As I prepare to leave England after more than a week, I can’t help but ruminate a little about how familiar the politics of this country would seem to the average, politically aware North Carolinian.

Here are a few snapshots from the headlines and BBC newscasts (supplemented by some stimulating conversations with London cabbies, tour guides, and other locals):

• A major issue in the U.K. right now in standardized testing. Just as we are seeing in North Carolina, English educators, parents, and politicians are expressing a variety of opinions about how best to measure student achievement. Even Prince Charles weighed in on the issue while I was here, suggesting that too much emphasize on basic-subject tests would distract from teaching children the history, the arts, and the sciences they need to be well-rounded British citizens. On the other hand, some testing critics are obviously trying to protect low-scoring British schools from facing any accountability for their failures, or are trying to protect low-scoring children (and their parents) from feeling embarrassed or inadequate. So much for the stiff upper lip.

• According to a couple of media reports, one of England’s major problems is urban sprawl. There is now a net outflow of people from the London metroplex, as people flee exorbitant housing prices, traffic jams, soaring crime rates (now higher than America’s in almost every category against murder), and urban regimentation for newsuburbs in the southeast and southwest of the country. Traditionalists are horrified, environmentalists are apoplectic, owners of downtown London properties are worried about future valuation, and average folks are simply looking for a safe and affordable place to pursue their dreams. Oh, and remember than London has a very extensive and convenient transit system.

• During its week-long party conference, the Conservative Party talked a lot about a major problem facing the country: out-of-control medical spending. Despite the fact that the U.K. long ago adopted socialism in health insurance, problems remain in the health care system. I kid you not. Patients wait for weeks or months for access to needed services. Costs are exploding, with reformers of both parties (which basically means the rank-and-file in the Conservative Party and Tony Blair, all by his lonesome,in the Labour Party) are talking about introducing new incentives for patients to consume care efficiently.

• I spent much of my time here in and around the Palace at Westminster, where the Parliament meets. Across the traffic circle is a green, much like the park across the street from the White House in Washington. A gaggle of anti-war protesters wandered, gesticulated, and muttered whenever I walked by. I went up to one of them, a disheveled man of about 50, and asked what his major complaint was about President Bush’s policy on Iraq. “He’s a war criminal,” the brilliant foreign policy analyst responded, and then he wandered away. On another occasion, my wife and I visited the historic town of Bath near the western coast of the country. At the beautiful Bath Abbey, church officials were passing out official newspapers with the headline “Give Peace a Chance: Bishop leads campaign against ‘immoral’ war.”

Felt just like I was back home — in Chapel Hill.