitment" and the process of becoming a citizen should be "more exacting".

The Tories called the plans, which do not cover EU citizens, a "gimmick".

Unveiling the proposals, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said future migrants would need to "earn" citizenship.

This scraps the current system which allows people to apply for naturalisation on the basis of how long they have lived in the UK.

Full Story

Well, I guess the U.K. is going to have a drop in citizenship applications.

Grade this.

Ex-MI6 boss denies killing Diana

MI6's former chief has denied that the intelligence service murdered Diana, Princess of Wales.

At the inquest into her death, Sir Richard Dearlove insisted he had not been aware of MI6 assassinating anyone in his 38-year career there.

He rejected claims by Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed that Diana was killed by MI6 on the orders of Prince Philip.

Mr Al Fayed's son Dodi and driver Henri Paul were also killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.

Sir Richard told the inquest that this was a "very personal allegation" given his role at the Secret

Intelligence Service - otherwise known as MI6 - at the time.

He was MI6's director of operations from 1994 to 1999, and served as head of the agency from 1999 to 2004.

He denied that any assassinations took place under his authority.

Full Story

Once again, another conspiracy theory about the death of Princess Diana has been disproven.

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

History of the Labour Party

The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in the early 20th century, it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the left in England, Scotland and Wales (but not in Northern Ireland, where the Social Democratic and Labour Party occupies a roughly similar position on the political spectrum). It has formed the national government of the United Kingdom since 1997. It is also the largest party in the Welsh Assembly Government in Wales and the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament. It holds the London mayoralty and is represented in the European Parliament. Its current leader is Gordon Brown.

The Labour Party surpassed the Liberal Party as the main opposition to the Conservatives in the early 1920s. It has had several spells in government, first as minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-31, then as a junior partner in the wartime coalition from 1940-1945, and then as a majority government, under Clement Attlee in 1945-51 and under Harold Wilson in 1964-70. Labour was in government again in 1974-79, under Wilson and then James Callaghan, though with a precarious and declining majority.

New Labour won a landslide 179 seat majority in the 1997 general election under the leadership of Tony Blair, its first general election victory since October 1974 and the first general election since 1970 in which it had exceeded 40% of the popular vote. The Labour Party's large majority in the House of Commons was slightly reduced to 167 in the 2001 general election and more substantially reduced to 66 in 2005.

Read the full article here.

The British Labour party has been one of the single most influential parties in the U.K. It has been the primary political leader in Parliament since its existance.

Grade this.

Brown considers training payments

Gordon Brown wants to see poor families paid extra benefits if they take on work or skills training.

During his first visit to Wales as PM, he will call for a "contract" between government and the worst-off families.

He is examining a New York scheme which offers cash to encourage people back into work and education.

For the Tories, Chris Grayling said Mr Brown was "chasing headlines" after warning last month of benefits cuts for those who refused training.

Later Mr Brown will tell Welsh Labour's Llandudno conference that people must do what they can to take up work and acquire the skills to become employed.

Full Story

If Brown's plan is enacted then it may reduce the crime rate even further than it is now. Also, this plan may help improve the economy as well.

Grade this.

Food and petrol push up inflation

Rising food and petrol prices pushed up UK inflation in January, figures show.
Last month's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation figure rose to 2.2%, up from 2.1% in December. The rate is the highest since June 2007. The Retail Price Index (RPI), which includes mortgage interest payments, rose to 4.1% from 4% in December.

However, while price growth was strong, it was not as quick as many analysts had feared, boosting hopes of further interest rate cuts in the UK this year. Below trend The Bank of England cut UK interest rates last week to 5.25% from 5.5% in an attempt to prevent a major slowdown in the economy.

But the Bank signalled that it was unlikely to cut rates as sharply as the US Federal Reserve - which has slashed borrowing costs to 3% - because of fears over inflationary pressures. "It will be some time yet before the MPC's inflation concerns evaporate," said Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics. Many analysts are predicting that the Bank will keep rates on hold in order to get a clearer picture of long-term economic and inflationary trends, and the impact slower growth will have on consumer prices.

Full Story

This article is about the rising inflation in Great Britain. In Britain Their is a direct effect between our economy and theirs . These rates could be cause by our problems right now.

No plan to ban 'anti-teen' device

There are no plans in England to ban the use of devices which emit a high-pitched sound to disperse groups of teenagers, the government has said.

But it stressed the Mosquito devices, which can cause discomfort to youngsters' ears, should be "a last resort" against anti-social behaviour.

The children's commissioner and other critics want a ban, saying the gadget is indiscriminate in who it targets.

Some stores say the devices can be useful against anti-social youths.

In a statement issued after the calls for a ban, the government said:

"'Mosquito alarms' are not banned and the government has no plans to do so.
Obviously no-one would want to have to use a device like this, and it should
very much be seen as a last resort. We will continue to tackle the
underlying problems through better neighbourhood policing, giving young
people alternative things to do in their spare time and, where necessary,
using the powers we have put in place to prevent anti-social behaviour."

Full Story

The country with the most complex security system in the world has still found another way to increase their public surveillance.

Grade this.

AP Comparative Government Great Britain Blog 2

This is our temporary title because we didnt want to overshadow our current project.

Questions and Updates.

Anyone with Questions or comments please feel free to ask .

Updates coming soon to blog:

Country Fact Side bar
British Music on Blog
Updated Format Colors
Poll
British Pictures Slideshow



Expect these updates and some surprise updates all completed by next Tuesday February 19, 2008.

*Subject to change

British TV

Britain has a deep culture of Television Broadcasting.Click Here for a list of the top British shows of all time.

Also I apologize for missing Saturdays post , Both Blog members were not able to access the internet that day . If anyone noticed it should not happen again but before it does you will be notified.

Assessment Complete

Trivia Week 2 Results

The answer to this week's trivia question was The Clash. Continue checking out the blog this upcoming week for the new question.

Results So Far:
Henry 2
Camp 2
Sean 2
Kritesh 2
Courtney 2

Arrests after school gas attack

A 12-year-old boy has been arrested after a substance was released in a school, prompting an evacuation. Police said a pepper spray aerosol was set off in the rear stairwell of a classroom block at Christ Church High School, Ashford.

Twenty one pupils were taken to hospital with symptoms including sore eyes, coughing and vomiting. Others were checked by medics at the scene. Two parents were later arrested on suspicion of assaulting police.

Police, fire and ambulance teams attended the scene in the Kingsnorth area at about 1220 GMT, and firefighters using breathing apparatus ventilated the building. Clearly tensions ran quite high Ch Insp Martin Bradley said the gas used was an illegal substance which cannot be bought in shops.

Full Story

This article is interesting because it proves how even with the strict gun control laws in Great Britain there are still ways of attacking . It is scary that the gas was a substance not sold in shops and that it has not been released by name to the public.

Grade this.

Clegg attacks 'surveillance' UK

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has accused Gordon Brown of turning Britain into a "surveillance state" during prime minister's questions in the Commons. He also urged an end to the "scandalous fingerprinting" of children at schools and the removal of more than a million innocent people from the DNA database.

Mr Brown, who earlier promised a quick report on the MP bugging row responded by asking if the Lib Dems backed CCTV. He added: "We are taking the steps to protect the liberties of citizens." Mr Clegg told the prime minister controversy surrounding the bugging of Labour MP Sadiq Khan, on a prison visit to a constituent, "shouldn't come as a surprise to you".

'Urgent' security needs "After all, it is this government that has turned the British public into the most spied upon the planet - 1,000 surveillance requests every day, one million innocent people on the DNA database and 5,000 schools now fingerprinting our children," he said.
"Is that what you meant when you spoke so stirringly a few months ago about the great British tradition of liberty?"

Full Story

This story really shows how in depth the British Surveillance system has reached . It is very interesting to see what our closest ally is up to , and if they could possibly have an affect on security choices made here in the U.S.

Grade This.

Labour MPs to declare family jobs

Gordon Brown has ordered all Labour MPs to declare "as soon as possible" details of any relatives they employ.

In a letter to the Speaker, he says he has told Labour MPs not to wait until April, as recommended by the Commons standards committee earlier.

Conservative leader David Cameron has already told his frontbenchers to declare any employed relatives, plus a range of other expenditure.

The initiatives come after a series of revelations about MPs employing family.

The Commons estimates committee announced on Tuesday it was to hold a review of expenses after claims public money was being misused. It is due to report in October.

In a letter to Speaker Michael Martin, the chairman of the estimates committee, Gordon Brown said he welcomed its review, saying a "root-and-branch overhaul of the current system" was needed.

Full Story

I feel that Brown is implementing this investigation because he is worried about losing his power in Parliament. I think he feels that if members of opposing parties elect family members with similar views, he could very well be voted out of office.

Grade this.

Tories step up bug row pressure

The Conservatives are demanding a fresh Commons statement over the bugging of an MP which they say has made a "liar" of the Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
It followed the revelation Home Office and Ministry of Justice officials were told about the incident in December.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said the case made the PM a "liar" as it countered prime ministerial pledges to protect MPs from bugging. Commons leader Harriet Harman said Mr Davis should "apologise" to Mr Brown. She told BBC Radio 4's World at One there was "no justification" for his accusation.

PM's promise 'broken'It follows claims counter-terrorism officers secretly recorded discussions between Tooting MP Sadiq Khan, a government whip, and a constituent he was visiting in jail.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had not been aware of the incident until the Sunday Times reports emerged this weekend.

Full Story

The conservatives are demanding a fresh commons statement. They are demanding this because a bugged mp portrayed British prime Minister Gordon Brown as a liar , this practice is being shown as a li. This article is interesting because it shows how hands on British politics is.

Grade this.

Brown denies knowledge of police bugging of MP

LONDON (AFP) — Prime Minister Gordon Brown has denied receiving a warning about the police secretly bugging a Labour MP during a prison visit.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said he had written to the premier about the matter in December. But Brown denies ever having received such a letter.

Downing Street maintains Brown knew nothing about the bugging allegations.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said Sunday he had launched an inquiry into the secret bugging of Tooting MP Sadiq Khan.

According to a report in The Sunday Times newspaper, Khan was bugged by Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism unit while meeting with a constituent in prison.

Full Story

Events like this could eventually cause other countries around the world to distrust the Great Britain. I wonder how in-depth the U.K. is going to investiate this situation and if the events actually occured.

Grade this.

Assessment Complete

British Navy

Click Here for a video about the British Navy.

New Stuff

Hey guys, starting February 2nd we’re going to have new feeds about sports and entertainment in the U.K. We’re going to feature feeds about current soccer scores, rugby scores, and even the music that’s topping the charts in the U.K. Keep checking out our blog to stay updated on the British culture.

Egg customers protest credit move

Angry customers of internet bank Egg have hit out at its decision to cancel their credit cards.

Egg says 161,000 cards belonging to people whose credit profiles have deteriorated since they signed up will stop working in 35 days time.

But people who insist they have good records have been contacting the BBC to say they are on the list.

A Labour MP is asking the banking industry watchdog, the Financial Services Association, to investigate.

Nigel Griffiths, a former deputy leader of the House of Commons, said Egg's action was "unacceptable".

A spokesman for the bank said those affected were customers it no longer wanted to lend to "regardless of their current status".

Full Story

I don't think that the Egg company should have the ability to just cancel their customer's credit cards. I wonder if parliament is going to intervene.

Grade This.

Trivia Week 1 Results

The answer to this weeks question was Harry Vardon .

Correct Answers from: Camp,Courtney,Kritesh,Henry,Sean