The Birmingham Brief - intelligent thought on policy issues.
- Description
- After two consecutive dry winters, which caused a critical drought with groundwater levels at record lows at many aquifers in the South-East and English Midlands, weather conditions have changed dramatically since the beginning of April. One of the UK's worst supra-seasonal droughts has turned into the wettest April on record, with water levels of many rivers responding quickly and fast-rising water levels in many areas causing wide-spread flooding.
- Date:
- Friday 18th May 2012
- Description
- Last week, ten English cities voted on whether to alter the dynamics of leadership in their authorities and replace the current leader and cabinet formula with that of elected mayor, deputy, and cabinet. The rejection was almost unanimous, only Bristol registered a yes vote – but with a majority of less than seven per cent – and more than 60% of voters in Coventry, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Wakefield prioritised the status quo above change. To some this outcome was a surprise, yet polls prior to the referenda were inconclusive at best, and taken in conjunction with the uncertainty surrounding elected mayors, it is hardly surprising that the majority of the electorate chose to stay at home or vote no, with average turnout being recorded at a particularly low 32 per cent.
- Date:
- Friday 11th May 2012
- Description
- The landmark verdict on April 26th against the former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, is an important warning for those who perpetrate war crimes. Finding Taylor guilty of war-time atrocities during the war in Sierra Leone between 1991 and 2002, shows that no-one can be above the law.
- Date:
- Thursday 3rd May 2012
- Description
- Why has a solution to the decade long nuclear stand-off with Iran proved so elusive? Based on ongoing research into the dynamics of nuclear rivalries, and the role of trust in international politics, we argue that the main obstacle to solving the crisis over Iran's nuclear program is that neither side believes that it is possible to reassure the other without this reducing their own security. Recent talks in Istanbul suggest that a new path to mutual security might be opening up, but there are still challenges ahead.
- Date:
- Friday 27th April 2012