Kosovo Defines the West

Kosovo is a proxy war with the Holocaust. As such, this war and its outcome will do much to define the West in the next century That it is a war in Europe, for Europe, sets it apart from all the other tragedies from Rwanda to Kashmir. Our collage of comment on this subject ranges from the secretary general of NATO to the leader of the Kosovars in Albania.     

The Four Nations: Interrelations*

Historically and contemporaneously the interrelations of the nations of the British Isles are as important as their differentiation. Modern revisionist historians, Irish and British, understand this better that many politicians and publicists. Nationalism as separatism and strong national consciousness are commonly confused when the English media consider Scotland. Gordon Brown stresses ‘Britishness’ to preserve the union but this is counterproductive. All his examples of British events are English, none Scots or Welsh, and his British values are mainly universal. A true construction of Britishness is to see it as a strong but narrow practical legal and political framework within which different cultures, old and new, can both flourish and intermingle. So strong are both social and economic interrelations that Scottish independence could be less consequential than commonly supposed.     

Behind the Scenes of France's Lead on Libya

The Great Arab Revolt of 2011 has moved swiftly from the peaceful overthrow of autocrats in the nation‐states of Tunisia and Egypt to brutal repression in the tribal societies of Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen. Meanwhile, the wired youth bulge of the Middle East that brought change is dissipating into an impotent diaspora while the organized interests of the old regimes and the once‐suppressed Islamists charge ahead to power. This section examines the revolt, the reaction and the power struggles in its aftermath.     

DISABLED PEOPLE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES' EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICIES

In debates on equal opportunities, disabled people's issues are often ignored. Disability is typically seen as a medically defined category populated by individuals 'with problems'. This article presents an alternative perspective which re-defines disability and demands that the authenticity of the disabled people's movement be acknowledged. Surveys estimating the numbers of disabled people in the UK are reviewed, as are local authority equal opportunities statements. Two case studies of local authorities, Manchester and Lambeth, are used to show how progress on disabled people's issues has been achieved by account being taken of the demands of the disabled people's movement. The article concludes by looking at the implications of recent legislation and suggests that equal opportunities policies for disabled people are most likely to be implemented when they organize themselves effectively and make coalitions with other disadvantaged groups.     

THE POLITICS AND MANAGEMENT OF HUNG AUTHORITIES

Hung local authorities have grown in numbers in recent years. This paper analyses the experience of those authorities. First it reviews the growing body of literature and argues that it has largely been concerned with particular authorities. The authors then proposed a research-based classification of hung authorities, before examining both the nature of political behaviour and changes in management. Finally, the paper identifies factors leading to stability and instability in hung authorities and the characteristics of both situations.