Does the Queen's speech matter - it's the Budget that will be the statement of future Labour policy anyway ?
830501
its not the queens speach,its blairs speach the queens mouth, \nI would love to hear a speach that came from her own mind without fear.
182505
Lecture delivered by Minister Hiroyuki Kishino at the Local Government Centre (CLAIR)'s Japan Day Seminar in Belfast \n(http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/en/japanUK/speech/060206_JLGC.html)\n\nJapan-UK Relations and Northern Ireland  \n\nDistinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, \n\nIt is a great pleasure for me to have come back to Belfast after a ten-year interval, the hometown of that great footballer, George Best. I really feel at home amid Belfast's splendid architecture and the beautiful scenery nearby. At the same time I sense that the buds of economic and social dynamism just visible ten years ago are really blooming now. I am most pleased to see you all at this Japan Day Seminar, which I believe provides an important occasion for me to learn more about Northern Ireland and to keep you updated on Japan-UK relations. \n\nAs Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy I have the agreeable duty of facilitating better mutual understanding between the British and Japanese peoples and of promoting the overall Japan-UK relationship. What does this mean? We often say that the main problem facing us here is that there is no pressing issue between Japan and the UK! This is not a joke, but witness to the fact that Japan-UK relations have never been better. The primary mission for us, therefore, is not necessarily to engage in trouble-shooting in the bilateral context but to formulate and coordinate policies on what Japan and the UK should do for the benefit of our two peoples as well as for the peace and stability of the world. This is a forward-looking and pleasant duty to fulfil - a real luxury only granted to those posted to a capital like London. \n\nOverall, Japan-UK relations today are solid and mature. They are functioning smoothly, based upon market mechanisms and subject to the rule of law. Government intervention is rarely required. In business, tourism, culture, education and most other respects, our ties are refreshingly free of major areas of concern. In this sense, the Thatcher government's determined approach to the Japanese government and business sector in the 1980s in pursuit of direct investment from Japan in the UK, notably by Nissan in Sunderland, has acquired anecdotal status. Meanwhile, it is seldom recalled these days that the Japanese and British governments quietly coordinated their efforts so as to come up with a final settlement of the liquor tax issue after the WTO panel had ruled against Japan in the mid-1990s. The records of these episodes are now filed away somewhere, gathering dust. \n\nMore relevant today is the fact that about 1,200 Japanese companies are operating in the UK as good corporate citizens, having put down deep roots in their respective communities. They have created around 90,000 jobs. Indeed, a number of these companies, some of them household names, go about their business as they always have done; therefore, few people are aware that they have Japanese owners. In the fashion world DAKS and Aquascutum come to mind, while Leicester-based Freed, a world-class manufacturer of toe shoes, is another example. The UK continues to be the most favoured destination in Europe for Japanese direct investment. Just last week, for example, the large pharmaceutical company Eisai announced a 75-million pound new investment in Hertfordshire. \n\nIn Northern Ireland four Japanese companies have business operations, and two of them are engaged in research and development in high-tech fields - a growing trend today. I am pleased to note that they have expanded their activities over the past decade through the enlargement of production facilities and in other ways. In addition, three Japanese companies have business tie-ups in research and development here. Yet I must say that, compared with the other regions in the UK, Japan's business presence in Northern Ireland is modest in scale even when the size of the region is taken into consideration. How come, one may ask? I do not have a s
869265
Basically, its about Great Britain. At least that's what this site says......\n\n"AN ACT for the better securing the dependency of his Majesty's dominions in America upon the crown and parliament of Great Britain......"\n\nHope this helps. Good luck with the project!
16313
Check out:\nhttp://www.royal.gov.uk/\nfor more details. She is our Head of State and in theory has the power to disolve our Government. In effect this would be highly unlikley to happen! The UK is a constitutional monarchy so the Royal duties are mainly cermonial.
905250
Far better than the present incumbent!!\n\nI really do hope that the police investigation of the cash for peerages row nabs Blair and his cronies.\n\nBut it is vital that as soon as Labour are ousted that whoever gets in institutes an independent enquiry into the whole of the Labour reign.  \n\nAll the lies and fudging of figures (false Accounting?), spin, politicisation of civil servants, 1984 control of the press, and all the other shenanigans that have been going on.\n\nWhy for instance have MPs that fiddled their expenses never been prosecuted?  How can they justify prosecuting a member of the public for a crime they seem immune to?  Law should be applied equally and if it is not then it should be struck from the statute book.\n\nIt is time that politics was dragged kicking and screaming back into behaving honestly.
840365
Why don't you say what you mean and use the word white rather than hiding behind a euphemism - or is the right wing in the UK becoming politically correct?\n\nI'm assuming you do mean white and not indigenous, the two words not being necessarily synonymous. Do you really think that the political leaders of any party, including the BNP, really care about the colour of a person's skin, their ethnic origin or religion. What they do care about is obtaining and retaining power. To that end they will use any ploy - including racial and immigration issues.\n\nNone of them really care about the ordinary people of the UK - to them and the people they really serve we are cheap labour, a commodity to be exploited, no matter what our origins.
577263
LOL!  Britian must be nice.  A Conservative/Liberal coalition would NEVER happen here in the U.S.\n\nIt doesn't sound like the Labour Party is going to be successful, whenever your next election takes place.
796808
I am English, and I have lived in both Wales and Scotland in the past.\n\nThere would be substantial problems in achieving independence for England from Scotland, but I think there would be substantial advantages too. For all concerned.\n\nFirstly, from an English point of view if the four countries of the United Kingdom went their separate ways transfers of Westminster funds to subsidise Scotland etc.would cease. And I do not think these subsidies benefit Scotland: on the contrary I think that they lead to dependence on public services. The economic growth of the Republic of Ireland shows how an independent Scotland could prosper through enterprise.\n\nObviously, the electoral arrangements that give Scotland and Wales, but not English regions, democraticly elected assemblies  are grossly unfair. They are made worse by the West Lothian question, ie. Scottish MPs voting on specifically English matters.\n\nYou refer to Latvia and Ireland. More power affecting the UK has been transferred to Europe than the politicans admit, and is largely exercised by  Commissioners of which each country has one and in the Council of Ministers, and its subsidiary mettings of specialist ministers.  This results in countries like Latvia (since you mention Latvia) having preferential treatment compared to areas like South East England of equal or greater size. If Scotland, Wales and perhaps Northern Ireland (that's one of the problems) were independent, we would have four Commissioners or Ministers representing us instead of one. We should have more MEPs too as MEPs are not now elected, as they should be, strictly in proportion to population.\n\nOne reason Westminster fiercely opposes independence for Scotland or England is the vested interest of politicans and civil servants.But to me this is an opportunity. Westminster government has become inefficient and insufficiently democratically responsive. The unprincipled inequalities of democratic arrangements between England and Scotland are just one example of this. Independence between Scotland and England should apart from anything else make us rethink wha government we should really need. And if the Westminster establishment don't want this split I suggest one thing they need to do is reform UK government to be principled, efficient, and genuinely concerned for democracy. I think such reform could improve opportunities for people of talent to rise to the top in politics and the civil service.\n\nFinally, nothing in this response implies any inquality of regard for England  or Scotland generally (as opposed to political cliques from one nation or the other). and I would hope that any split would take place peacefully and in friendship.
426469
Actually I believe they say "long live the Queen" to honor the incoming Queen.It is a way to announce that it's time to move on.
714609
Tony blair would just change the law to benefit himself.\nThen there would be a new act of parliament preventing anyone from complaining.\nAs far as i know,the thatcher govt left johm major and subsequently the labour govt the wealthiest britain since the industrial revolution with a world beating economic template,all he had to do was follow the rules,...........\nNow brown has given us a 30 billion deficit and an economy built upon the lending of homebuyers.\nits doomed to failure, the world economic boom has helped bail brown out for the labour period of govt.all the time tony spends spends spends luring in the voters..\nwell it looks like its time for history to repeat itself...labour bankrupts the country, the conservatives seize power and dig us out , just when the hard works done,, labour gets in again...when will the left ever learn?
511439
Gordon Brow is a cabinet level official in Tony Blair's labor government.  His current portfolio is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which means he is in charge of economic policy for the government.  He gave the Bank of England independence, and therefore reduced his power over monetary policy.  Therefore, he largely is in charge of what tax rates should be, balancing the budget, and other economic issues.  It is likely that he will be the next Labor party selection for Prime Minister, and  therefore he has a much higher profile than one would normally expect.
932413
I think public opinion wants a leadership election and are putting pressure on, but i think the theory runs that we dont vote for personality (a leader) we vote for the party and accept what leader the party puts in place? Hence because Labour is democratically in power the actual leadership shouldnt matter?\n\nBut i agree there should be laws to prevent a straight handover of power, whatever deals Blair and Brown did behind closed doors
143900
Actually nothing. The budget is set for salaries for the year and it includes days off.
799880
Is this a trick Q?  Following the stagflation that occured in the late 1970's (as a resuly of the Keynsian social democratic principles that characterised post-war politics) Thatcher and the conservatives followed liberalist political ideology as advocated by the likes of Hayek.. which included believing in private ownership and individual responsibility etc etc\n\nSo the effect Thatcher had on privatisation was to privatise many utilities/industries such as BT, BR, Steel etc  Some commentators argue that this increased efficiency and productivity..it certainly led to increased flexibility in the work place which for many workers may not be such a great phenomenon in the same way that trade union strangle holds were bad for business before.. (pendulum gone too far?) \n\nPossibly, but now that the major parties have resolved the big issues (Tories accepting some degree of social help needed/NHS to stay and Labour seeing that business must be competitive/privatisation has a place) both parties are fighting over middle ground so it can be said with a large degree of certainty that public ownership is likely to remain something that happened in the past.
303495
None....they are both for income redistribution!
644443
Our economic policy is Nixonomics (Keynesian policy), so you can imagine that the result will be pretty much the same.  I expect inflation (currently observed in prices for both housing and raw materials like oil and metals), and over the longer term, some weakening growth (recession). In the days of Gerald Ford, it was called stagflation.  If we elect a responsible leadership that can control spending, we might be able to turn things around and forestall that slowdown, but sadly, I just don't see that happening.  Very few politicians on either side of the aisle are talking about responsible spending these days.  (OK, maybe they're talking about it, but they're sure not DOING it.)
235187
It would be the prime minister.  If I remember correctly Jamaica is a former British colony and still has the Queen of England as it's head of "state", while the PM is the head of "government."