Marine exploration

Less than 50 years ago knowledge of the geology of the UK continental shelf (UKCS) was extremely limited. The BGS marine geoscience programme began about 40 years ago in response to the development of the UK oil and gas industry. The BGS was funded by the then Department of Energy to carry out a national mapping programme based on geophysical data, seabed samples and boreholes. By the 1990s, geological maps at a scale of 1:250 000 were published for the shelf regions showing seabed sediments, Quaternary geology and bedrock. The deeper water areas to the north and west continue to be explored with support from the oil industry. A series of regional reports, the offshore equivalent of the BGS regional guides, were published and reports for the Atlantic Margin will be published in 2010. MAREMAP is a new multidisciplinary environmental mapping programme designed to underpin the new marine industries and environmental issues

A ‘dishonourable’ honours list by Boris Johnson would further expose the fallacy of the UK’s system of ‘club government’

Dave Richards discusses some of the ways in which Boris Johnson has discredited the Office of the Prime Minister and warns that more may still lie ahead if the convention of a Prime Ministerial Resignation Honour’s list is afforded him

Critical re-assessment of conventional wisdom on the topic of Englishness is overdue

Is Englishness a contemporary invention or a resurgent sensibility? What is the shape and character of a re-awakened sense of English nationhood? The complexity and difficulties inherent in answering these and other questions means there is a growing imperative for political scientists to reflect more self-consciously upon questions of evidence, methodology and interpretation in this area, writes Michael Kenny

‘Things were better in the past’: Brexit and the Westminster fallacy of democratic nostalgia

Dave Richards and Martin Smith examine why Brexiteers want to ‘take back control’ and how this desire is not only paradoxical but part of a ‘democratic nostalgia’ which could further exacerbate political disengagement

‘Back to the Future?’ Brexit, elitism, and the British Political Tradition

Following the referendum, British politics is about to enter into a process of de-Europeanisation. Danny Fitzpatrick and Dave Richards warn that Brexit – an outcome unanticipated and perhaps even unwanted by many on the Leave campaign – should not be used as a justification for preserving the elitism that has characterised the British Political Tradition

The strange resurrection of the British Political Tradition

There is an urgent need to move beyond a nineteenth century set of ideas about democracy and governance – the so-called British Political Tradition – that should by now have long been consigned to history, write Dave Richards and Martin Smith. The Conservatives, however, may use their slim majority and narrow electoral base to veto any real changes

Pensions, fairness and Lamborghinis: Budget changes to the annuities market are a lesson in the fallacies of freedom

The change made to pension schemes in last week’s Budget calls into question the basic definition of what a pension is. True, the current annuities market is highly flawed, yet the new measure not only fails to address the existing problems sufficiently, it also brings about several perverse consequences. Craig Berry argues this is a measure that will fail spectacularly, even on its own terms

Whatever happened to the strange death of Tory England?

With more than 50 per cent of the popular vote in the general election going to parties on the right of the political spectrum, the intriguing question is whether Britain in 2015, or to be more precise England, has become increasingly conservative in outlook? Dave Richards and Martin Smith explore this questions and the challenges facing all the political parties

The lessons of Tony Benn as a Cabinet Minister: Breaking the rules and paying the price

Tony Benn’s legacy has been discussed extensively in the wake of his passing. However, little has been said about his time in government, where it could be argued that he failed to fully use the opportunities available to him. Dave Richards and Martin Smith argue that Benn may have had a radical vision, but he also demonstrated strategic naivety as a Cabinet minister in the face of bureaucratic resistance

Grand Brexit Strategies – can Whitehall cope?

The civil service has a key role to play in how Brexit will be delivered. Dave Richards and Martin Smith outline the organisational and cultural shifts that are required so that the process can be coordinated effectively across government