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Dreams

From M.L. King Jr.’s I have a Dream to Theresa May’s British Dream- a slight difference in content, country and decade. One from 1963, the other from 2017. Today’s task:

Compare and contrast the two speeches in terms of content (message) and identify the literary/linguistic devices May uses to enhance her message to the participants at the Conservative Party’s conference.

For background information, see https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/04/theresa-may-british-dream-cap-on-energy-bills-housing-tory-conference-speech,

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-41506032

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdMcbLT3jSY
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Vote of no confidence

The Brexit drama has produced another episode and makes sure that newspapers all over the world have something to write about!

Yesterday, PM of the UK Theresa May experienced another setback as the agreement she has negotiated with EU leaders on leaving the European Union was voted down by the House of Commons, or parliament. More than a third of conservative MPs rejected the plan. This was a major defeat for May. It remains unclear whether the UK will be able to come up with an agreement on leaving the EU by March 29 or not. Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour party, has tabled a vote of no confidence which means that May (worst case scenario) might have to step down as prime minister. This, however, is very little likely as the Conservatives hold the majority in the House along with DUP. On Wednesday there was a debate in Parliament and after that, a vote. May’s government survived the vote and she says she will continue to work towards a Brexit agreement. To learn more about this, I recommend the BBC.

Discuss: What is a vote of no confidence, what will happen next with Brexit and what is May’s greatest challenge?

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Theresa May’s turmoil

Londoners bike past the Brexit protesters

The drama in British politics seems to never end!  It appears as if the Brits have misunderstood the saying “you can’t have your cake and eat it too”. After the Brexit referendum in 2016, Prime Minster May has carried out what many define as mission impossible:  negotiating Brexit with the EU while keeping the MPs at home satisfied AND trying her best to ensure that this deal will make as little damage to the UK economy as possible. 

Yesterday, May survived the confidence vote, although a third of her own MPs are against her. But what happens next? CNN states that the Brexit chaos remains. To learn more about Britain’s tumultuous time, it’s interesting to read what US media writes about it. Washington Post’s columnist Anne Appblebaum shares a comment that is worth reading. 

The NYT also shares some interesting aspects of this recent development which you can read about here. To be continued!

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Election Day Nov 6

Today is election day in the US and the battle is over Congress, the US legislative branch. The midterm elections are important and are seen as a referendum on Trump’s presidency. Although the voter turnout is usually lower than at a presidential election,  this year seems to be different. Many influential Americans have encouraged Americans to vote. Will the Republicans keep the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate? What issues are at stake? Today we will look into the US midterms. Find out:

midtermelections-600_1bMNtrd

what political issues are important for the Democrats and the Republicans?

why is there so much interest in an election that does not involve electing a President?

how will the election results affect the average American?

Post your findings on your blog!

Some useful links: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2018/sep/17/midterms-2018-vote-election-date-senate-house-who-will-win-candidates-all-you-need-to-know-explained

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46106086
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/27/politics/us-midterm-election-explainer-intl-trnd/index.html
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British Politics

Theresa May

British politics is quite fascinating these days, as the UK is negotiating with the EU on how to leave the European Union.  Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party represents the government and I think we can all agree on the fact that she has a challenging job, which was seen at the Salzburg summit in September. At the Tories’ annual conference this week in Birmingham she pledged for unity among the Conservatives.  Perhaps she was referring to her Foreign Secretary’s Soviet jibe?  On our subject day in Social Studies, you will find out more about British politics and make a presentation. These are the tasks you can choose from:

What is Scotland’s position on Brexit?

The Conservative Party and the challenging Brexit

The Labour Party, political ideology and current issues

The Liberal Democratic party, political ideology and current issues

UKIP (UK Independence Party)­­­­­

Devolution: An explanation

First past the post: Fair or unfair?

Why did Britain say no to the EU?

An explanation of constitutional monarchy

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The UK, Great Britain and Britishness

keep calm

It is easy to confuse the various names used to explain the countries comprising the British Isles. Here you can watch a video explaining what the UK is, Great Britain and the British Isles.

In order to get a better understanding of the British, you are going to answer these questions:

  • Explain the term “devolution”
  • What is The Irish Problem?
  • Explain what Britishness and the different identities within the UK is
  • What role does the monarchy play in the UK? What power does it have?