Research Briefing
Since 2010, UK defence policy and the armed forces have undergone significant change. A massive programme of reform and restructuring has been implemented to allow the MOD to make savings, as well as achieve a leaner and more agile force that meets the UK’s needs by 2020. Much of that reform process is still ongoing
Research Briefing
The 2017 General Election had the highest turnout since 1997, and some very marginal wins made headlines. In this post, we look at the figures on marginality and turnout. The number of very safe and very marginal seats has increased… Of the 650 Parliamentary constituencies, 97 were won by a margin of 5% or less
Research Briefing
Counter-extremism policy has evolved over the past few years with an increasing focus on addressing non-violent extremism. In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park, the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy, which includes counter-extremism, has come to the fore of the agenda. On 21 June 2017, the Queen’s Speech announced the establishment of a new Commission for Countering Extremism, as well as a review of counter-terrorism powers and a commitment to tackling online extremist content. Counter-extremism will undoubtedly be a crucial issue for the new Parliament, which will face difficult questions about how to tackle this complex problem.
Research Briefing
After Brexit the UK will be able to determine its own trade policy, which is currently the responsibility of the EU. International trade will therefore be a key theme in the new Parliament. This article examines the UK’s future trade relationship with the EU, but trade relations with non-EU countries will be important too. Trade
Research Briefing
Brexit dominates the current political landscape, and was at the core of the general election. But hopes, fears, rumours and opinions have often been more prominent than facts. Although there are a number of unknowns (such as whether notice to withdraw can be revoked) there is more clarity about the process of leaving the EU,
Research Briefing
This note gives a short description of the statutory procedure for the assessment of media mergers, before providing a timeline of events to NewsCorp's bid for BSkyB in 2010-11, and the company’s decision in June 2011 to withdraw that bid in response to the public outcry over the phone hacking scandal.
Research Briefing
The Queen’s Speech 2017 announced plans for an Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill. This short paper looks at what we know so far about the Bill. The Library will produce a full briefing paper on the Bill for its Second Reading in the House of Commons.
Research Briefing
Domestic violence: a select bibliography.
Research Briefing
Adult social care services in England are facing unprecedented funding pressures. This has led many commentators – including local government, health bodies and the voluntary sector – to claim that social care is in crisis. Despite additional funding announced in the last Parliament, it is widely acknowledged that social care funding needs to be put
Research Briefing
Candidates in a UK Parliamentary Election must pay a deposit – currently £500. If they receive at least 5% of the votes their deposit is returned. Deposits lost in 2017 by party In the 2017 General Election there were 1,568 candidates who lost their £500 deposit (47.5% of all candidates). In total £784,000 worth of
Research Briefing
The long-term failure to build sufficient homes to keep up with newly arising demand is at the heart of the housing crisis. This demand is generated by rising life expectancy, immigration and the growing number of one-person households. The most visible manifestation of the crisis is the 134% increase in rough sleeping in England since
Research Briefing
A record number of female MPs were elected at the 2017 General Election. In this post, we look at how the number of female MPs in previous parliaments relates to their ability to take part. A ‘critical mass’? Some research argues that female MPs act differently once their numbers reach a ‘critical mass’ that enables
Research Briefing
The Teaching and Excellence Framework (TEF) will reward higher education institutions (HEIs) with high quality teaching. From 2016 HEIs will be able to apply to be assessed and those judged to have high quality teaching will be allowed to increase their tuition fees in line with inflation.
Research Briefing
What has the UK Government said about its strategy for the Brexit negotiations? The Prime Minister and the Brexit Secretary have set out their views in speeches and white papers, and now the EU institutions have set out theirs. They often coincide, but there are areas that could be difficult to resolve. This paper summarises the starting points of the UK and the EU institutions at the beginning of the Article 50 process.
Research Briefing
This paper explains what the Motability scheme is and how it operates, including changes to eligibility for the scheme as a result of PIP.
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