Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her legacy
Queen Elizabeth was such an important figure for so many people and she inspired so many throughout her 70 year reign as Queen. She was the first child of Prince Albert, Duke of York, who was the second son of King George V. Earlier on she was not thought of as a future queen because her Uncle, the Prince of Wales at the time, was assumed to be King. When the King passed away, Edward VIII took the throne but gave up the throne 11 months later which meant that King George VI (Elizabeth’s Father) took the throne. It was on February 6th in 1952 that King George VI died, aged 56, of lung cancer and then in 1953 Elizabeth II was crowned Queen in Westminster Abbey in one of the first televised coronations the public had seen.
The passing of the Queen does mark an important event in British history as it is the death of the only reigning monarch the people of Britain have ever known. It is also important to note how diligently she served her people through war, peace, and many social upheavals and not to mention the technological revolution. For many people in the United Kingdom and throughout the whole world perhaps, Queen Elizabeth was so much more than just a Queen, she was a symbol of devotion to patriotic duty. It wouldn’t be implausible to say that history may well remember her as one of the greatest monarchs to ever live. The death of the queen is also the closing of a great chapter in the modern Elizabethan era, which has seen so much change and revolution.
Another thing to note is how many records were broken by Queen Elizabeth, she became the world’s oldest reigning monarch and travelled more frequently than any predecessor. The record for the longest reigning monarch was previously held by Queen Victoria which was a reign of 63 years and seven months. Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth garnered huge respect from many across the world and this was due to her modesty, her self-sacrifice, and the seriousness with which she carried out her duty as monarch. It can be seen that Great Britain has gone through vast social change during her reign, but it is astounding how she carried on working, without questioning, and without complaining. This sentiment is well echoed with what she declared on her 21st birthday, “My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
Nevertheless, the Queen did have to change with the times as she welcomed Camilla into the family after the bitterness that the Royal Family went through during the Diana years. It must also be stated that the monarchy was deeply upset with the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with the scandal over the Duke of York. However, alongside all of these family problems, the Queen showed that she could provide leadership with her continued strength and the courage was also shown during the Covid pandemic. Still, there are others around the world who would point to the imperialist past and claim that there is no place for the Royal Family in modern society. No matter what the view point, it can’t be denied that the majority of British citizens had a positive attitude towards the Queen and she was a symbol of decency and continuity to so many.
Sources: The Sunday Times, Internationalist Standpoint, The Jesuit Post.
Higher Taxes for the UK and what this all means
People in the UK will have to face higher taxes as the government looks to help put the economy back on track. Jeremy Hunt, the current Chancellor, has also said that tax thresholds will be frozen, this means that the tax bands stay the same even though people’s pay goes up. Prices across the country are also rising at their fastest rate and this means that many in the UK will face a harder time. The plans set out by the chancellor amount to £25 billion in tax rises, there has also been a change to the top 45% additional rate of income tax, which have been lowered from £150,000 to £125,140. According to some estimates households will pay energy bills that are £900 a year higher than they currently pay, furthermore that is £1,800 more than the previous year.
The economic outlook for the future is more taxes and more government borrowing over the next two years. The government claims to have delayed the process of balancing it’s financial books, in the hope that there is an economic recovery therefore a lot less cuts. Additionally, taxes will rise in April, but the spending cuts have been delayed until 2024, and that is when the next general election will take place. The Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Resolution Foundation claim that the Chancellor is dealing with the reality of a much poorer country than before. Spending on schools, hospitals, and local authorities will not change, and the pressure that people are facing in the UK due to inflation means that many would face either pay cuts or job losses next year.
The level of inflation can be seen by the increase in food prices and the rate at which they are rising. Recent estimates suggest that food prices are rising at their fastest rate in 45 years. Additionally, due to the increase in energy and fuel costs, inflation is now at it’s highest level since 1981. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) remarked that the poorest households will be hit the hardest, note that these households on average spend half of their overall income on food and energy. Nevertheless, if looked at economically, these spending cuts and tax rises are needed in order to bring spiralling prices under control and to get the country’s economy back on track. The ONS further said that food prices had risen sharply in October as milk, pasta, cereals, eggs and other common food items’ prices are all going up.
It is important to note that gas and electricity prices are still the main drivers of inflation as all bills are increasing. It is only because of the government’s Energy Price Guarantee scheme that the average household only has to pay around £2,500 a year. It seems that businesses have been hit the hardest as their electricity bills have more than doubled as compared to the previous year, however this is just one factor. Another major factor that’s driving up costs for businesses is the cost of raw material prices. The combination of these factors means that the future is fairly unpredictable for many and the rising prices have also encouraged a lot of workers across many sectors to call for a pay rise, with some industries such as the railway staging strikes.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian.
The World's Largest Volcano in Hawaii is erupting
Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano, and it has recently been erupting. There are other larger volcanoes in the world, however most of them are classified as either dormant or extinct; this means that they have not erupted in a long time or that they will most probably never erupt in the future. This is the first time, as of late November 2022, that Mauna Loa has erupted in almost 40 years. Thankfully, the flow of the lava has been mostly contained within the summit, however there is still the danger to local residents about ash falls and for this reason the volcano’s alert level has been put to the highest level. Although the volcano is showing signs of great activity, populated areas are still unlikely to be impacted by this.
Mauna has a caldera, which is just a hollow shape that forms at the top of the mountain after an eruption. The eruption at the summit’s caldera was followed by a series of earthquakes in the region, and based on it’s history, the volcano is very active. Since 1843, the volcano has erupted 33 times, with the last eruption, in 1984, sending lava flowing withing 5 miles of the island’s most populous town. However things are slightly different as compared to back then, the island’s population has more than doubled since 1980 to around 200,000 people. The recent lava flow travelled at less than 1 mph and reached a length of 5 to 6 miles, the disruptions caused includes the closure of roads and cutting of power to an important global climate monitoring station.
Schools still remain open as the eruption continues and many people have chosen to return back to the homes they evacuated. Furthermore, authorities predict that the eruption could last around two weeks, however this could be subject to change. The geological survey mentioned that the recent fountains of lava from the mountain’s summit were as tall as 200 feet, and that the eruption was mainly concentrated in the Northeast Rift Zone. There is also the addition of volcanic gas, and fine ash to the environment, along with strands of volcanic glass. These conditions and the development of anything more serious, should it occur, are constantly being monitored by officials.
Another volcano which is close to Mauna Loa, called Kilauea erupted for months in 2018 and destroyed more than 700 homes. The National Park remains cautions for allowing visitors to witness the eruptions, but there is also an element of cultural significance with respect to the Native Hawaiians. They believe that this eruption is a very sacred event, and the whole area is very much a sacred landscape. As the wind has the potential to carry volcanic gas and ash to the residents, it is important for anyone with respiratory sensitivity to take extra precautions and minimise their exposure. Volcanic ash can also pose a huge aviation risk, because the visibility is significantly reduced, and there is a danger of damage to the jet engines and flight controls.
Coup plot arrests in Germany
There were a series of arrests made in Germany recently due to the discovery of an attempted coup. There have been 25 arrests made in raids all across Germany for fear of a plan to overthrow the current government. It is thought the man who is central to all of this is the 71-year-old referred to as Heinrich XIII, furthermore he comes from an old aristocratic family. After the arrests, more details emerged of just what the group wanted to do after they overthrew the government. So far to date, this has been Germany’s biggest ever raid on right-wing extremists and a lot of other details about the planning by the group is yet to be discovered.
It was on Advent Sunday of this year that a video was posted by a man who identifies himself as “General Eder,” in which he talked about a great upheaval that would bring in a new judicial and political order. This was uploaded on a website that is popular among the far-right conspiracy theorists and ten days after it was posted, 64-year-old Maximilian Eder was arrested in the Italian city of Perugia. Eder has been accused of planning a plot to overthrow the state by violent means, along with plans to install a shadow government. Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said he was “deeply concerned” by the alleged plot, nevertheless some debate whether this group of conspirators actually posed a serious threat to Germany’s government.
This daring plot does indicate an increase in radicalisation and the spread of disinformation in the country and beyond. The group has come to accept a range of conspiracy beliefs that push the idea of evil forces trying to control other people’s lives; they believe that the best response to this is to overthrow the people in power. There have been similar scenes linked to disinformation, such as the US Capitol riots and the anti-vaccine violence which were fuelled with many Covid-19 conspiracy movements. It is important to note the scale of this operation and 3000 officers were involved in 11 German states and two people were arrested in Austria and Italy.
The people arrested include family doctors, judges, chefs, and the group also included men from a military background. The plotters are said to include members of the Reichsburger movement, this has been in the sight of German police since before the pandemic. Back in April, this group planned to kidnap the German health minister along with creating “civil war conditions” to bring an end to democracy . It is estimated that around 50 men and women are part of this group that had plans to overthrow the government and replace it with a new state which was to be modelled on the Germany of 1871 – this empire is called the Second Reich. The members of this group reject Germany’s modern democracy and refuse to pay taxes, and in total the group’s influence reaches to an estimated 21,000 further members.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian.