Just Debate
Simple, impartial, 'note style' articles to help you understand all political issues. That's all it is.
What an extraordinary year 2016 has been for Politics! Should Heathrow expand? Bhumibol Adulyadej – Fact File. Feminism- a paradigm of forward thought or a haven for misandry and discrimination? Should Theresa May become the next leader of the Conservative party? Is the UK democratic process Healthy? Upon the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the most Democratic system of Government yet seen was created.
When asked by a passer-by “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin replied “A republic madam, if you can keep it.” Any democracy, wherever it is to be found, belongs to everyone and thus we are jointly responsible for it. A healthy democracy is a system of government where our leaders are accountable to the will of the people. Many different iterations of this system exist, but all healthy democracies rely upon enshrining the values of free speech, equality before the law and treating everyone’s opinion with respect - whilst exposing it to scrutiny. Article written by Jonathan Lench Share it: Does the EU really help protect the environment? Is EU Foreign Aid well spent? Have the Conservatives failed to meet their mental health objectives in government? Should petty crimes receive harsher punishments? Is local government pointless? 2016 Scottish Election. Are Jeremy Hunts contracts fair, and is he right to impose them?
In total, there are 55,000 junior doctors in England - a third of the medical workforce.
The BMA, who represents these junior doctors has just over 37,700 members. However these junior doctors' have taken and will continue to take industrial action (strikes) in protest to the prospect of a new contract imposed by Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary. These contracts have partly been designed to make it easier and cheaper to roster extra doctors on at weekends. Consequently, medical officials will most probably be working more weekends, which, under the new contract, will not lead to extra pay.
Should the TTIP be passed? Should the UK Legalise Cannabis? Drug related issues are always highly contentious because they have such a strong polarising reaction on the public.
Consistently there will be those who are staunchly pro or vehemently against drug use and subsequently legalisation. However Cannabis frequently proves to be the exception to this, with many taking the stance of Cannabis (Weed) being acceptable for use whilst maintaining condemnation for other narcotics. This has been exemplified by the recent announcement that Canada will be legalising Cannabis by Spring 2017 as well as both the Liberal Democrats and London mayoral candidate Lee Harris releasing proposals to legalise the Class B narcotic. So the question is why does society in general maintain a more relaxed attitude towards Cannabis than other drugs?
Written by Luke Carr. Should the UK abolish the monarchy? Was the Iraq War Justified? In March 2003, a United States-led coalition began a bombing campaign throughout Iraq, overwhelming Iraqi forces which led to the demise and collapse of the Ba’athist government and the capture of President Saddam Hussein in December 2003 as part of Operation Red Dawn, before his execution three years later.
President George W. Bush’s main hypothesis for war was the assertion that the Iraqi government held weapons of mass destruction that had the capability of being used on their own civilians, and that Saddam Hussein posed a legitimate threat to the United States and their allies’ security. However, opponents of the war suggest otherwise, believing that there was a lack of evidence to suggest that Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. Critics also suggest that, even if the Ba’athist government did have these weapons, it would be unlikely that they would be used to target United States territory due to the repercussions they would face.
Image links can be found here: Zero hour contracts. Coalition Government of 2010. LSD: Outlawed Drug or Medicinally Viable? For the past 15 years there has been vigorous scientific research into the theorised application of hallucinogenic substances for medicinal benefit.
Lysergic acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Psilocybin, the psychedelic ingredient of magic mushrooms, have been tested and shown to have some promising results on tackling a plethora of psychological disorders ranging from depression, OCD and perhaps ironically addiction. Is Dave Dodgy? Prisoner voting - yes or no? Gay marriage? Should the House of Lords be a wholly elected body? Should the UK reinstate a form of mandatory national service?
Would you support the return of grammar schools? Should the top tax rate of income over £150,000 be raised to 50%? Osbornes economic success? Osbornes economic success? Shorter school days? Should we change electoral system? Osborne's budget. Will it make him the next Tory leader? Announcing his intentions of standing down at the end of his second term, David Cameron’s position atop the Conservative party appears to be up for grabs in 2020 provoking much discussion on who his replacement might be.
Toted alongside Boris Johnson and Theresa May, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, Cameron’s right hand man for over a decade, appears to be a favourite for the role. Some have downplayed Osborne’s chances, citing his lack of charisma as his biggest con, especially compared to the eccentric Boris Johnson. Others are drawn to his Prime Ministerial image and his solid credentials of having competently presided over the recovery of the economy. This question bears huge significance for the Conservative party with Osborne representing the continuity of David Cameron’s brand of Conservativism, which has been called into question by some backbenchers and voters.
Written by Adam Issacs Share it: "Welfare fraud! They're taking millions"... or is it that simple? Russia’s Paralympic team have been banned from competing in Rio: An act of discrimination, or simply tough justice? A Canadian law professor, Richard McLaren, unearthed that Russia's sports ministry manipulated urine samples between 2011 and 2015.
After the revelation that Russia had implemented a state-led doping programme, both the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee discussed what action they wanted to implement. The International Paralympic Committee decided to employ a blanket ban on all Russian Paralympians; thus 267 Russian athletes are now disqualified from Rio’s Paralympics, which begins on the 7th of September. Whereas the International Olympic Committee gave each individual sporting federation the ability to decide themselves whether to implement a ban. Is replacing student grants with loans fair? Is Hinkley Point C a good investment? Should Hillary Clinton Be Elected President? Is Sam Allardyce The Right Choice For England Manager? Munich attack: Was the attacker influenced by Mass Media? Should the Honours System be Overhauled? Would Owen Smith be a better or worse Labour leader than Jeremy Corbyn? Should All Russian Athletes be banned from this summer's Olympics and Paralympics?
Should The UK Renew Trident Nuclear Missile System? Was the Turkish Coup Attempt Warranted? Has the Chilcot inquiry proved Tony Blair was wrong to go to war with Iraq? Can police-public relations in the US ever be repaired? Should the Euros have increased from 16 to 24 nations? Should Theresa May Call a Snap Election? Following David Cameron’s resignation in the aftermath of the ‘Brexit’ vote, Theresa May has been elected the new Conservative leader, thus Prime Minister, after May’s last remaining rival Andrea Leadsom dropped out of the race.
Many now question whether May has a mandate to lead Britain as Prime Minister in all the job entails as well as Brexit negotiations, despite the Conservatives technically having a mandate until mid-2020. This is due the Fixed Term Parliament Act that was brought in under the coalition that states that elections must occur every five years.
Despite this, it is possible to call a ‘snap election’ under the Fixed Term Parliament Act, but to do this the Conservatives would have to vote “no confidence” in May’s leadership and wait for 14 days, voting down any alternative attempt at forming a government. Some suggest this trouble would be worth it for the Conservatives who could extend their slim majority amidst Labour in-fighting. By Adam Isaacs Share it: Would Angela Eagle be a better leader of the Labour Party? Boris Johnson's appointment to Foreign Secretary- Yay or Nay? Would Boris Johnson have been an effective leader of the conservative party? The recent referendum result has caused a period of political turmoil, with an onslaught of political consequences for the country.
Arguably, the most influential decision following the referendum results came from Prime Minister David Cameron, who announced he would be stepping down from his position. He felt that ‘It would not be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination’. In light of this decision Boris Johnson, to many people the face of Brexit, was considered to be one of the key candidates to replace Cameron’s as leader of the Conservative party. However in another turn of events Johnson announced his decision that he would no longer be running in the leadership contest. This decision left the future of the conservative party in a volatile state, and perhaps that of the country even more so. Written by Jess Low Share it: Should Michael Gove be leader of the Conservative Party? Should Andrea Leadsom become the next leader of the Conservative party?
Brexit- A Working Class Revolt? YesYes Brendan O'Neill, Larry Elliot There is no mistaking that many areas where the leave vote performed the strongest are deprived, working class, de-industrialised communities, as this map shows.
Sunderland, one of the first areas to declare their result voted overwhelmingly to leave at 61.34%; residents in the area have an average weekly income at £410, among the lowest in the UK. Other areas that presented an overwhelming victory for leave include Derby (average income £440 per week), Doncaster (£450) and Stoke on Trent (£480). Compare that to areas where Remain had its biggest victories, such as Westminster (£1020 per week), Bath and North East Somerset (£640) and Cambridge (£700- where 73.85% of residents voted to remain). Brendan O’Neill is one of many journalists to argue that this result reflects a working class revolt against the political establishment, who have for too long had contempt for ordinary people and their concerns relating to the EU.
Should Jeremy Corbyn remain as leader of the Labour Party? Could Brexit be stopped? After 43 years of membership in the European Union, the people of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the EU, following a 72% turnout with a 52% victory for Vote Leave. Will Brexit Actually Happen? In the recent referendum on Britain’s future in Europe, ‘Leave’ beat ‘Remain’ by 52 – 48. In the aftermath of the vote, the pound sterling has declined significantly in value, Britain’s credit rating has been downgraded from the highest possible (AAA), and some ‘Leave’ personnel have started to go back on some of the promises of their campaign.
This has all occurred before Britain has invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and officially withdrawn from the EU, leading some to believe that Britain will not actually ever occur, and if does occur, would take years rather than months to ever happen. Views from Various Contributors: Jean-Claude Juncker, Douglas Carswell, Dylan Mathews and journalist John Cassidy Share it: The UK leaving the EU is not a Disaster. On the 23rd June the British public voted to leave the European Union. As a result of this Britain had an economic dip; with FTSE 100 initially taking a hit to the tune of £100 billion, the pound falling to a 30 year low and the threat of capital flight taking hold over Britain. The United Kingdom also seems to be under threat, with Northern Ireland and Scotland both making the claim that a referendum on their continued membership should now be brought into question.
One cut too many? Recently there has been a big debate around a series of government cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), with a confirmed cut of £1.4billion (bn) by 2020. PIP payments have essentially replaced the Disability Living Allowance, and are aimed at providing support for people with long-term disabilities. This controversial decision by the Conservative government has caused outraged among many other members of parliament and members of the public. However, are these cuts justifiable in order to help continue strengthening the UK’s economy or is it one cut too many? Views by: The supporting points are by: Various Contributors: George Osbourne Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Patrick Worrall Channel 4 News, Roweana Mason The Guardian.
Is Sadiq Khan right to ban “body shaming” adverts on London Transport Services? No, Sadiq is wrongNo, Sadiq is wrong. Should Gun Control Be Introduced In The U.S? How would leaving the EU affect UK Science? Should the US deliberately employ racial profiling? Is the EU Referendum distracting us from more important issues? Should the left vote to leave the EU or Remain? Should Hillary win the Democratic nomination? Would Brexit have positive or negative effects on the environment? The EU and sovereignty: are we better protected in or out? Is standardised testing in schools beneficial? Should England be Banned from Euro 2016?
Is Antizionsim antisemitic? Will Brexit save the NHS? If convicted, should Ched Evans be allowed to play football again? Should illegal drugs become legalised? EU and Agriculture: Remain or Leave? Migration - what's the deal? These are the facts when it comes to migration (provided by Migration Watch UK) In 2015 net migration numbered 323,000 More British citizens leave the country than those who arrive EU migration numbered 180,000 Non-EU migration numbered 201,000 In 2015 the majority of EU citizens were coming from EU14 (which includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden), it is estimated that 75,000 people arrived in Britain from these countries. EU2 (Romania and Bulgaria) numbered 50,000 EU8 (Czech Republic, Hungry, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) numbered an estimated 45,000.
We're in a housing crisis and here's how to solve it. Should we scrap nuclear weapons? Trident is the UK’s nuclear weapon system, established in the early 1980s, consisting of three parts: submarines, missiles and warheads. There are four submarines which carry up to 8 Trident missiles and fitted with a number of warheads. One submarine is patrolling in an unknown locations, one submarine is undergoing maintenance and the other two are in port or undergoing training. Should we abolish inheritance tax in its entirety? Are the government’s changes to the BBC and its White Paper too radical? Would Brexit result in severe economic problems? Should the Government spend more and tax more or spend less and tax less? Are the government's new BBC proposals for the benefit of the public, or the government? Freedom of movement within the EU: Pros and Cons. The European Union has a ‘freedom of movement of workers’ policy within its member states, part of its ‘internal market’ plan, involving free movement of goods, services, labour, and capital within the EU.
Eurovision Voting: Talent or Politics? Do the Labour Party have a Jewish Problem? Mayor of London: An overview. Austerity?! What is Austerity. Debate Platform for Various National International Issues - JustDebate. Just Debate: a platform that encourages constructive debate. What is Just Debate? ‘Just Debate’ began with the idea to encourage young people along with everyone to voice their opinions in a constructive manner.