It’s been really warm this past month, which is unusual for February, especially in the UK. A lot of people are enjoying the sun and warmth, but others are worried the heatwave (at least by Winter standards) is a sign of global warming. I tend to agree with them - there’s been a lot in the news recently about global warming and the side effects of the human lifestyle.
For a long time, I thought that there was nothing I could do as an individual. I figured that it was in the hands of our world leaders, and their jurisdiction to make through signing deals and making pacts. This is certainly true, but I’ve discovered since that there are lots of things you can do as a singular human that can help cut your carbon footprint. Every big movement has started with the effort of a few individuals.
Even the tiniest changes can help. Everyone has to start somewhere and if we all try and make tiny changes and steps, it can help benefit our planet. We’re not past the point of no return and doing simple things and making a collective effort can make a world of difference (no pun intended - or maybe it is). Jazz
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Anxiety, whilst technically being considered a mental condition, can have a lot of physical side effects. This can include, but is not limited to, sweaty or shaking hands, breathlessness, dizziness and feeling as though the room is spinning. I know I’ve experienced all of these things at one point or another. However, there can also be more internal effects such as butterflies in your stomach (though I would refer to them as wasps), headaches and brain fog.
Dealing with such symptoms on a day to day basis can be difficult. I would find myself becoming physically exhausted by them - both mentally and physically. My anxiety goes hand in hand with my OCD to create a monster of hyperfixation and intrusive thoughts. This can lead to a lack of sleep, a tired brain and, in general, it just makes the whole situation worse. It can be helped with medication - I was actually put on beta blockers for my migraines but they are also used commonly for anxiety. This was a happy coincidence; it took away some of my physical symptoms but the actual anxiety still manifested. Sometimes, it might feel like there’s not much you can do. I’ve had days where fear has actually stopped me from living my life. I’ve sat at my computer for hours on end with no break, frantically googling and researching things, ranging from the chances of nuclear war to symptoms of brain tumours. It can be extremely stressful because it can lead to you forgetting to drink, eat and use the toilet, which can make the discomfort reach another level. But is it manageable? Can you deal with it? You can certainly try. I’ve found that some things work occasionally and sometimes, they’re useless. It’s really a hit and miss situation. - One option is to visit a doctor. Certain criteria has to be reached before you’re put on any kind of medication but there are a lot of cases where medicine has worked. As aforementioned, my beta blockers weren’t prescribed for anxiety but reduction of physical symptoms has made it easier to deal with. - The doctor may also refer you to a therapist or counsellor. Cognitive behavioural therapy has proven to be a popular method, especially within people who suffer OCD. It kind of takes the approach of resetting your mind and re-approaching how you think things. It’s often done over a series of weeks or sessions. It may take longer for others but patience is key, as is not comparing your own recovery to anyone else’s. - I’ve found that meditation is also a very good short term relief. There are apps such as Headspace that can help you, as well as YouTube videos. It’s a good way to take a break from your mind and think about other things. It’s definitely helped me clear my head enough to start thinking straight and rationalise things. - That brings me onto my next point - rationalisation. There is different ways for everyone; speaking out loud about why you shouldn’t be anxious can help get it through to you. Equally, so can writing it down. For example, when I’m panicking about a health problem that I know I don’t have, I’ll tell my sister every reason why. This seriously helps me accept that I don’t have a certain illness or ailment and I can move on. - It’s also super important to avoid anything that can make it worse. You’d think that researching something might help but when you google your symptoms and end up on a website for a fatal illness that you’ve never even heard of, it can make things so much worse. This particularly applies to those with health anxiety. I’ve ended up triggering panic attacks by spending hours on the NHS website. Short term techniques can vary for everyone. Something that helps your friend may not help you. It’s important to explore lots of different ones and find that something suitable for your own personal experience. Jazz Dealing with divorce is never a fun thing. I remember not knowing how to feel when I found out my mum and dad were splitting up. I’d lived in fear of it for so long that when it actually happened, I couldn’t believe it. I thought everything was going to change - that we were going to have to move, that I’d end up in a whole new area. It’s so easy to start panicking about all the possibilities, that stepping back from the situation and giving it a good look can really help.
However, a year on from my parent’s separation, and it feels like everyone is better for it. My mum is so much happier and that reflects on me and my siblings. I know my dad, who probably hurt the most out of everyone, is happier now too. I still see him, and he now has more time to focus on himself and spending time with his kids. But how did I get there? How do you move on from a huge event? A lot of it happened naturally. At first, there were a lot of tears and disbelief and I hated talking about it. I found it easier to lay under my duvet and pretend none of it had happened. But, I was eventually forced to live with it and while I struggled at first, going head on into the situation meant I had to deal with it. There’s no shame in taking time for yourself and healing, but remember you can’t ignore it forever. You have to face the music. I also found that seeking support in my family helped. My mum was hurting too, as were my siblings. I found that talking to and relating to them took the edge off. To realise you’re not alone in the situation can really help. It created a kind of balance. My sister and I had very different approaches - I have a ‘mourn and then deal with it’ approach while she flat out refused to show emotion. Her forcing me to be less emotional and vice versa actually really helped. Even if you’re an only child or you can’t find support in a parent, I can guarantee will be at least one person, whether at school, work or online, who relates to your situation. Another major thing I had to deal with was selfishness, and remembering I wasn’t the one hurting the most. It’s all good and well to feel sorry for yourself but I had to remember that none of the divorce was to do with me. I wasn’t the one leaving my partner nor was I the one being left. Whilst you should put yourself first, don’t forget your parents are hurting too. None of what they’ve done is to spite you, nor did they do it because of you. A divorce is something really personal between two people and whilst it’ll affect you, there’s nothing you can do. It can be a hard to swallow pill, but one you ultimately have to. Lastly, I threw myself into other things to distract myself. That meant focusing way more on college, on my articles here at TWE and my friends. Your home life is important but there are ways to escape it. My own situation entailed that I had to live with both my parents under the same roof for about two months after their separation and I found that staying with a friend for a few nights was a huge relief. It’s not a bad idea to remove yourself from the situation and take a breather. With that said, that doesn’t mean you should ignore it completely. As aforementioned, you do have to process it and deal with it in order to move on. Patience is also super important. There will be lots of new things to adjust to - a new house, weekend visits, perhaps a new partner. Your whole life is being flipped upside down and no-one will expect you to be okay with it in a short space of time. Jazz Bohemian Rhapsody, the highly anticipated biopic following nearly two decades of Queen’s career, premiered in the UK last Tuesday. No-one was entirely sure what kind of timeline the film would follow, or whether it would cover the events leading up to and after Freddie Mercury’s passing in 1991. There was equal uncertainty about the film’s director - they went through several of them, as well as several people playing Mercury. The roles were eventually credited to Bryan Singer (of X-Men fame) and Mr Robot’s Rami Malek.
Malek’s performance was easily the best part of the film. His physical appearance isn’t all there - this isn’t the first Queen-based piece that shoves some teeth and a moustache onto a man and labelled him as Freddie. However, there’s more than that to Malek’s performances. He brought the voice, the movements, the all around flamboyance needed to convince the audience that it was him. It’s easy to get lost in his recreation of the rock star and forget that it’s not Freddie. The content of the film, however, does not quite live up to the loud and out there intestines of its namesake song. It gives viewers plenty of Queen music - but it skims over much of their history. The three other members of the band - John Deacon, Roger Taylor and Brian May (played by Joe Mazello, Ben Hardy and Gwilym Lee) certainly have their moments. They bring a sort of comic relief to the film with their antics and stupid nicknames for one another, but they easily become background noise when the film is so heavily Freddie focused. The biopic does delve into the complications and confusion surrounding Mercury’s sexuality. A lot of the first half of the film is about him and his former fiance, Mary Austin (played by Lucy Boynton) - and their eventual break up. Whilst probably being romanticized for cinema, it did hold a sense of emotion. Mercury’s ‘I think I’m bisexual’ claim was met with ‘no, Freddie, I think you’re gay.’ So, for every one of Freddie’s sideway glances at another man or homophobic comment by a journalist, there is a reference to Mary and how at one point, Freddie did date and intend to marry a woman. It was as though they had to constantly remind the audience. One thing the film didn’t shy away from was his AIDS diagnosis. He clearly states it on screen, amid fears it would be skimmed over to make the film more ‘family friendly.’ The timeline of the biopic doesn’t reach far enough to cover his death, but to cram 21 years of music and events into one film would be difficult. All that aside, and referencing back to Malek’s performance, the biopic still manages to jerk emotions and humanize Mercury. He’s such a flamboyant and significant figure that it’s easy to forget that he too dealt with life’s hardships. In the final few scenes, he’s seen as an antagonist to the band - he does redeem himself, but this may be an issue for some fans. The show stealer was easily the Live Aid scene at the end of the film - it’s become known as the return of Queen, and them solidifying their place in rock history. A replica of the old Wembley was built in an airfield to recreate the show, with Malek, Hardy, Mazello and Lee miming along to soundtracks of the original performance - and they do it well. It’s truly the pinnacle of Malek’s Mercury - from the skippy-dancing in Radio Gaga to the belting of the ballad section on Bohemian Rhapsody. Overall, it’s not a bad film. In fact, it’s very much a decent recreation of Queen’s peak with a show-stealing lead role and a great soundtrack. However, it feels rushed in some areas which made other parts hard to understand. It’s a good biopic that doesn’t quite live up to the song it’s named after. Rating; 7.5/10 Jazz It wasn’t until recently that I realised how relationships are portrayed in the media. It’s clear, even to the youngest of people, that romantic feelings are the #1 device for pushing a plot and stirring things up. In a lot of cases, they’re extremely surrealistic (I’ve been waiting a year for someone to appear outside my window with a boombox). That aside, based off the circumstances, they’re pretty healthy for both (sometimes more) parties involved.
But what about the toxic relationships we see? The ones we don’t even realise are there? You’d be surprised to see how unhealthy some of them are. One that springs to mind is Ross Geller and Rachel Green, two of the leading characters in everyone’s favourite sitcom (even if they haven’t seen it) - Friends. I say this with caution because it is controversial. At first, I was angered too by people jabs at one of TV’s most iconic couples. But what about the facts? Ross has been in love with Rachel since high school. It’s sweet at first; he’s supportive and patient and she’s finally found a guy! Alas, it’s not long before warning bells come. Without explaining 10 seasons worth of happenings, I’ll simplify it. They sabotage each other’s relationships, Ross expresses extreme jealousy to the point where it’s creepy and in the famous season finale, convinces Rachel to drop her dream job in Paris because he’s still in love with her. Even if they weren’t on a break. You’re probably thinking ‘but it’s just a TV show!’ and ‘stop over analysing the details of my favourite sitcom!’ But, regardless of how loved the show is and how unreal the characters are, millions and millions of people tune in to watch it on TV and on Netflix every month. Toxicity being normalised on TV leads to it being normalised everywhere else. And that influences real life people in real life relationships. Obviously, I’m not just going to single out Friends. I’ll take a jab at the Big Bang Theory too, just to make this fair. Leonard and Penny - perhaps the Ross and Rachel of 21st century TV. I’ll admit that I didn’t think anything of this until one of my friends pointed it out. This, again, comes from both parties in the relationship. Penny is okay with drunkenly demanding sex from Leonard, but as soon as he does it, she’s suddenly not okay with it. I don’t think it’s okay in any situation but it’s the hypocrisy here that’s the main focus. Both sides face unhealthy jealousy and insecurity, that then turns into unnecessary guilt on the other person’s part. And again, this is a well-loved couple in what has become the most matched sitcom of all time. That’s a few million people that might now think these kinds of things are normal, when they are not. It’s not as though these TV shows don’t have healthy relationships. Monica and Chandler is a good example of a relationship of equals. The same goes for Amy and Sheldon. But these are secondary storylines. Chandler and Monica don’t come about till season four, whilst Ross and Rachel were fuelled from episode one. It was the same in Big Bang, Leonard and Penny become the main plotline in literally the first five minutes of the series, whilst Amy and Sheldon make a slow start in season three. It’s the unhealthy relationships that become the backbone of the plotlines and friendship group. It’s the jealousy and the arguments that fuel views and provoke reactions from fans. People will always be more interested in Ross and Rachel’s lack-of-communication break up than Monica and Chandler’s solid relationship. But is that not Hollywood? Going for the most interesting storyline for views and reactions, regardless of how badly influential it is on the young minds of cinema goers and TV watchers. And, you can argue that these people aren’t real. Their just characters, right? And yes, they are! They are entirely fictional. But the problems caused by the normalisation of these character’s unhealthy relationships? Not so much. Jazz With the rise of social media, it’s becoming more and more common for teenagers to start looking up to celebrities rather than those around them. Social platforms allows us to not only become exposed to new people and their achievements, but also to directly communicate with our favourite actors and singers and get live updates. It’s certainly made the fan/celebrity relationship more personal, but is it always a good thing?
For the most part, probably. A lot of hardcore fans these days identify as ‘stans.’ The term comes from an Eminem song of the same name, about a boy who becomes so obsessed with the rapper that it leads to him committing illegal acts and eventually getting himself killed. Despite the origin, a stan isn’t necessarily an obsessive fan, nor one that crosses any lines. Generally, stan accounts are pretty healthy and know the boundaries of respecting someone’s privacy. But, that doesn’t apply to everyone. A quick trip to stan Twitter will open a world of obsessive and unhealthy fans who dedicate their entire lives to a certain celebrity. It seems that it’s one thing to follow them and enthuse about them, but something else entirely to invade their privacy and go to great extremes in order to meet and interact with them. One particular example that sticks out to me happened very recently. Ethan and Grayson Dolan, two social media superstars, ended up having to ask fans not to come to their father’s funeral. Immediately, you’d think that was just common sense - but as it turns out, a small group of fans were using the opportunity to meet the twins. They saw it as being supportive, clearly not realising the lines they were crossing. It makes you wonder if it was their dedication, perhaps bordering on obsession, that lead them to believe it was okay. Another instance of crossing lines can be seen in the replies of some of the celebrities’ tweets. Buzzfeed actually had a series where actors read out ‘thirst tweets.’ Essentially, it was a two minute long video of them reading out jokingly sexual tweets. Obviously, most of them were for jokes and giggles but there were some that stuck out as plain creepy and you could see it in the actors’ responses. There’s a line between admiring someone’s jaw line and going into graphic details, E.L James style - in their tweet replies, no less. There’s also competition between a lot of the fandoms/stans. Referring back to the Dolan twins situation, there was a small number of K-Pop stans who chose to make a joke of the situation and use their father’s death as a chance to criticise them. This is another example of how toxic it can be, not only for the fans at the centre of their mocking, but also for the celebrity or group that they stan. It can be an extremely damaging culture for both in question. It’s lead to several celebrities quitting social media. There are also stans who dedicate their time and money to following (physically, not on Twitter) their celebrity around or tweeting their whereabouts. It’s one thing to tweet about seeing them at an airport but a whole other for them to get a hold of where they live. Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco was forced to sell his house and move when fans started turning up after discovering his address. The singer said he ‘didn’t feel safe in his own home’ and that he ‘had boundaries for a reason.’ So, while stan culture can be a chance to make friends and find common ground with others online, it can also prove to be an extremely toxic culture. It should be stressed that this does not mean all stans and fans. As aforementioned, a majority of them know their boundaries and the ethics of being a good fan. The everyday stan culture is miles off of what Eminem described in his song nearly two decades ago, but it makes you wonder if social media is birthing a whole new breed of superfan. The new level of connection and intimacy with our so-called ‘faves’ can make it feel like we’re their friend, like we’re involved in their everyday life. This can be seen as a positive because as I said before, it makes things much more personal, but does it lead fans to thinking their entitled to something? But, is it this new level of being personal that leads over the top stans to think their behaviour - gatecrashing personal family events and finding addresses - is okay? Jazz In 2012, there were 75,000 17-year-olds with a full driving license. That number bumps up to 3.5million when you change it to 17-24-year-olds. That’s a lot of young people that are trusted to drive - but, it’s hard to fathom that when you’re brand new.
The first thing to remember is that it’s okay to make mistakes. In fact, people expect learner drivers to make mistakes. You should have clear L plates on your car (both front and back) - this will let people know to treat you with patience. If you stall, or you take a bit longer to set off, it’s completely fine. There’s no point in letting it affect you; leave the mistake where it happened. There will be people about who see your L plates and overtake you, or maybe even pull out in front of you, but don’t let that shake you up either. It’ll happen on the road whether you’re a learner or not and while its a rare occurrence, don’t let road rage get in the way or feel the need to respond to the dangerous driver. It’s also super important to stay in a place you’re comfortable with. Your instructor will build your skills up and might push you to do things you don’t feel ready for so make sure you’re clear. If they want you to go to a big roundabout but you’re not ready, ask to stick to smaller ones. You will have to deal with them eventually but as aforementioned, it’s about building skill and doing things when you’re ready. This especially applies if you’re out in your car/your parent's car with someone who’s not an instructor - the law in the UK states anyone can take you out, provided they’re in the passenger seat, 21 or over and have held a full license for at least three years. If you’re going out with between lessons then build on the skill you have rather than try to make new ones. This means practicing certain maneuvers that may have come up in your lessons or going on roundabouts you’ve become familiar with during the lessons as well. I’ve found that I’ve picked up bad habits when trying to learn something new with my mum in the car - your instructor will teach you everything to test standard so don’t do anything that would go against it. Another thing to remember is that it might take time. Some people learn to drive in four months, whilst others take nine months and some take years. It may be that it’s not a priority for you, or you just don’t pick up certain things. That’s 100% fine - it took me almost six weeks to change gears properly. You’ll get used to the car you’re learning (or your own/your parent's car) and it’ll come naturally eventually. Lastly, explore automatic cars. Manual cars, for learners, can be quite stressful - worrying about changing gears adds to the multitasking and having a clutch pedal adds a whole extra one to the mix. Automatic cars can’t stall and they don’t have a clutch; you only have to occasionally worry about shifting the lever between drive, park and neutral. It may be worth trying both; I did and found that I preferred a manual car, but I know a few other people have found automatic cars to be the most preferable option. The only downside is that you can’t drive a manual car if you pass on an automatic test but it’s hardly limiting. It might be that you pass a test in an automatic and move onto a clutch after a few years of experience. Automatic cars are hugely popular in America; only eighteen percent of people in the USA drive a manual and ninety-five percent of cars manufactured have automatic shift boxes. It really can make the driving experience better and may be a worthwhile option for you. Jazz I’ve sometimes found that my anxiety can make me worry about the weirdest things. Once the anxiety is passed and my head is clear again, I sometimes find myself wondering why the hell I was worried about it in the first place.
If I could list all the things I’ve been anxious about in the past year, it would look very wild - my friends hating me, being arrested, a nuclear war, being scared about having several different illnesses (brain tumours and skin cancer to name two) and then we circled back round to the nuclear war thing. I would find myself frantically Googling things in an attempt to calm myself but it would only make things worse. But no matter what it is you’re worried about, whether it be world peace or your health - it is totally valid. Anxiety spares no prisoners - it’s go big or go home. Don’t worry about it or spend a week having anxiety attacks and losing sleep over it. Anxiety is a proper medical condition; it’s an emotion too but speaking medically it is recognised by health professionals and it is a big deal. People without anxiety might not understand the complications it brings. The sleepless nights, the anxiety attacks, being an irritable nightmare and finding yourself snapping because you’re so on edge. That’s not nothing; I repeat, it’s a medical condition and it is a big deal. Never let anyone convince you otherwise. You can’t control when your anxiety comes or when it goes; it’s just there. It can pop up when you’re reading an article on international relations and suddenly, the fear of nuclear war is back. Or, a dodgy looking pop up will come up on your computer and suddenly you’re worried you’ve committed a cybercrime, you’re just not sure which one. When I’m typing those out, I realise they sound a bit ridiculous but both those situations have occurred in my life and I have to remind myself they’re not stupid. Unfounded, maybe, but definitely not invalid or stupid. I sometimes wish I could choose what it is I’m worried about. If I could channel my anxiety into worry of failing my A-Levels then it might actually be useful, but instead, I’ll be on Quora asking how likely someone thinks a third world war is. Again, you might feel your fears are unfounded but they’re not - they’re caused by your anxiety and your anxiety is valid. Jazz Halloween can be expensive. Once you’ve brought the makeup and the outfit (and maybe the wig), it can come up to £30-£50.
I know that I, as a student, could never afford that. You can find Halloween stuff in Poundland, but it’s very bad quality and lasts a grand total of five minutes (and let’s not forget to mention the break outs that will follow in the coming days). So, how can you do Halloween on a budget? Upcycle old clothes. If someone in your household has a large t-shirt they don’t mind sacrificing, it could become a little black dress for your Marilyn Monroe outfit. Your old school shirts could be splattered with ketchup or paint and become the outfit you were wearing when you got bitten by a zombie. You’d be surprised by what you can create with some simple arts and crafts. Charity shops. I’ve found some proper gems in charity shops - both for everyday wear and Halloween. If you don’t want to ruin your clothes for the sake of a costume, you can find t-shirts, trousers and jackets in charity shops for between 50p and £5. Plus, your money is going to a good cause. Ask your friends. If you know a friend who treats Halloween like a religious holiday, they might have an old costume they don’t mind lending you. Equally, if you know a friend with a lot of siblings or a large household, they’ll probably have one laying idle somewhere. Use your imagination. If you’re completely stuck for what to do, just have a good ol’ stare at your wardrobe. You an orange dress that inspires a Lisa Simpson look. I managed to turn a red jumpsuit into a David Bowie look. You might find that you don’t have to spend a single penny. Plan in advance. Stuff around Halloween is ridiculously expensive and costs a lot - after all, it is a selling opportunity. Costume makeup at any other time of the year will be less expensive. It’s also worth keeping an eye out in charity shops at any time of year for any potential DIY jobs or costume additions. One of the most important things to remember as well is that your costume doesn’t have to be amazing. Some people will spend lots of money and time on theirs but it doesn’t mean you should feel bad if you don’t. Not everyone is in the position to break the bank. On the other hand, it’s also important to remember not to get jealous or annoyed at those who do. I’ve been at parties where people have got very shady at those who went all out - don’t. Halloween for some is the most important night of the year. It’s different for everyone. The most important thing is to stay safe, have fun and get as many sweets as you can. Jazz Politics is confusing. No country’s political system is the same as any others; for example, Scotland uses a different voting system to England (for the Scottish Parliament, not Scottish seats within Parliament - I reiterate: confusing.). It can be difficult to get your head round it all and frankly, I only did so because I do politics A-Level.
There are some words and phrases that you might hear a lot but not understand. I used to find myself thinking ‘If I don’t understand it, it’s probably not important.’ This is not true - some of them are extremely important and understanding them could be useful in using your vote the way you want. (Or, you could just use these to impress someone in a conversation.) General Political Terms Donkey voting - this refers to when someone votes for a party simply because. But because, what? Just because. No reason at all - and in the eyes of democracy, there’s nothing wrong with that. No-one is required to give a reason at all for why they’re voting. Tactical voting - this is when someone votes for a party not because they want that party but because they don’t want the other party. For example (and this example is not reflective of anyone’s political opinions, nor mine) - if someone didn’t like the Conservatives, but they were set to win a majority, they might vote for the Liberal Democrats. Not because they like the Lib Dems and think they deserve their vote, but because they want to use their vote but don’t want the Tories. Coalition government - this is often confused with the Supply and Demand government. There are some gray areas but on the whole, these two are not the same. A coalition government is when a deal is brokered between two parties to form a temporary, bigger party (till the next election) so they can have the majority between them. The bigger party will normally have more leverage. The last coalition government was between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories in the 2010-2015 Parliament. Nick Clegg and David Cameron acted as PM and deputy PM, the latter of which is not seen in every Parliament. Supply and demand government - this has the same basis as a coalition government; no party has a majority but they need the help of the other parties to get one. This is a less formal agreement that a coalition - a deal is signed to say ‘we need your party and your seats but not all the time.’ This is where the biggest party operates independently without the other, but when it comes to a vote they’re going to lose in the House of Commons, the second party steps in to give them the majority. This was seen between the Conservatives and the DUP in the 2017 election. First past the post - this is the voting system that the UK uses for House of Commons. Evelyn has a very useful article called Putting the Government Together that explains it in detail. There are other voting systems too such as Alternative Voting and Single Transferable Vote. Some of these are used in different places in the world but they are not massively important to UK politics. House of Commons - one of the chambers in Parliament. This is the democratically elected one, consisting of 650 MPs. As of writing this article, the Conservatives are the biggest party with 318 seats (328 if you take into account those with the DUP deal). Labour comes in second with 262 and the SNP with a huge jump down to 35. This is an example of a two party system government; two parties dominating the chamber which gives very little way to the smaller parties. House of Lords - the second chamber in Parliament, made up of Lords and Ladies. They are not elected, but the PM will give names to the Queen, and from there she will give them their title. There are over 700 Lords/Ladies currently so it is bigger than the Commons but they always trump the Lords because they are elected. There is often controversy over the Lords as they are deemed undemocratic but there have been times when they shared the public’s opinion where the Commons have not. All the Lords/Ladies are given their title for being experts in their area - Lord Alan Sugar was given his Lordship for his experience in business. Bicameral - this refers to a political structure with two chambers (bi meaning two). If there were one chamber it would be unicameral, and if there were three, it would be tricameral. Cabinet - this is made up of the Prime Minister and their chosen ministers. There is generally several, such as Minister of Health and Social Care, Minister of Transport, Minister of Defense and the Chancellor, who is in charge of government finances. Shadow cabinet - this is the same as the cabinet, but it’s the second most popular party’s cabinet. Parliamentary Supremacy - the idea that Parliament is above all other political bodies in the UK. However, it has decreased in years with EU integration and delegated government bodies such as Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly (this can be viewed as positive or negative depending on your own opinion). Safe seats - this is when one party securely holds a constituency. For example, my area ia Aldershot and this is a safe seat held by Leo Docherty. We have a candidate for Labour and the Monster Raving Loony Party (yes, that is a real party and yes, they have won seats before) but their chances of winning are so low as the area is dominated by Tory voters. Political Parties The Conservatives - also known as the Tories. Confusingly, they conservative by name, but not by nature. Their policies and such do not follow the conservative ideology. In fact, they are closer to being neo-Liberals. Their policies used to be much more right wing, but as of 2018 it would be easier to place them on centre right. They tend to prefer privatised industries and their policies are generally more based on financial or capitalist ideas. Some notable Prime Ministers; Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May. The Labour Party - the Labour Party came about after the working class were granted the vote and had to have someone to represent their views. They also tend to follow neo-Liberal ideas too but can also be seen as socialist depending on which era you’re looking at. They are more left wing and have stayed as such throughout their time but in modern day, have been forced to pick up economic related policies in their manifestos to stay popular within the public. Noteable Prime Ministers; Tony Blair and Clement Atlee. The Liberal Democrats - despite being a smaller party, they are certainly an interesting one. They’ve gone from small, to being in a coalition, to losing many of their seats. They lost popularity for shooting themselves in the foot; campaigning for free universities but then voting to triple the fees. With that said, it’s always good to watch this space as they may make a comeback. UK Independence Party - a controversial party, to say the least. They have tended to have what some may consider to be xenophobic, even racist, views. For example, they wanted to ban the Burqa and their pro-Brexit stance focused a lot on border control, but extreme border control. They are not generally popular within younger votes, or any voters at all, it now seems. They are all but a memory now in the Commons, but are strangely popular within the European Parliament. The irony. A Brief History of PMs (or, at least the ones you’ve probably heard about) Theresa May - ah, yes. Theresa May. Whether you love her or hate her, she is certainly an interesting one. She took over from Cameron following his 2016 resignation and at first, things seemed to be okay. She had a majority, her party were okay with her - and then, she called the infamous snap election. She lost her majority, her party became divided between Stay and Leave and then there was that speech where she had a cough attack, someone tried to hand her a P45 and then the letters on the background behind her began to drop off (along with her popularity). But, she’s managed to stay on the top to the surprise of many. Again, a super interesting space to watch! There’s always something happening. Margaret Thatcher - I could probably copy and paste that first line from the previous summary of May. She was the first female PM and she won three consecutive elections. Her policies today would go down as extremely controversial but they were popular at the time - she privatised a lot of industries and then handed lots of Parliamentary Sovereignty to the EU. But her downfall? When she suddenly became Eurosceptic - people like politicians who don’t contradict themselves. Eventually, her own party forced her out and she was replaced by John Major (who frankly didn’t do so well either) . She was PM for 11 years in total, from 1979-1990. Her legacy still stands, through Thatcherites in Parliament and Thatcherism based conservatism. Tony Blair - him and Thatcher actually have a lot in common. They both won three elections, brought new and shiny political ideas to the table and then got forced out by their own parties, only to have their new leader to flop quite badly too. Blair’s chancellor Gordon Brown actually became as popular as him within the cabinet and it was torn into two, Team Blair and Team Brown, like a political version of Twilight. In fact, it got so bad that the two barely spoke to other each for the last part of Blair’s term, but still retained their roles. Clement Attlee - I know I said ‘ones you might have heard of’ but Atlee deserves more recognition. He helped to piece the country back together after WW2 and introduced this tiny thing called the NHS. He only served one term before Churchill knocked him back down to second spot. Winston Churchill - probably the most iconic Prime Minister. He lead the country through WW2 and said some popular stuff (‘we’ll fight on the beaches’ etc) - however, he lost the election after the war to Atlee, but six years later he bounced back, served another year and then retired. Some of his work is still influential in Parliament today. So this brief explanation of politics has turned out to be four pages long, but education is good! I’ve tried to type this free of my own political bias as keeping a neutral stance when teaching about politics is super important. Forming your own opinions is the pinnacle of democracy and if you’re still unsure about which party you’d like and would like to find out more, there are some useful links below with manifestos and the latest stuff in politics from some unbiased news sources. https://labour.org.uk https://www.conservatives.com www.libdems.org.uk https://www.greenparty.org.uk https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics https://uk.reuters.com/politics |
JazzI really hope this helped, message me if you need further advice and have a good day! Categories
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