Brexit is Back On

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 20 December 2019 > In the News

With the Conservative Party winning an overall majority in the UK Parliament for the first time since 2017, Prime Minister Boris Johnson means to make good on his promise to, “Get Brexit done.” The Conservatives won at least a 78 seat majority on 12 December, with 364 seats,a much more comfortable position than the minority … Continue reading “Brexit is Back On”

Australian Election Turnaround

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 23 May 2019 > In the News

Australia’s Liberal National Coalition has scored a surprise victory in the federal election called by Liberal Party Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The minority coalition in power was behind in opinion polls for a year, and no one expected them to win. Scott Morrison was the sixth Prime Minister in six years, with both parties having … Continue reading “Australian Election Turnaround”

The Election that wasn’t Supposed to Happen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 23 May 2019 > In the News

Voting in the European Parliamentary elections started on 23 May in the Netherlands and the UK — where the elections weren’t supposed to take place at all. One more chapter in the chaos of Brexit. The UK was supposed to leave the EU on 29 March, following the Brexit referendum. However, since the Conservative Government … Continue reading “The Election that wasn’t Supposed to Happen”

Shock: an Election that Went as Predicted

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 07 November 2018 > In the News

Political pundits were very guarded in their predictions for the U.S. midterm elections after the surprise victory of Donald Trump in 2016. Pundits and polling organisations also got their predictions wrong in the Brexit referendum and last U.K. election. So it was almost a surprise that the midterm results were pretty much as expected. The … Continue reading “Shock: an Election that Went as Predicted”

Billboards for Citizens

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 31 October 2018 > In the News

With the midterm elections approaching, the U.S.A. is being inundated with political advertising. But a group of artists wants to take back the country’s billboards for non-partisan, thought-provoking messages. Following a crowdfunding campaign they are putting up messages on billboards in all 50 states. For Freedoms was created in 2016 by artists Hank Willis Thomas … Continue reading “Billboards for Citizens”

American Midterm Elections

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 17 October 2018 > In the News

For several months, the news in the U.S.A. has been dominated by the midterm elections. Depending on which survey you look at, these could mean a major revival for the Democratic Party, or a small bump on President Trump’s path to re-election. What are the midterms, and how important are they? The midterms are an … Continue reading “American Midterm Elections”

Talking About the U.S. Midterms

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 17 October 2018 > Webpicks

If you’d like to discuss the American midterm elections with your classes, we have selected some great teaching resources. This 1’30” video from Voice of America News is short and to the point. It’s usable for written comprehension (there’s no voiceover or dialogue). Usable from A2. This BBC video is 2’25” and is a simple-ish … Continue reading “Talking About the U.S. Midterms”

Did Britain Just Have A Youth Quake?

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 16 June 2017 > In the News

Ever since the surprise result of the June 8 General Election, figures have been flying round traditional and social media claiming that the swing away from the Conservatives to Labour was caused by young voters “taking their revenge” for the Brexit referendum. It’s a good story. But is it true? After the Brexit referendum, there … Continue reading “Did Britain Just Have A Youth Quake?”

Another UK Electoral Surprise

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 10 June 2017 > In the News

The UK General Election that was supposed to consolidate the Conservative majority has a resulted in a hung parliament: no one party has reached the 326 seats needed for an absolute majority. The sitting Conservative government has asked the Queen to form a government with the backing of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party. The … Continue reading “Another UK Electoral Surprise”

Britain Goes to the Polls

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 08 June 2017 > In the News

The exception seems to be becoming the rule in Britain, where the latest election campaign, just like the last general election and the EU referendum, has not gone the way anyone expected. Britons go to the polls today for the election Theresa May announced on 18 April, and which the Conservatives were expected to win … Continue reading “Britain Goes to the Polls”