Archive for octobre, 2015

Britain’s Strategic Pivot towards China

mercredi, octobre 28th, 2015

This article by historian Niall Ferguson in The Times newspaper argues that Cameron is right to schmooze the Chinese.

With the Chinese President also suggesting that China views Britain as an entry platform to the European market, this has strategic implications for the government’s upcoming referendum on continuing UK membership of the EU.

« Britain, Europe and the World » by Robin Niblett, Chatham House

mardi, octobre 20th, 2015

The approaching referendum on whether the United Kingdom should remain in or leave the European Union marks a defining moment for the country’s foreign relations, and is addressed in this research paper by Robin Niblett under the Chatham House Europe Programme October 2015:

Britain, Europe and the World: Rethinking the UK’s Circles of Influence

Government focus on the causes of poverty

jeudi, octobre 15th, 2015

Here’s an interesting article by Tim Montgomerie in The Times of 15th October, 2015 on

« Lies, damned lies and poverty statistics »:

« The Tory plan is to supplement income-based measures of poverty with assessments of ?life chances?. Applying the five pathways to poverty that the Centre for Social Justice popularised, ministers will be required to focus on joblessness, educational failure, family breakdown, indebtedness and addiction as the causes of poverty. »

« The illusion that poverty is in retreat just because benefits have been increased by 2, 5 or 10 per cent will be buried. Poverty only retreats on a sustainable basis if the private sector creates jobs, if pupils acquire real skills and if more children live in happy, stable homes. There will no longer just be a speedometer on the welfare dashboard ? there?ll be a fuel gauge, a sat-nav and a lot more warning lights. The drive against poverty will, it is hoped, get a good deal more sophisticated. »

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/columnists/article4586139.ece?shareToken=84a3405c655dda081c72e17de6244e25