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United Kingdome
The bill allows
the detention of terrorism suspects for up to 42 days
without charges, extending the current 28-day detention
limit. The vote was seen as a much-needed victory for
beleaguered prime minister Brown.
On Oct. 13, 2008, in a
setback for Brown, the House of Lords rejected the bill
in a 309 to 118 vote. Gordon Brown and Iraqi prime
minister Nuri al-Maliki
made a joint announcement in December 2008, stating that
all British troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by the
end of July 2009.
A Historic Changing of the Guard
In
January 2009, amidst global economic and financial
turmoil, the Bank of England cut interest rates by more
than a percentage point, from 3% to 1.5%—the lowest
level in its 315-year existence.
In May 2009, the Daily
Telegraph reported that several MPs had submitted dozens
of inappropriate or inflated expense claims, including
those for mortgage interest; home repairs and
renovations; personal items, including television sets,
beds, and manure. As part of the fallout, the speaker of
the House of Commons, Michael Martin, was forced to
resign in June 2009 amid criticism of his handling of
the controversy. He was succeeded by Conservative John Bercow. Brown called early elections in April 2010, just
three years into his term.
He never found wide favor
among his constituency, and his aloof and often gruff
demeanor hurt his popularity ratings. In addition, the
global financial crisis left Britain mired in a
recession for six straight quarters, beginning in April
2008. In the May elections, Brown faced off against
David Cameron of the Conservative Party and Nick Clegg
of the Liberal Democrats. The candidates participated in
the country's first ever televised debates. Clegg's
charismatic and informed performance boosted his profile
and he emerged as a serious contender in the race,
making the election one of the most exciting and
followed in Britain's history.
Cameron was considered
the frontrunner throughout the campaign, but his showing
in the May 6 election did not meet expectations. Indeed,
the election produced a hung Parliament, with none of
the competing parties winning enough seats (326) to form
a majority government. Conservatives took 306 seats, Labour 258, and Liberal Democrats 57.
Brown resigned as
head of the Labour Party on May 11, ending 13 years of
rule by Labour. The Conservatives wooed the Liberal
Democrats to form a coalition government, offering to
put electoral reform—a main point in the party's
platform—to a referendum, establish a five-year, fixed
term for Parliament, and give the Liberal Democrats five
cabinet posts, including Clegg as deputy prime minister.
The arrangement marks the first such partnership between
the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and the
country's first coalition government since World War II.
The unlikely partnership raised more than a few eyebrows
in Britain and beyond, leaving many to wonder how long
the two parties at opposite ends of the political
spectrum could work together amicably, especially given
the agenda that lies ahead. The government faces the
daunting task of imposing austere cost-cutting measures
to shore up the flagging economy. Nevertheless, Cameron
and Clegg, the young dynamic duo—both are age 43,
promised unity and a new direction for the country.
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