Download or read book Dr Liam Fox written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee on Standards and Privileges and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2012-03-15 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Committee considered a memorandum from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards reporting on his consideration of complaints against Dr Liam Fox made by Mr John Mann. These complaints were that Dr Fox had permitted his friend Adam Werritty to stay rent-free in accommodation funded by the Additional Costs Allowance; Adam Werritty reportedly ran a business from that address in 2002-03; Mr Werritty had been "allowed to run an organisation called The Atlantic Bridge from Liam Fox's Parliamentary Offices.The Committee recommended that Dr Fox repay 3,000 pounds to cover the period in which his friend was staying in his ACA funded accommodation after the revised Green Book had put the rules beyond doubt. It also recommended that Dr Fox apologise in writing for his breaches of the rules in permitting his friend to use his ACA funded flat for a year and in permitting The Atlantic Bridge to use his Parliamentary offices. The Committee would have proposed a heavier penalty if Dr Fox had not raised the use of his office with the House Authorities.

Download or read book Cases Materials on Constitutional Administrative Law written by Brian Thompson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 745 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cases & Materials on Constitutional & Administrative Law provides students with a comprehensive selection of legal resources to accompany their studies. Extracts from leading cases, academic works, and political documents are drawn together with incisive author commentary and thought-provoking questions to highlight the historical debates and ongoing development of the subject. The authors take a critical look at the doctrines of constitutional law and the principles of administrative law, showing how the constitution operates in relation to Parliament, the Executive, and the citizen. Online Resource Centre This book is supported by an Online Resource Centre providing a wide range of extra resources to further support students in their studies, including: - Updates in constitutional and administrative law - An extensive range of web links - An interactive timeline of significant public law events throughout history - 'Oxford News Now'- a live feed on topical public law issues, sourced from news websites such as the BBC and Guardian

Download or read book The Prime Minister s adviser on ministers interests written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2012-03-17 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this report the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) considers the role of the independent adviser on ministers' interests and concludes that role is not independent in any meaningful sense. The adviser on Ministers' interests advises Ministers on compliance with the Ministerial Code and carries out investigations of alleged breaches of the Code when requested by the Prime Minister. The report highlights the lack of independence in three areas: the role: the independent adviser lacks independence in practice, as he is appointed personally by the Prime Minister, is supported from within the Cabinet Office, and cannot instigate his own investigations; the appointment process: the closed process by which the adviser is appointed is not suitable for an 'independent' role; the choice of candidate: the choice of a recently retired senior civil servant, Sir Alex Allan, is not a suitable choice for a role which requires demonstrable independence from Government. PASC started the investigation after recent resignation of the former Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox: regrettably the then independent adviser Sir Philip Mawer was not consulted in the course of the events leading up to the resignation of Liam Fox. The retirement of Sir Philip shortly after the resignation of Dr Fox provided an opportunity to demonstrate the value the Prime Minister places on having complaints against Ministers investigated in a demonstrably independent way, but this opportunity was missed and the appointment of Sir Alex only became public knowledge after the event.

Download or read book Operations in Afghanistan written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2011-07-17 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report looks at operations in Afghanistan since 2006 and makes further recommendations for the anticipated draw-down of forces. UK Forces were deployed in Helmand Province in Afghanistan for three years from 2006 without the necessary personnel, equipment or intelligence to succeed in their mission. Mistakes were made as a result of a failure in military and political coordination. The decision to move UK Armed Forces into the South of Afghanistan in early 2006 was not fully thought through. The Committee is concerned that the MoD did not anticipate that the presence of the Armed Forces in Helmand might stir up a hornets' nest, especially as much of the intelligence was contradictory. Senior military advisers should have drawn attention to the need for force levels to be sufficiently robust to cope with an unpredictable conflict. The Committee is disturbed that the Secretary of State was told that commanders on the ground were content with the support they were being given in Helmand when clearly they were not. After only a matter of months in Helmand, the nature of the UK Mission changed, with serious strategic implications. The MoD did not respond quickly enough to changes in Taliban tactics. The MoD should prioritise the protection of personnel. The Government's room for manoeuvre regarding the number of troops that could be withdrawn from Afghanistan as part of an immediate transition is necessarily limited. More emphasis needs to be placed on capacity building within the political system if long-term success is to be achieved.

Download or read book The Strategic Defence and Security Review and the National Security Strategy written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2011-08-03 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report notes mounting concern that UK Armed Forces may be falling below the minimum utility required to deliver the commitments that they are currently being tasked to carry out let alone the tasks they are likely to face between 2015 to 2020 when it is acknowledged that there will be capability gaps. The Committee is concerned that UK Armed Forces will be continually operating at the maximum level envisaged by the Defence Planning Assumptions. The Committee is not convinced that this aspiration can be achieved by co-operation with our allies given the challenges of aligning political with operational needs. The SDSR identified seven military tasks and the Defence Planning Assumptions that underpin them. However the Review fails to show how decisions such as those on the Aircraft Carriers and Nimrod MRA4 will lead to the Armed Forces being able to undertake those military tasks. The Committee has serious concerns over the realisation of what is called "Future Force 2020", the Government's intended shape of the Armed Forces from 2020, particularly as the provision of the necessary resources is only a Government aspiration, not Government policy. The MoD must reform, and ensure substantially improved transparency and control over, its finance and budgetary practices. When committing to undertake new operations the Government should state from the outset where that operation fits in the Defence Planning Assumptions and which of the military tasks it is meeting. The Committee is concerned that the Government seems to have postponed the sensible aspiration of bringing commitments and resources into line, in that it has taken on the new commitment of Libya while reducing the resources available to MoD.

Download or read book Managing Global Risks in the Urban Age written by Yee-Kuang Heng and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first full-length exposition of what it terms a global city-global risks nexus, this volume crosses disciplinary boundaries to draw upon research from Security Studies; Geography; Sociology; and Urban Studies. Innovative in its approach integrating theories about Global Cities with those positing a Global Risk Society, Yee-Kuang Heng positions this research in the midst of two concurrent global trends that will gain more significance in coming years. The world is experiencing the consequences of not only rapid globalisation, but also urbanization. In 2008, the UN declared that more than half the world’s population was now urban. At the same time, highly connected global cities like New York, London, Tokyo and Singapore also face rapidly spreading global risks such as pandemics and financial crises. Unique in developing a typology of global risks that threaten a global city like Singapore, beyond its Asian focus, the book also draws out thematic and policy lessons pertinent to other global cities. ’Global cities’ do not simply materialize. They are dependent on a range of stakeholders at various levels that produce and re-produce its command and control capabilities, in the face of global risks. Singapore’s experiences managing global risks in the financial; aviation; and maritime domains are common concerns shared by many countries and cities that have, or aspire to develop, similar critical infrastructure.

Download or read book Democracy for Sale written by Peter Geoghegan and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-05-14 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Sunday Times bestseller. 'A compulsively readable, carefully researched account of how a malignant combination of rightwing ideology, secretive money (much of it from the US) and weaponisation of social media have shaped contemporary British (and to a limited extent, European) politics... Remarkable' Observer, Book of the Week Democracy is in crisis, and unaccountable and untraceable flows of money are helping to destroy it. This is the story of how money, vested interests and digital skulduggery are eroding trust in democracy. Antiquated electoral laws are broken with impunity, secretive lobbying is bending our politics out of shape and Silicon Valley tech giants collude in selling out democracy. Politicians lie gleefully, making wild claims that can be shared instantly with millions on social media. Peter Geoghegan is a diligent, brilliant guide through the shadowy world of dark money and digital disinformation stretching from Westminster to Washington, and far beyond. Praise for Democracy for Sale: 'Thorough, gripping and vitally important' Oliver Bullough 'A brilliant description of the dark underbelly of modern democracy. Everyone should read it' Anne Applebaum 'A compelling and very readable story of the ongoing corruption of our government and therefore ourselves' Anthony Barnett 'As urgent as it is illuminating' Fintan O'Toole 'This urgent, vital book is essential reading for anyone who wants to make sense of our politics' Carole Cadwalladr 'This forensic and highly readable book shows how so many of our democratic processes have moved into the murky, unregulated spaces of globalisation and digital innovation' Peter Pomerantsev 'A call to arms for all those who value democracy' The Herald 'Geoghegan's words are those of someone who is prepared to keep fighting to defend and revitalise what shadows of democracy still remain'Scotsman

Download or read book Operations in Libya written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2012-02-08 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Defence Committee believes that the Government will need to make some difficult decisions on prioritisation if it embarks on a future mission similar to the Libya operation now that the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) is taking effect. Although the UK was able to satisfy both operations in Libya and Afghanistan and its other standing tasks and commitments, the Libya operation was conducted before the implementation of many of the SDSR decisions on capability reductions. The Committee commends UK Armed Forces for their significant contribution to the successful conclusion of the Libya operation and comments on particular aspects and equipment used in the operation. It notes that at times the Royal Navy was unable to carry out several other important tasks owing to meeting the Libya commitment. Given the high levels of standing maritime commitments it is likely that this type of risk taking will occur more frequently as the outcomes of the SDSR are implemented. For the time being, there will continue to be a heavy reliance on US command and control functions for future NATO operations. The Committee also concerned that future NATO operations will not be possible if the US is not willing or able to provide capabilities such as unmanned aerial vehicles, intelligence and refuelling aircraft. It should be a priority for NATO to examine this over-reliance on US capabilities and assets. This challenge will be heightened by the US stated intention to shift its military, geographic and strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region.

Download or read book Fighters and Quitters written by Theo Barclay and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They say the first rule of politics is never to resign. It seems, however, that Britain's leaders have all too often failed – or refused – to heed this sage advice. Fighters and Quitters charts the scandals, controversies and cock-ups that have obliterated dreams of high office, from the ex-minister who faked his death in the 1970s, to Geoffrey Howe's plot to topple Margaret Thatcher, to the many casualties of the Brexit saga. Then there are the sex and spy scandals that heralded doom and, of course, the infamous Profumo Affair. Who jumped and who was pushed? Who battled to keep their job and who collapsed at the first hint of pressure? Who returned, Lazarus-like, for a second act? From humiliating surrenders to principled departures, Fighters and Quitters lifts the lid on the lives of the politicians who fell on their own swords.

Download or read book British Naval Aviation written by Dr Tim Benbow and published by Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2013-07-28 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1909 the British Admiralty placed an order for a rigid airship, marking the beginning of the Royal Navy's involvement with airpower. This collection charts the Navy's involvement with aviation over the following century, and the ways in which its rapid expansion and evolution radically altered the nature of maritime power and naval strategy. Drawing on much new historical research, the collection takes a broadly chronological approach which allows a scholarly examination of key themes from across the history of British naval aviation. The subjects tackled include long-standing controversies over the control of naval air power, crucial turning points within British defence policy and strategy, the role of naval aviation in limited war, and discussion of campaigns - such the contribution of the Fleet Air Arm in the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres of the Second World War - that have hitherto received relatively little attention. The collection concludes with a discussion of recent debates surrounding the Royal Navy's acquisition of a new generation of carriers, setting the arguments within an historical context. Taken as a whole the volume offers fascinating insights into the development of a key aspect of naval power as well as shedding new light on one of the most important aspects of Britain's defence policy and military history. By simultaneous addressing historical and current political debates, it is sure to find a ready audience and stimulate further discussion.

Download or read book Scrutiny of arms export controls 2011 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2011-04-05 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first joint report on arms export controls since the present Government took office in May 2010. As in previous years, the report reviews the Government's policy on arms exports, its administration and enforcement, and the adequacy or otherwise of current legislation. This year the Committees have paid particular attention to the Government's policy of intensifying the promotion of arms exports. The policy has come under scrutiny following the uprisings and demonstrations in recent weeks in North Africa and the wider Middle East and the armed response made to them. Since January 2011 the Government has been vigorously backpedalling on a number of arms export licence approvals to authoritarian regimes across the region. The MPs conclude that both the present Government and its predecessor misjudged the risk that arms approved for export to certain authoritarian countries in North Africa and the Middle East might be used for internal repression. The Committees welcome the revocation of a number of arms export licences to Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, and recommend that the Government extends immediately its review of UK arms export licences for countries in North Africa and the wider Middle East to authoritarian regimes worldwide. The Government should also set out how it intends to reconcile the potential conflict of interest between increased emphasis on promoting arms exports with the staunch upholding of human rights.

Download or read book Rising Tides written by Liam Fox and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2013-09-12 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New ideas, new interconnections, new problems. Liam Fox analyses crucial world issues. The world has changed more and faster than any of us could have imagined. While that may be accepted in terms of global business and financial markets, and to some degree the worldwide web, people including their political leaders may have been slower at grasping what these new interconnections mean for the way we operate in this new era. Liam Fox begins by questioning what decision-makers fear as the threats to world stability and peace, and draws on his own experience to illuminate world events, past and present. In conversation with those responsible for keeping the world afloat - such as Tony Blair, Condoleezza Rice, Malcolm Rifkind and Donald Rumsfeld - he examines both triumph and disaster and explains how to meet the challenge of the new global reality.

Download or read book Democracy Sovereignty and Terror written by Adam Roberts and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-11-14 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'For those of us who have to live with terrorism, when we leave home in the morning there is no guarantee that we will come back.' Thus Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, foreshadowed his own assassination in 2005. He was an astute and brave thinker and practitioner on many key issues in international politics. Long before 9/11 he warned Western democracies that they were too passive about the activities on their soil of foreign terrorist movements and their front organizations. He was a strong advocate of democracy and human rights, conducting the first-ever Amnesty investigation into the problems of a particular country - Vietnam. He was uniquely effective in countering the propaganda campaigns of the separatist Tamil Tigers in his native Sri Lanka - the movement which ultimately took his life. This definitive work explores the continuing relevance of his ideas for the modern world. Democracy, Sovereignty and Terror presents Kadirgamar's distinctive voice in his major speeches. It also offers a convincing picture, by those who knew him, of a scholar-statesman who was both a realist and an idealist. He showed that these approaches can be combined in both thought and action.

Download or read book The Perfection of the Paper Clip written by James Ward and published by Atria Books. This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Change the way you look at office supplies forever with this wonderfully enlightening and quirky exploration of the fascinating backstories of everyday objects, such as the humble and perfectly designed paper clip and the utilitarian, irreplaceable pencil. How many of humanity’s brightest ideas started out on a scrap of paper or in the margins of a notebook? In a delightfully witty and fresh voice, James Ward—cofounder of the Boring Conference and collector of the arcane—explores the secret histories of deskbound supplies, from pencils to fluorescent ink, and the gleaming reams of white paper we all take for granted, encouraging a deeper appreciation and fascination for the things that surround us each day. In the spirit of The Evolution of Useful Things and A History of the World in 100 Objects, Ward transforms the mundane into remarkable stories of invention, discovery, and even awe. The Perfection of the Paper Clip is “a hugely entertaining experience for the reader…this engaging book is an absolute must” (Booklist).

Download or read book Poland in Transatlantic Relations after 1989 written by Małgorzata Zachara and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2018-01-23 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together a number of scholars from a variety of disciplines to examine the phenomenon of the transformation of Poland within the context of regional and global power relations, focusing in particular on analyses of the country’s political and social development within the area of transatlantic relations. It provides a distinct view on the current dynamics and future perspectives of the transatlantic alliance. At a time when the story of Poland as the shining example of post-Communist success and European integration has been interrupted, several other leading narratives of the Western world also appear to be in danger: western values cannot be considered to be universal, the message of globalization has lost its power, and the structure of the international order is described in increasingly delusional terms. The study sheds light on features of Poland’s performance on the regional scene and will stimulate discussion about the lessons that may be learned from the Polish experience by other states facing the challenges of transformation. The last 25 years of Polish history represent the unquestioned success of this political concept. Poland has become an independent actor able to take responsibility for its own future, thanks to the favorable configuration of global powers and the support provided by international leaders. Was this merely a historical episode that created an opportunity for one actor? Can this scenario be repeated? Under what conditions?

Download or read book India s National Security written by Satish Kumar and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-23 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The twelfth volume in the series India’s National Security: Annual Review offers a detailed analysis of India’s complex security environment: persistence of major threats, alongside a constructive engagement with major powers based on its economic growth, military power and political stability. Topping the list of India’s external security concerns is China’s veiled hostility, manifest in its strategic nexus with Pakistan, incursions into India’s borders and enhanced military deployment in India’s immediate neighbourhood. Added to these are the intractable boundary dispute and uncertain implications of the recent leadership change in China. India, nevertheless, is attempting to cope with China’s pressures by engaging with it at a diplomatic level and improving its own defence capability. Pakistan remains another major threat, because of its refusal to take action against militants responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, its efforts at expanding its nuclear arsenal, and the increasing sway of right-wing elements on its society, politics and security forces. India further faces the challenges of facilitating Nepal’s difficult transition to democracy, safeguarding its strategic interests in Afghanistan, stabilising Maldives’ fledgling democracy, and tackling ethnic insurgencies along its borders with Myanmar. On the other hand, there are positives like India’s strategic partnerships with Russia, US, France, Britain, Germany, and Japan, as well as a flowering relationship with Bangladesh. India’s internal security situation is less alarming, with progress in talks with some North-Eastern insurgent outfits; a sharp fall in casualties due to left-wing extremism (LWE); and a gradual reduction in terrorist-related incidents in Kashmir. But sporadic cross-border infiltrations in Kashmir and spread of LWE to urban areas still pose challenges. Addressing such and other issues, this book will be indispensable for policymakers and governmental organisations; those in defence and strategic sectors; and students of defence studies, foreign policy, international relations, and political science.

Download or read book Journals of the House of Commons written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: