For daily up to date examples and advice on how to do well in A Level Politics, make sure to follow the Politics Explained TikTok.

For detailed videos going through all of the A Level Politics content, make sure to follow the Politics Explained YouTube Channel.

Global Politics Videos Released

Last week, we began releasing detailed videos on the Politics Explained YouTube Channel covering everything you need to know for the Global Politics section of the Edexcel A Level Politics specification. Half of the course has already been covered and the remaining videos (there will be 25 in total) will be released by the start of February.

You can watch the playlist in order here.

UK Government Examples

Ministerial Responsibility

Tulip Siddiq's Resignation As An Example Of Individual Ministerial Responsibility:

• On Tuesday the 14th of January, Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq resigned following an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh, which she was named in. 

  • The corruption probe alleged that the MP’s family embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending in Bangladesh linked to her aunt, the former Bangladeshi Prime Minister.

• After referring herself to the Prime Minister's ethics watchdog, it was found she had not breached the ministerial code however resigned as she had a "serious conflict of interests", as her responsibilities as Treasury Minister covered combating illicit finance and corruption.

  • This is a useful recent example of Individual Ministerial Responsibility (IMR), a constitutional convention whereby ministers are responsible for their personal conduct, and if it falls below what is expected of them or they aren’t able to do their job effectively as a result, they are expected to offer their resignation.

Select Committees

Andy Slaughter's Criticism Of The Labour Government As An Example Of Select Committee Scrutiny:

• Since the Wright Reforms in 2010, Select Committee chairs have been elected through a secret ballot of MPs, rather than being chosen by whips. As a result, high profile and experienced backbenchers who are not afraid to challenge the government are now more likely to be selected, and can provide detailed scrutiny.

• In 2024, high profile Labour Backbencher Andy Slaughter was elected as chair of the Justice Select Committee; he has significant experience and knowledge about the legal system as he was formerly Shadow Justice Secretary for 6 years and served as a barrister prior to entering Parliament. 

  • Since assuming the role he has scrutinised the Government on the prisons crisis and the efficiency of the justice system.

• Recently, Slaughter criticised the government's 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy calling for a long term reduction in prisoner numbers and a strategy for rehabilitation to reduce pressure on probation officers. Additionally, the committee took oral evidence from the Attorney General and prisons minister on the quality of prisons.

  • This shows how the election of select committee chairs has led to the appointment of more independently minded MPs who have legitimacy to challenge the work of government, rather than simply being "lobby fodder" for whips.

UK Politics Examples

Threats To Jess Phillips As An Example Of Social Media Harming Democracy:

• Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X (formerly known as twitter) has recently been criticised for spreading disinformation and hate against the Labour government and Home Office Minister Jess Phillips in particular.

  • The tech billionaire labelled Phillips as an “evil witch” and a “rape genocide apologist”, calling for her to be jailed. This was due to a dispute over historic grooming cases and Musk’s calls for a national inquiry, despite his limited knowledge of the issue.

• Since this emerged, Phillips has reported numerous threats to her life and further misinformation has spread. 

  • This shows the dangers of social media to democracy, as it can be used by foreign actors to spread disinformation which is dangerous to MPs and the health of democracy.

  • This is particularly stark given the fact that two MPs have been killed by their constituents in the past decade.