| POLITICS |
10
Downing Street
www.number-10.gov.uk |
 |
| The
official Number 10 Downing Street website is the ultimate Blair mouthpiece.
This fairly extensive project has a news centre where new government initiatives
are announced, together with discussion forums and occasional opportunities
to quiz the PM himself on the issues of the day. There is also an interesting
tour of Downing Street complete with pictures. The site is designed utilising
all the latest bells and whistles that the Internet allows, with a scrolling
up to date news section on the opening screen. |
Politics
UK - Business Donors
users.powernet.co.uk/hack/sleaze |
|
| This
site has a very simple aim - to disclose what companies donate to political
parties and how much they give. This intent appears in a very basic layout
but then it's the content that is of interest. Since new rules have been
introduced to party political funding, this information has been made publicly
available but fortunately this site has collated it for you. Definitely
worth a quick look to see what companies are up to. |
The
British Politics Page
www.ukpol.co.uk |
|
| This
isn't a great looking site by anyone's standards. But if you want to know
about British politics - what happened when and why - this is a good place
to start. A search on the site will trawl a history of Westminster, recent
news and upcoming events in the current parliament. There is also an extensive
list of links to other political sites, MP email addresses and a selection
of books on the subject. |
The
Conservative party
www.conservative-party.org.uk |
|
| The
Conservative Party has been having a rough time of things recently (even
disgraced ex-MP Neil Hamilton had the cheek to criticise it) but you wouldn't
know it to look at its website. It's a bells and whistles affair with some
great graphics and effects. However, it fails to be much more than nice
packaging. Flash pics mean long downloads and don't expect to be told what
the party's policies are - except the usual slamming of the opposition. |
The
Labour Party
www.labour.org.uk |
|
| Not
as good looking as the Conservative's site, this nevertheless is an impressive
attempt to make the Labour Party more transparent. You won't find any great
insights into Government but then there are a slew of other sites for that
purpose. What you will get is a comprehensive and easily navigable reference
to the Labour Party and its stated aims and intentions. A step in the right
direction for British politics. |
The
Liberal Democrat Party
www.libdems.org.uk |
|
| For
a political party that was first to embrace the Internet revolution and
which is dedicated to being as open as possible, this site is a bit of
a letdown. When the site first went up it was leading the way, but since
then nothing has changed and it looks hopelessly out of date. The design
is bland and there's very little to get your teeth into. What is commendable
though is the list of MP's emails so you can contact them directly. |
Sinn
Fein
www.sinnfein.ie |
|
| Since
the resolution of the Good Friday agreement Sinn Fein has found its position
shifted by 90 degrees - and that makes this site worth viewing. Not much
has changed on the site except for a few congratulatory pictures, but we
suspect that will all change as the party gets around to helping govern
Northern Ireland. The design is very simplistic but functional and the
background to the party is well worth a read. |
Thinking
Politica
home.freeuk.net/ethos |
|
| Setting
itself apart from the daily wranglings of politics, this site offers a
view on the sociology, economics and philosophy behind government. Very
much an intellectual exercise, it can get a bit heavy-going at times but
if you want to know more about politics and its history around the world
this is the right place. Covering political theory, the Russian revolution
and General Pinochet among its many topics, this site keeps up to date
and isn't afraid to voice an opinion. |
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PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS |
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The
Informed Investor
