Current Affairs - Domestic

Question 1

Name 5 domestic current affairs

Answer 1

Scottish Independence

Deportation of Refugees

Railway Strikes

Northern Ireland Protocol

Boris Johnson Leadership

Question 2

When is the proposed date for Indyref2?

Answer 2

19th October 2023

Question 3

Why has Boris Johnson currently rejected independence and what is the Supreme Court being questioned on?

Answer 3

Says we need to work together to build a stronger economy

Whether the Scottish government can hold a vote without UK approval

Question 4

What will happen if Holyrood is not given the power to hold a referendum, and what will happen if it does?

Answer 4

The next general election will be a de facto referendum with the SNP standing on the single issue of independence

The Referendum Bill will be passed ASAP

Question 5

What will the Section 30 Order for Indyref2 grant?

Answer 5

Will grant Holyrood powers usually reserved for Westminster, primarily the ability to hold a referendum

Question 6

Why does the government want to deport asylum seekers illegally arriving in the UK?

Answer 6

Because they want to provide safe/legal routes and disrupt the businesses of people smugglers

Question 7

Why is it controversial sending refugees to Rwanda?

Answer 7

Because it has a poor human rights record - the Rwandan Patriotic Front regularly threatens those who criticise the government or the RPF (some missing or found dead)

Question 8

Name two countries refugees are coming from and why

Answer 8

Afghanistan - Taliban rule

Syrian - Civil War

Question 9

Name three countries which hold more refugees than the UK

Answer 9

Germany, France and Spain

Question 10

Why are refugees travelling to the UK?

Answer 10

52% said they already have a family member here so wish to be reunited

Question 11

Name two legal routes for asylum seekers and why they haven’t worked

Answer 11

UK Resettlement Scheme (2021)

Mandate Resettlement Scheme (1995) - resettles those with family members in the UK who can accommodate them but only two people were resettled in 2021

Question 12

Name two groups fighting in the Syrian Civil War

Answer 12

Syrian Arab Republic vs the Free Syrian Army

Question 13

Why are railway workers striking?

Answer 13

Due to frozen salaries despite 9.1% inflation, changing working conditions and proposed job cuts

Question 14

How many railway workers are strikers and what union are they from?

Answer 14

40,000

National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers

Question 15

Who are the railway workers striking against and why?

Answer 15

National Rail

They’ve only offered a 2% pay increase despite demands for 7%, and the NR’s modernisation programme (increase in working hours and removal of approx 1500 jobs to save money)

Question 16

What is the government arguing in relation to the railway strikes?

Answer 16

That revenue has fallen and passenger numbers are 1/5 of pre-pandemic figures

Question 17

What is the Northern Ireland protocol aiming to avoid and what does the British government want to override?

Answer 17

A hard border between NI and ROI

The Brexit deal on NI

Question 18

Why is the NI protocol an issue?

Answer 18

Because the EU has strict food rules that require border checks (e.g. milk and eggs) for goods arriving from non-EU countries

Question 19

What is the aim of the NI protocol, and why do Unionist parties object?

Answer 19

To have border checks instead be conducted between NI and Britain, and for NI to follow EU food rules

A border across the Irish sea undermines NI’s place in the UK (DUP refuses power sharing with Republicans until resolved)

Question 20

What does the UK Government want to create instead of the NI protocol?

Answer 20

Red lanes (products going into the EU - full checks)

Green lanes (products only going into NI - exempt from checks)

Question 21

Why have the UK Government said they can change the terms of an international agreement and what was the European Commission’s response?

Answer 21

Safeguarding essential interest (NI peace being threatened)

Took legal action against the UK for it (refused to negotiate but willing to cooperate - e.g. reduce customs on goods and relaxing rules so red meat can still be sent across the Irish Sea)

Question 22

What could happen if the NI protocol is not properly negotiated?

Answer 22

The EU could take the UK to the European Court of Justice and a trade war could emerge

Question 23

What happened in December 2021 in regards to Boris Johnson?

Answer 23

Wanted to reintroduce covid measures but faced the largest rebellion of Tory MPs during his premiership

Question 24

Why was there conflict over the Downing Street refurbishments?

Answer 24

The report said he didn’t breach the Ministerial Code but was unwise and should have had more regard for funding

Question 25

Who did the Tories get donations from and what did Johnson claim in regards to it?

Answer 25

Lord Brownlow

Said he didn’t know who paid for the refurbishments but the Electoral Commission found evidence of him texting Brownlow for extra funds in November 2020

Question 26

When did the Tories have a garden party and what was their excuse?

Answer 26

Christmas 2020 (strict lockdown rules)

Thought it was a work event

Question 27

What did the Sue Gray report conclude and what has Johnson been blamed for?

Answer 27

16 events in which Johnson attended 8 - failure of leadership

A reduction of Tory seats in the May 2022 election

Question 28

What was the result of a no confidence vote in June 2022?

Answer 28

59% for and 41% against

Question 29

Name two support aircrafts

Answer 29

Chinook

Puma HC2

Question 30

Give details on the Chinook

Answer 30

28 Squadron

RAF Benson

Primarily used for trooping, resupply and casevac

Question 31

Give details on the Puma HC2

Answer 31

28 and 33 squadrons

RAF Benson

Variety of uses - e.g. movement of ammo and disaster relief