(no subject)

[vyvyanx]

Well, in the midst of all this political doom and gloom, an attempt at a more positive note. What laws or other political actions do you remember appreciating, which were passed/taken during your life? (I'm thinking of things done by the government of your own nation - and primarily the UK, though feel free to comment on examples from other countries where you've lived or currently live.)

For me, the introduction of the minimum wage springs to mind first.

Comments

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

The Gender Recognition Act.

[zotz]

The Human Rights Act.

[zotz]

Freedom of information's good too, although the two acts differ.

[aldabra]

Gordon Brown is doing amazing things to the tax/benefit system; tax credits are absolutely the way to go, and I think they're laying the groundwork for a citizens' income once they're firmly established; it'll be tragic if the Tories get in and undo it, this time, because I think by next time enough people will be directly benefitting that they won't be able to.

And SureStart, which is 12.5 hours/week of free nursery education for 3-yr-olds plus more in deprived areas, is possibly *the* most progressive, far-sighted programme I'm aware of in Britain in my lifetime.

[Really, I'm torn over this; I would be so tempted to defect *to* Labour, if it wasn't for the Bush/Blair axis.]

[lzz.livejournal.com]

The French 35-hour week, except that it totally doesn't apply to the self-employed.

[rochvelleth.livejournal.com]

The restrictions on selling fireworks.

[mobbsy.livejournal.com]

As a lot of good ones have been covered, minimum wage and Human Rights in particular. Additionally; letting the Bank of England set interest rates on purely economic grounds rather than as a political tool, extended rights for part-time workers, done a fairly good job of trying to get to Kyoto targets.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

[Ignoring things already done]

I actually think Trident was the right thing, although I realise that might be contentious. It's my standard reply to "you would just hate anything Thatcher did"; well, no, I wouldn't and I don't. (Just _almost_ everything. :-)

We did eventually drop some Third World debt, didn't we?

Red Ken's transport policies are good.

If Wednesday were here she would point out the large proportion of UN peacekeeping troops who are Canadian, so I'll do it for her.

[owdbetts.livejournal.com]

The Hunting Bill (which isn't law yet, but is now pretty much a forgone conclusion, with the House of Commons having passed it for the second time, and now able to use the Parliament Act to overrule the House of Lords).

The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 were something I really wasn't expecting to see from a British government. (Basically it puts discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of sexuality on the same footing as descrimination on the grounds of gender or race.)

Of course, it only happened because there was an EU Directive; it's really a European law.

Older stuff, I'm not sure. I'd certainly agree that the minimum wage was significant. I'm sure there others, but I didn't used to be that politically aware when I was younger, so they probably didn't make that much of an impression...

[keirf.livejournal.com]

The Data Protection Act.