Research Briefing
For over 10 years the crisis in Zimbabwe weighed heavily on the minds of British policy-makers and featured regularly in news bulletins. Yet over the last year or so, the country appears to have disappeared from view. Why? Well, plenty else has been going on. But it is also perhaps because the hopes for change
Research Briefing
The UK Border Agency has been replaced by the Home Office directorates ‘UK Visas and Immigration’, ‘Immigration Enforcement’ and 'Border Force'. In July 2014 the National Audit Office found that there has been mixed progress in addressing the concerns that had led to the abolition of the UKBA, and concluded that it is too early to detect an impact of organisational improvement on customers and stakeholders. Her Majesty's Passport Office has also been brought under direct Home Office control, with effect from 1 October 2014.
Research Briefing
This special briefing paper has been produced to help Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) prepare for the House of Commons sitting of the UK Youth Parliament which takes place on 14 November.
Research Briefing
Speculation regarding the how, why, and who of UKIP successes over recent years has continued to amass over the four months since the 2014 elections. Yesterday’s by-elections in the constituencies of Heywood and Middleton and Clacton have added further fuel to the debate.
Research Briefing
The by-election in Rochester and Strood on 20 November 2014 was the 21st since the 2010 General Election. UKIP took the seat from the Conservatives with a majority of 2,920, pushing the Conservatives into second place.
Research Briefing
This note provides a brief history of adoption legislation, including on forced adoption practices, and the subsequent reform of the law to allow adopted children, birth parents and others to establish contact.
Research Briefing
The Recall of MPs Bill 2014-15 was introduced on 11 September 2014, and is scheduled to be debated on second reading on 14 October. There was a commitment to legislate to introduce a power of recall in the Coalition Agreement, and a draft bill was scrutinised by the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee in 2012.
Research Briefing
This note covers the contribution conditions for the basic State Pension
Research Briefing
This paper features analysis of the latest UK and international economic indicators
Research Briefing
This note deals only with the proposals put forward by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson for a new hub airport located on an artificial island in the Thames estuary. For information on the historical background to the idea of building a new airport at or in the Thames estuary, as well as the current proposals for the Isle of Grain site, see SN4920.
Research Briefing
Which countries have extended diplomatic recognition to Palestine? What is the status of Palestine at the United Nations?
Research Briefing
The Human Rights Act was introduced by the Labour Government in 1998 in order to “bring rights home” and enjoyed cross-party support at the time. Essentially, it allows anyone in the UK to rely on rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights before the domestic courts. The 1998 Act has proved controversial; and
Research Briefing
In May 2013 elections, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, led by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, won a majority of seats in parliament despite gaining only 47% of the vote. With his leadership under significant threat within UMNO, the dominant Malay party within the BN, since the 2013 elections Najib has launched a campaign of harassment of the political opposition and a focused anew on affirmative action for Malays. Longstanding sodomy charges have been revived against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Najib's reforming credentials currently look threadbare.
Research Briefing
Today, 1 October, is the International Day of Older People. Here we look at some key labour market statistics for people aged 65 and over in the UK. The UN General Assembly voted to establish 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons in 1990, and the occasion was first observed in October 1991.
Research Briefing
In August 2014 the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress decided that the next Chief Executive of Hong Kong should be directly elected in 2017 by universal suffrage. However, the candidates (expected to be two or three in total) will still have to be approved in advance by a nominating committee, whose composition and method of formation will remain unchanged from that of the 1200-person strong ‘Election Committee’ which elected the current Chief Executive in 2012. Critics argue that this nominating committee will have an in-built ‘pro-Beijing’ bias. The decision has triggered a wave of protest. This briefing summarises the legal context of recent events, including the UK's own obligations.
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