Kieran Lawrence looks at autonomous weapons and the effect they could have on modern warfare
Continuing a series on world leaders, Miles Deverson takes a look at Angela Merkel
Ben Bland examines the fallout from the Iowa caucuses and looks forward to the New Hampshire primaries.
In the first of a series on world leaders, Miles Deverson takes a look at Nicholas Sarkozy
This week is Queen’s Speech week. Tuesday May 24 saw the state opening of Parliament where the Queen set out the legislative programme for the coalition government. You can read an overview of that here.
David Cameron delivered his first major speech as PM on Friday May 28, outlining plans to “transform” the economy. Mr Cameron said the country had been “sleepwalking into an unstable, unfair economy” and that the decisions made now will live with us for decades to come. He has pledged to make the next decade the “most entrepreneurial and dynamic in our history”. Firms would be helped by getting the banks lending, cutting red tape and improving trade and transport links.
The Chancellor George Osborne has drawn up plans to start reducing the budget deficit. In a move to eradicate “wasteful spending”, £6.2bn has been announced in cuts. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Mr Laws has said the cuts were designed to send shockwaves through the government departments, thereby discouraging waste. Mr Laws also said key front line services and those on the “lowest incomes” would be protected “as far as possible”.
Vince Cable has stepped down as deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats. Following his appointment as Business Secretary in the coalition government, Mr Cable said he needed to “focus wholeheartedly” on running his department. Tim Farron who has received the backing of Sir Menzies Campbell was the first to formally join the succession contest. Simon Hughes has also announced he is running and is backed by Mr Cable. To proceed to the ballot, the MPs need to get the nominations from 5 of the party’s 57 MPs by June 2. Elections will take place the following week on June 9.
David Miliband is leading the nominations race for Labour leadership. He has overtaken his brother Ed with 54 official nominations from MPs. Ed Miliband has 45 confirmed nominations, which leaves the Miliband brothers as the only candidates to have secured the 33 required nominations to guarantee a place on the ballot paper. Ed Balls has 33 backers. Andy Burnham has 17 nominations. John McDonnell has 6 and Diane Abbott has received the backing of David Lammy.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will get his own monthly Deputy Prime Minister’s questions in the Commons from June 22. Mr Clegg, who is responsible for the coalition government’s reforms to Parliament, shall answer MPs' questions for 30 minutes. He will also stand in at PMQs when Prime Minister David Cameron is away.
Nick Griffin has announced he will quit as BNP party leader in 2013. Griffin said he would like to “make way for a younger person” who did not have “any baggage which [could] be used against the party”. He will focus on getting re-elected to the European Parliament in 2014.
Politically Tumultuous End to an Eventful Week?
The Daily Telegraph revealed on Friday May 28 that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Laws, had claimed up to £40,000 in expenses to pay for his partner’s rent and other housing costs between 2006 and 2009. On Thursday night, Mr Laws apologised and announced he would “immediately” repay the money, referring himself to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. In a statement responding to The Daily Telegraph’s questions, Mr Laws disclosed: “My motivation throughout has not been to maximise profit but to simply protect our privacy and my wish not to reveal my sexuality.”
The government refused to field a minister on the BBC’s Question Time unless Alastair Campbell was removed as a panellist. The BBC accused Downing Street of political interference after the government insisted Blair’s former director of communications was replaced by a shadow cabinet member. Gavin Allen, the show's executive editor wrote on a blog on the BBC website that “as a result no minister appeared, meaning that the government was not represented on the country's most-watched political programme in Queen's speech week – one of the most important moments in the parliamentary calendar." At the end of the programme, Alastair Campbell held up a photograph of Mr Laws and suggested he had been expected to appear.
In Other News...
The Conservative candidate Anne McIntosh has won the North Yorkshire seat of Thirsk and Malton with 20, 167 votes. This was the last seat in the May 2010 election.
Outgoing Treasury secretary Liam Byrne left a note to his successor David Laws, which read: “Dear Chief Secretary, I’m afraid there is no money. Kind regards – and good luck! Liam”.
Downing Street released the Dissolution Honours List on Friday May 28. Notable names include Des Browne, John Reid, Sue Nye, Sir Ian Blair, and the former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
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