Government Of India

Part I: Background and History

Joined EU in 1973.

Attempt to bring Britain to the rest of Europe. This was seen as a necessity in order for Britain to have a voice in political and economic polices of Europe due to their distant location. This move turned out to provide large economic growth for Britain, especially in the realm of exports.

1980s to 1990s under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, held to an Isolationist stance.

Thatcher was weary that the EU would undermine the UK's national sovereignty and in 1984, negotiated a deal in which Britain received a rebate from the "Common Agriculture Policy" of the EU. This policy, along with the their non-acceptance of the Euro, has led to a state of isolation for Britain from the rest of the EU.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, a member of the Labor Party, took office in 1997 and pushed for a pivotal role in Europe.

When Blair took over, Britain was experiencing economic prosperity for the first time since WWII.

Blair's positive relationship with President Clinton has led to good relations with Britain and the

United States.

In 1991, Britain gave significant military support to the U.S. in order to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. Again, in 1998, the UK showed support for American and U.N. forces in their attempts to force Saddam Hussein to comply with U.N. regulations.

Defense spending was cut by 20% from 1990-1999, which is the lowest total since the mid-30s.

This may indicate an increasing dependency on Britain's relationship with the United States, knowing that they have support.

In 1997, the People's Republic of China was given sovereign control over Hong Kong, with a provision that called for the allowance of a capitalist economy for up to 50 years.

This loss has helped to solidify the fact that Britain is no longer the world dominator it was once.

Part II: Recent Developments

Terrorism/War Efforts

Along with the United States, Britain has held firm to the task of establishing democracy in Iraq. This has lead to an increasing amount of dissent within the country as well as a widening gap between Britain and the rest of the EU and Europe. This has specifically led to deteriorating relations with France, which may continue even after the war is over. The July, 2005 strike in London led to an increased effort to fight terrorism.

International Crime and Drugs

They have developed useful multi-government policies to reduce problems in other countries. They have also providing training to agencies in Columbia, Jamaica, Turkey, and others in order to help eliminate the cultivation and exportation of narcotics.

New EU Membership

The addition of 10 countries to the EU has led to a somewhat negative feeling from Britain. Since most of these countries are poorer, Britain feels that it may adversely hurt their own economy. However, many also see this as an opportunity for British firms to relocate into these new, low-wage economies.

Energy and Environment

Britain is on the forefront of energy and environmental science ad research and has very large goals for the next few years. They hope to obtain 20% of their electricity from renewables by 2020. However, by 2020, Britain could be dependent on imports for over 75% of their energy needs. This reason has caused them work the U.S. and others to cut consumption and develop alternative energy sources.

Human Rights

UK has worked to promote global economic, cultural, and social rights. This has in turn led to their involvement with the U.S. against the war on terror, so that these rights may be achieved for the Iraqi people.

Immigration

Britain has recently allowed residents of Eastern EU countries to seek work, but those without jobs cannot claim welfare benefits for two years. The rapid increase in the rates of immigration has led the government to propose an Australian-style point system which ranks workers according to skills. Those seen as a potential burden to the welfare system would be excluded, while those with much to offer are given first priority.

Humanitarian Assistance

Britain is the world's fourth largest donor of aid, and is set to increase to over $10.6 billion by 2008. Their main goal is to reduce poverty and improve the standard of life for people around the world. In 2004 Tony Blair launched Britain's new proposal for combating AIDS and HIV which will work with developing countries and seek to close the $12 billion funding gap.

Part III: Questions

1.We understand that with the addition of the 10 new member-states, the EU's population has increased by 74 million, while the GDP has only increased by 5%. How does the United Kingdom feel this will affect their economic standing?

Will the United Kingdom take advantage of these new country's low-wage environments and export work to them?

How do you plan