Queen Elizabeth II, 1926 - 2022

What we mean when we say we are mourning Queen Elizabeth for the values she embodied

— As words go, grief feels inadequate for describing public sentiment in the wake of the Queen’s death. More than the death of an individual, people are perhaps mourning the loss of what she represented.

Climate Change

What Liz Truss’s government means for climate action

— Liz Truss has appointed a loyal cabinet with varied environmental credentials. While the new government represent a threat for UK action on climate change, their ability to inflict damage to climate policy will be restricted.

King Charles III

Charles III and the future of the UK monarchy

— The British crown has developed from absolute power to a ‘constitutional monarchy’. Prince William and his heirs could go on to inherit a truly modern monarchy fit for the rest of the century if King Charles III succeeds in adapting it to society.

King Charles III

Why Charles is already king and other key constitutional questions answered

— The passing of Queen Elizabeth II raises important constitutional questions regarding how the country transitions to the reign of her son, King Charles III. These are the key moments to look out for in the days ahead.

Queen Elizabeth II, 1926 - 2022

Queen Elizabeth II: The end of the ‘new Elizabethan age’

— Britain has gone through unimaginable change culturally and politically during Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign.

UK Politics

4 ways Boris Johnson tested the British parliament to its limits

— From calling his opponent a bollard to shutting parliament for an extended period, Johnson has pushed the limits of the ‘good chaps school of government’.

Environment

Why clean, affordable water should not be in the hands of private companies targeting profit

— Paris has successfully taken water back into public ownership. There is growing evidence to suggest England should do the same as after 33 years, the private ownership experiment has totally failed.

Energy Crisis

Will the UK experience blackouts? Three scenarios for this coming winter

— The UK could experience its first large-scale blackout in decades this winter if gas shortages combine with particularly cold weather.

COVID-19

Long COVID: Why it’s so hard to tell how many people get it

— A recent study suggests one in eight people who get COVID will go on to develop long COVID.

Analysis

UK strikes: How industrial action at a major port could disrupt supplies of clothing, cars and canned food

— With a looming recession, the UK’s political and business leaders need to develop solutions that will support economic recovery and growth.

UK Politics

Misjudgement now could cost the Conservatives dear at the next general election

— Rishi Sunak is more authentic and emotional, and Liz Truss more analytical, according to computerised text analysis of a recent hustings.

Human Rights

Western countries are shipping refugees to poorer nations in exchange for cash

— The UK plan to move asylum seekers on its shores to Rwanda has been met with stiff opposition from human rights organizations. But the UK Government persists, and Rwanda is all too willing.

Climate Change

Influential oil company scenarios for combating climate change don’t actually meet the Paris Agreement goals

— Most oil company scenarios claiming to be compatible with the climate agreement show a strong continuing reliance on natural gas and coal.

Donald Trump

How the FBI knew what to search for at Mar-a-Lago – and why the Presidential Records Act is an essential tool for future historians.

— A presidential scholar sets the history and context for the battle over President Trump’s official records – and says it isn’t the first records battle between the government and a former president.

Donald Trump

New photos suggest how Trump, flush with power, may have sent official documents down the toilet.

— Photos showing what appear to be torn-up documents in two different toilets may provide more evidence of the former president’s habit of destroying his presidential documents.

Brexit

Four ways Brexit and the loss of free movement have made life harder for mixed British-European families.

— Brexit – and the end of free movement between the UK and the EU – has had notable consequences for family life, particularly for mixed British-European families whether they are living in the UK or Europe.