...spoken, it has been lifted from a speech or conference Tony Blair gave outside Downing Street on the 4th September 1997, regarding education for children of the UK. B) I would suggest that this example of language has a rather high degree of formality due to its purpose; it is an official conference regarding a rather important matter and therefore Tony Blair will have made an active effort to keep the language to a certain and relatively high degree of formality. The language however is not overcomplicated and I think this is done so that various people from different backgrounds across the UK can understand what changes may take place in their education system, which is relative to almost any UK resident. C) From the text it can be inferred that Tony Blair has quite a wide array of spoken lexis and he makes use of this throughout. He uses words of varying formality to create a professional yet accessible approach to what is being discussed. In terms of grammar, Blair is generally accurate but it is hard to determine what pauses are intentional, for effect or any other reason due to the format of the text, spoken. For example, the commas seem to be in the right places throughout and I can only assume these are placed where he would pause in his speaking. There are some interesting examples in the text however that make it quite clear that this format of text is rather different to written or electronic. For example, Blair starts one of his sentences with “And I suppose…” The...
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...September 11, 2001 changed the lives of everyone. 2,977 dead and millions of families grieved. Two very important people who grieved as well, but showed an infinite amount of support through the years were: President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair. They both gave speeches on the incident and said some encouraging yet heartfelt words towards the families affected and towards our nation. Each took their own interesting routes, but overall had the same supportive conclusion. President George Bush as leader of our nation had to take a more serious and optimistic path. He tried to lead us to believe that even though we suffered a great lost, the future will always be better. He uses Anaphora to show us that even though we were going through a rough patch our battle wasn’t finished. “We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.” President Bush doesn’t fail to reassure us that the grass is always greener on the other side. Bush shows off his optimistic tone with this line “It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal.” He has hope for a better tomorrow. The diction used in that statement leads us to believe that Bush was ready to stop dwelling in the past. His syntax in this speech was off the charts as he tries to leave off with a speech that is almost like the speech a general gives his troops right before a battle. Words like “determined”, “strong”, “freedom”, and “courage” leave us with a taste for victory...
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...Both President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair delivered speeches after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. It was during this time that the United States desperately needed support and direction in terms of how it was going to deal with the most detrimental terrorist attack in history. The attack took America by surprise, and many people were in constant fear for their lives and their country. Because of this state of trauma that the nation was in, both Bush and Blair took action and delivered emotional speeches that utilized several rhetorical techniques to adequately minimized public fears as well as persuaded America to take collective action. On September 20, 2001, President George Bush...
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...desperate for someone to blame—the paparazzi came under fire for chasing her before the fatal car accident, and, shortly after, their rage shifted onto the Queen for keeping her grief silent and undetectable. In other words, they wanted their Head of State to radiate a bit more warmth than the nearest refrigerator. The Queen begins with Her Majesty (played with understated perfection by Helen Mirren) discussing politics with the man painting her portrait. The opening credits pop up as she is gazing off to the side, and then, unexpectedly, she stares fearlessly into the camera. It's a perfect introduction to how the movie plays out: honestly, straight-forwardly, and without any sugarcoating. When Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) is elected Prime Minister, his friendly demeanor ("call me Tony") contrasts with the icy exterior of the Queen. Their first meeting, awkward and abrupt, hints that they have different ways of doing business—and their contained oil-and-vinegar dynamic resurfaces following Di's death. The Queen insists on keeping the matter private and dignified; meanwhile, slanderous tabloid headlines hit the newsstands and a nasty backlash emerges, with 1 in 4 people feeling the monarchy should be discarded like expired milk. But it's not that the Queen doesn't care—it's that she is practicing politics the way it's always been done. If times are changing, should tradition...
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...To what extent does the PM dominate the UK political system? Some say that the Britain has entered an era of elective dictatorship; this is when a government that is elected but has won so many votes that it can do what It likes1. In the UK we have a first past the post voting system so theoretically speaking once elected government can do as they please as they have been given the power to do so by the majority of voters who voted them in. The Prime Minister is the head of government and as head of the executive he has powers that can portray him as a dictator not someone representing the ideas of the general population. For example the conservative government introduced ‘the bedroom tax’ if this was David Cameron’s idea he has the power to ensure that his party vote for this law even if they disagree. In this essay I will evaluate evidence on how much the PM dominates the political system in the UK and conclude by giving my opinion on to what extent he controls the political system. The PM is head of the executive and seen as the most important figure of UK politics, with this comes powers and responsibility’s that arguably makes him the most powerful man in the country. The ability to hand pick your cabinet is a key factor on how much the PM controls the political system of, being able to choose who does what job in the country means the PM holds the careers and more importantly the livelihoods of the ministers in his hand because he has the ability to hire and fire ministers...
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...Grace Law 27/2/2012 “The Blair Premiership was a bitter disappointment” discuss. The Blair government arrived in office in very favourable circumstances in 1997. The economy was doing very good and the party appeared more united than at any time since 1945. The Conservative opposition was demoralise and press coverage, even from traditionally Conservative newspapers, was positive. Expectations of the new Labour government were very high, but Blair’s government found it impossible to deliver on all of the promises. In fact, they were ended up doing very little; one of the reasons could be that they were scared to make bold moves that would make them unpopular. Blair’s government could be divided into two phases: 1997-2001 and 2001- 2007. Blair’s policies were only adventurous in the second phase that Anthony Seldon said “He was a late developer. He began with a whimper, finished with a bang” This essay will assess Blair’s achievements and failure as Prime Minister and give conclusion on whether his premiership was a disappointment. The economy in 1997-2001 seemed very healthy under Brown’s Chancellorship. He decided that interest rates and inflation targets should be set by the Bank of England, not the government. Some saw this as a masterstroke as this would reduce political interest in the setting of interest rates although others said it was a convenient way...
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...Name Course Institution Imperial War Museum Review Peter Kennard is known for the use of imagery that reflects the politics of Britain up until now. The work impacts other political artists in Britain and beyond. The book, “Unofficial War Artist,” is a compilation of the best of the work of Kennard. As a photomontage artist, Kennard faced the risk of letting the message overshadow the imagery, just like other artists that use art to communicate. The art of Kennard includes the use of images to represent the different circumstances in the politics of Britain. There is the use of paintings, clippings from newspapers and reports of the UN and testimonies from the victims of such events. In the end, the message of the adverse effects of war is communicated to all who come into contact with the work. The use of clippings is prevalent in the representation of the series called STOP. The combination of the magazine clippings and pictures from magazines and newspapers to show the Prague Spring, the Student Riots in Paris and the War of Vietnam. The work is simultaneously represented onto canvas whereby the work gives the story and sends out the feelings of the artist. The book on the work of “Imperial War Museum,” compiles all the works by Kennard regarding hunger, poverty, suffering, survival and debt whereby all are married at an instant. use of casual connections in the imagery and the facts is fascinating. Some of the representations appear with captions. The work on the...
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...The wind of change blew strongly over the British Isles in 1945. The great wartime hero, Winston Churchill is no longer the country’s leader, in spite of his great effort and success overseas during the war. The right-wing Conservative leader thought to remain prime mister, expecting public gratitude. However, the English vote for parties, not people. There was a demographic impact within Britain that led to the swing of leadership from a more capitalist based party to a more socialist based party. The people of Britain were haunted by the 1930s, a world in which “seldom the all-importance of food is recognized. You see statues everywhere to politicians, poets, bishops, but none to cooks or bacon-curers or market gardeners”, as described by Orwell. A time in which the poor were overlooked and undermined, a land in which the people “bred in the slums can imagine nothing but the slums.” Why was Churchill, being the national hero that he was, rejected by the Britons? Was it the failure of the Conservatives, which gave rise to Labour; or was it the rise of Labour which led to the failure of the Conservatives? These are some key aspects that this essay will attempt to consider. This paper will focus on how the rise of Labour, through their efforts locally, won over the population in order achieve a significant victory. Conducive to that change in leadership was the lack of Tory focus on social-policy and attention towards the working-class, which emanated from the lack of party...
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...Body language 1. As many researches show 93 per cent of all our communication is non-verbal. That is why it is very important to know how to behave and what kind of gestures and postures are acceptable in that society where you are now. We can control our own body language just if we have some knowledge about it. We have to read some articles or books about affective use of body language. Also we have to observe others’ people body language that can help us to understand better what is appropriate in specific situation and what is not. Observing others’ body language can give us an idea and some things that we need to know about that person and how better to communicate with him/her. 2. Reading body language is valuable and profitable. With knowledge of body language you can easily understand if someone is lying or saying the truth. If someone is not feeling comfortable talking to you or feeling pressure or anxiety. You can know with who you should make business and who you can trust. 3. Forms of body language that were discussed in movie: Facial expressions; gestures with the arms, hands and using your point finger; eye contact; use of different sounds of voice (low, high, whisper). 4. The most powerful example of body language that was presented in this film that I remember was the lady Smith, who was talking about her 2 boys that were abducted. Her facial expression didn’t have much emotions and her forehead was stiff and didn’t move at all. The lady was closing...
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...The Happiest Days of Your Life by Penelope Lively Still a boy, your whole life in front of you, and your parents have already figured out the rest of your childhood. Your parents are blind, blinded of the successful monetary people, and their dream of having the same amount of money and life. You are a boy without courage and an option to stand up for yourself, and instead become involved in a life embossed of hierarchy. The main characters in the novel are the boy Charles, Mr and Mrs Manders. The way Penelope describes the boy’s behaviour, and the way he shows his lack of interest, makes me feel that he is a very shy, insecure and a low self-confidence boy. A boy afraid of the unknown and new. In the story the boy is very quiet. We noticed it, when Charles was in the back seat of the car. He doesn’t eat his chocolate or read his comics (p. 61, l. 1-2 “The boy sat on the back of the seat of the car, a box of chocolates, unopened, beside him, and a comic, folded”). I think it’s a sign of Charles being insecure and afraid. He knows this new school isn’t something for him. He knows that he is low in the hierarchy. But he can’t say no, he won’t disappoint his parents, especially his mom. His mom is giving him no choice to choose his own way, to take responsibility for him self, and his own actions. Charles mom has since he was a little boy held him close to her self, which might have made him introvert. She hasn’t given him a chance to flourish like a real boy. It’s unknown...
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...After the Labour party’s strong victory in the 1997 general election, winning 179 seats, they have made moves and provisions towards constitutional reform. Indeed, the two prime ministers; Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have done much for reform over the years, as illustrated by devolution and the human rights act. Indeed, they made provision for reform in 4 key areas, modernisation, and greater protection of rights, democratisation and decentralisation. However, it can be argued that their reform has been limited, and much more can be done for constitutional reform. Firstly, it is clear that the modernisation aspects of the reform have been severely limited. Indeed, this can be illustrated by the reform of the House of Lords. Over the past 10 years, only part 1 of the reform process has taken place. This has included the removal of over 600 hereditary peers to only 92. However, no reform for a partially or fully elected second chamber has taken place. Until this happens it is argued that the Lords is not democratically legitimate as all policy making institutions must have legitimacy. By merely appointing the members of the Lords means that whilst they may have expertise, they are not socially accountable. These include the likes of Alan Sugar and Sebastian Coe. Also, the Wright report, which includes provisions towards electing members of select committee chairs by secret ballot, and to end the Winterton rule on public bill committees is still stuck within the legislative process...
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...management to support employment and the redistribution of wealth via the welfare system. By the 1970's this system of running the country had led to stagflation, and Keynesianism had failed in the eyes of many. The Conservative Party was later elected with a New Right agenda under Thatcher, and the electorate consensus following their periods in office was that her free-market neo-liberalism was the best so far at generating wealth. Due to the recovery that the UK’s economy made under Thatcherism, Labour was hard pressed to change its policies or suffer electoral defeat – and it took the 1980s for this to happen. During this time, Labour suffered crippling electoral defeat due to its perceived far-left ideology. With the internal election of Tony Blair as...
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...Using examples, explain the differences between left-wing and right-wing political ideas. There are many differences between left-wing and right-wing political ideas. Right-wing political ideas that tend to be pessimistic about human nature and oppose change; right wingers typically favour order, authority and oppose state intervention in the market. “Right wingers” are typically in favour of “free market economics”. This is where private companies are lightly regulated so they are free to go about their business without minimum interference from the government, which is sometimes referred to as “the state”. The Conservatives are a prime example of a “right-wing” party; the Labour party also adopted “right wing” ideas and began changes ways under the era of “blairism”, from being a “left wing-party” they adopted right wing ideas from the conservatives and were more or less similar to them. “Left-wingers” on the other hand generally have optimistic ideas about human nature and favour social change, left wingers tend to support liberty, equality and state intervention. The labour party is a “left-wing” party and has swifted back to its original ethos and ideas under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn who is a far-left wing socialist. Furthermore left-wingers are keen to reduce the gaps between the rich and poor. They believe that society should work together to help everyone, which is why schemes like the NHS and benefits were introduced, But they argue that the rich should...
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...How effective are backbench MP’s? How effective are backbench MP’s? Backbench MP’s are members of Parliament that are not in either the cabinet or the shadow cabinet. Backbench MP’s may be seen to be effective in some ways in the British Political system because they can do things such as scrutinise the government and hold them into account through numerous ways. Their role in Parliament in Westminster ensures that there may be democratic legitimacy of UK government and gives them a right and authority to exercise political power and may possibly increase the representation, overall, through Parliament. However, there is a growing fear that there is now ‘executive dictatorship’ in the UK and because of this, backbench MP’s have little power in calling the government into account due to the party system, which ensures that MP’s are dictated by the whips system, reducing the effectiveness that MP’s can then call people into account. Therefore, there are both reasons for and against that would suggest MP’s are or are not effective as seen. Firstly, backbench MP’s are key in calling the government of today to account, making them answerable for their actions and policies. This is achieved through questions to the Prime Minister and questions to other ministers as well as other forms of scrutiny such as debates and all of these methods are effective because they raise public awareness for issues and may possibly increase the media pressure on the government, causing them to act...
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...Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives In 1975, Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party and began to steer it towards what many have dubbed ÔThatcherismÕ. Margaret Thatcher believed in radical change, individuality, and a strong Government that enforces the law, rather than interfering in the economy. She was also opposed to the welfare state. In many ways, her ideology was broadly similar to classical liberalism, and many theorists see her ideology as neo-liberalism. Under her rule, the Conservatives were no longer truly conservative, as conservatives are usually opposed to too much individualism and liberty, and definitely do not want radical change. However, in terms of morality they remained staunchly conservative, believing strongly in the family and in law and order. It can be said then that the Conservative Party had become economically liberal but morally conservative. The Modern Conservative Party This Classical liberal ideology is still prevalent in todayÕs Conservative Party. Consecutive leaders after Thatcher have all stayed relatively true to her reforms of the party and its ideology, believing in economic classical liberalism. However, in recent times they have struggled to get their message across as supposedly they are liberals, and yet are often against homosexuality, drugs and immigration-ideas which are much more right wing and against the very principles of Liberalism. This has led to a decline in their support, as people do not know...
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