author

 
 
 Tina Burrett

Meta

Tina Burrett
For Tina Burrett's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 14, 2022
Britain's revolving door — yet another prime minister
Britain's numerous leadership changes as of late are reminiscent of Japanese politics with the country getting its fourth prime minister in six years.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 12, 2017
Britain's general election results in political mayhem
A weak prime minister with an uncertain future puts Britain in a perilous position as it enters its most important negotiations for generations.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2017
Local elections point to a May victory
A modestly improved majority in next month's general election would be enough for Prime Minister Theresa May to steamroller her version of Brexit and her domestic reforms through parliament.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2017
May's snap election is shrewd but cynical
Despite her reputation for cautious pragmatism, British Prime Minister Theresa May shows she can also take a gamble.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2016
Is Brexit really inevitable?
Brexit isn't a foregone conclusion. There are three main scenarios that could keep Britain in the EU.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 14, 2016
Remain or leave, U.K. vote will inflict lasting damage
The flayed corpses of Prime Minister David Cameron and the Conservatives are a disincentive for future British governments to offer referendums, the most direct form of democracy.
COMMENTARY / World
May 25, 2016
U.K. local elections reveal a disunited kingdom
The Remain campaign will not win on June 23 unless it can mobilize Labour voters, but outside of London and Wales the party lacks the capacity to perform this crucial role.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2015
What propelled Cameron to victory?
What factors propelled Britain's Conservative Party to a stunning victory in an election that opinions polls had deemed too close to call?
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 5, 2015
U.K. election most unpredictable in generations
On May 7, British voters will go to the polls in the most unpredictable general election for decades.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 23, 2014
Disaffected have their say, but will Westminster listen?
The dilemma for Britain's political leaders is how to build on the public engagement generated by Scotland's referendum without rushing into ill-conceived reforms that create more problems than they solve.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2014
What UKIP's EU election win means for Britain's top parties
UKIP's gains in local and European elections were not a political mega-quake but rather the result of public anger with established parties the past decade over economic austerity, the Iraq war and the MPs' expenses scandal.
COMMENTARY
Jan 16, 2014
Putin PR hides woes in 2014
The Kremlin's dismay at the scale and longevity of protests in Moscow and other cities, following the fraudulent election in December 2011, is forcing Putin to find new ways to shore up his presidency.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 15, 2013
Labour making a comeback as Cameron falters
Growth is returning to the British economy, but wages remain stagnant as prices rise. Labour is seizing the initiative because the prime minister's vision for the government is unclear.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 19, 2013
Domestic factors also drive Putin's Syria gamble
Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategic win over the U.S. in Syria vindicates his foreign policy at a time when he faces difficulties at home.
COMMENTARY / World
May 23, 2013
Conservatives ungovernable on EU
It is now almost impossible to imagine how Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron will find a compromise on Europe that will satisfy members of his party.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 6, 2013
New talks unlikely to settle Northern Territories dispute
There is little reason for optimism that new Japan-Russia talks over the fate of the Northern Territories will fare any better than previous attempts to reach a deal.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2013
Reassessing Thatcher's legacy
Now that her funeral is over, let's begin a dispassionate assessment of why politicians of all parties remain enthralled by the legacy of Margaret Thatcher.
COMMENTARY
Dec 12, 2012
U.K. party leaders playing politics with press rules
Most people like talking about themselves, including those in the press. Since publication of Lord Justice Leveson's report into press culture, practices and ethics at the end of last month, Britain's newspapers have been consumed with discussing their own future. From among the many recommendations contained in Leveson's almost 2,000-page report, attention has focused on the judge's call for "statutory underpinning" of any new self-regulatory regime replacing the existing Press Complaints Commission.
COMMENTARY
May 16, 2012
Lords' reform creating tension in U.K. coalition
Last Wednesday's Queen's Speech saw Britain's hereditary monarch announcing government plans to effectively abolish the House of Lords, the British Parliament's unelected second chamber. It is hard to imagine that the queen did not feel the irony. But she may still have the last laugh, as proposals to move to a largely elected upper house are creating potentially insurmountable divisions within Britain's coalition government.
COMMENTARY
Mar 20, 2012
TV tactics win Putin new term
On March 10, thousands of Muscovites took to the streets for a fourth time in as many months to protest against fraudulent elections. Protesters held placards demanding "Russia without Putin." But this rally was smaller and quieter than previous anti-Putin protests.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?