British politics in the 21st century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

British politics in the 21st century - Essay Example The event did not only unleash Major’s daring spirit, but also brought out a dormant political acumen by his participating openly in the fight against Saddam Hussein and by his deciding to topple the despotic regime. He was one of the prime movers of the so-called Operation Desert Storm, or its British equivalent, the Operation Granby. Among European nations, it was the UK who sent the largest military contingents in the combat operations of the war. The prime minister worked closely with the United Nations Security Council and the United States to free Kuwait from an Iraqi invasion and to protect thousands of Kurds from the deposed dictator’s persecution. UK then established its ‘Safe Haven’ policy to accommodate refugees and saved tens of thousands of lives (Jones & Kavanagh 2003). Major also sought solution to the long-time tensions in Northern Ireland and launched the government’s peace process initiative. He discussed pivotal agreements with the Taoiseachs of Ireland, and subsequently issued the 1993 Downing Street Declaration, which affirmed the right of the Irish people to self-determination and that Northern Ireland be transferred to the Republic of Ireland upon a referendum.   Aside from being a staunch advocate of public services and education, Major was also a key player in the economic recovery of UK. During his term, inflation rates were kept low and the unemployment incidence down (Buxton et al. 1998). This, he obtained through his strong.... Major also sought solution to the long-time tensions in Northern Ireland and launched the government’s peace process initiative. He discussed pivotal agreements with the Taoiseachs of Ireland, and subsequently issued the 1993 Downing Street Declaration, which affirmed the right of the Irish people to self-determination and that Northern Ireland be transferred to the Republic of Ireland upon a referendum.    Aside from being a staunch advocate of public services and education, Major was also a key player in the economic recovery of UK. During his term, inflation rates were kept low and the unemployment incidence down (Buxton et al. 1998). This, he obtained through his strong convictions on UK’s role in the European Union and against the Social Chapter. He was also responsible for the creation of the Council Tax, which resulted in premium public services such as policing and garbage collection during the time. In addition, Major launched the National Lottery with the go al of raising supplemental budget for the arts, culture and sports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ultimately, Major can be considered a lucky politician because amid fierce faultfinding and disapproval both from his colleagues in the government and from the general public, propelled by media’s insinuation, he still emerged victorious in the General Election of 1992 and in 1995.    2- To what extent, if at all, did the SDP succeed in â€Å"breaking the mould of British politics† and the main impact of the creation of the SDP was to delay Labour’s recovery and keep the Conservative Party in office for longer than it would otherwise have been†. Discuss? Created in 1981, the Social Democratic Party came as a surprise