Esther Dudley

The proposed amendments include abolishing the priority of male succession to the Crown, and any discrimination against Roman Catholics. This will mean in practice that if Prince William’s first child is a girl, and she ends up marrying a Catholic, she will still be allowed to become Queen; even if she has a younger brother who hasn’t married a Catholic.

Reactions to the plans have been polarised; with the tabloid Daily Mail calling them a ‘crowning insult’, resorting to questioning the trustworthiness of Mr. Bryant by showing a picture of him posing with swimsuit models. Those on the traditional political ‘left’ have congratulated the move; Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat spokesperson on equality issues said: “This is an overdue but welcome move. Whilst the hereditary principle itself is obviously still a bit dodgy, at least this modernisation ends the outrageous discrimination against Catholics and women.”

Further questions have been raised as a result of the possibility of change in the monarchy. Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Geoffrey Robertson has questioned the very idea of a hereditary head of state: “The laws which define and protect the Royal Family breach at least four articles of the European convention on human rights.” This convention, now incorporated into UK law under the 1998 Human Rights Act, states in Article 14 that “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this [Act] shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.” It is the last attribute mentioned that interests us on this occasion. Whether the current government, or any other in the future, will choose to recognise that the very existence of the monarchy contravenes laws made by their supposed Parliament is something we may have to wait a long time for, given the delay between 1707 and 2008.

D.J. Austin

James Deighton

Ailsa Stanley

Last week, schools secretary Ed Balls announced that Key Stage 3 SATs are to be scrapped. This revelation comes after the fiasco surrounding this year’s SATs results. The firm charged with administering the tests, ETS Europe, was involved in a series of mishaps, causing a delay in the release of the results – some schools were still awaiting them last month.

The exams, introduced by the Conservatives in the mid-90s, were originally intended as a form of teacher assessment. However, lately, tension caused by league tables and Ofsted reports has led to more pressure being placed on the students to perform well. Recent reports from a two year investigation by Cambridge University have shown that children attending English primary schools are subjected to more testing than those in any other country. This has instigated the practice of only teaching students what they need to pass the exams, as opposed to concentrating on pupil understanding.

However, some have speculated whether the tests would have remained if ETS hadn’t failed to perform. SATs have only been used in schools for just over a decade, suggesting that perhaps they have not been in use long enough for their effects to be apparent. Also, the standard of education could be radically affected by the change in teaching methods – teachers would have to be retrained. In addition to this, Mr Balls is showing a reluctance to dispose of the other two Key Stages, due to the large amount of exams imposed on children at secondary school. He believes that parents can gauge primary school standards through GCSE and A-level results. Yet some critics have argued that this may lead to a trend of ‘teaching for tests’.

Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the announcement on Key Stage 3 tests was an “admission that the current testing system has failed”.

Presently, it seems that this system of monitoring will be replaced by more classroom assessments during the first three years of secondary school, as well as the testing of random samples of children. Students will move up to the next level ‘when ready’ – similar to graded music tests. As well as this, American style report cards will be introduced by 2011. These will be used in conjunction with Ofsted reports to provide parents with a guide of secondary school standards.

Natalie Turner

With little more than two weeks until polling day in the US Presidential election, Barack Obama is starting to establish a clear lead in numerous polls, with evidence suggesting he is ahead in many of the key battleground states that he needs to win in order to secure the Presidency. National polls suggest he enjoys a ten point lead over his Republican rival John McCain, and in “swing” states such as Florida, Colorado and Ohio – all of which were won comfortably by George W. Bush in both 2000 and 2004 – Obama enjoys between 5 and 10 point leads. The extent of Obama’s recent surge is perhaps most clearly evident in Virginia, a state that has not backed a Democratic Presidential candidate since 1964 but now backs Obama by up to 10 points.

Obama’s recent momentum can largely be attributed to American fears over the economy. With the American financial system teetering on the brink of collapse, unemployment rising and fuel prices sky high, Americans are looking for a leader that can best guide them through this perilous and uncertain time, and thus far Obama has proved their preference. The economy as the main issue in the Presidential race clearly favours the Harvard-educated Obama who has advocated prudent policies which have gained widespread approval from many American’s and convinced many undecided voters and even some previous McCain supporters to back Obama. Anecdotal evidence even suggests voters who initially rejected Obama because of his race are now prepared to set aside their racism to vote for the candidate that will best secure their employment and prosperity.

Thus whilst Obama has proposed health care reform and tax raises for big earners and successfully allied himself with white working class voters, McCain has appeared to be floundering.

Adam Evans