2024 General Election
— As exit polls show defeat for PM, will he be remembered as a failure, a PM who inherited a mess... or just not at all?
openDemocracy
An independent global media platform. Through reporting & analysis of social/political issues, it seeks to educate citizens to challenge power & encourage democratic debate across the world.
COMMENT
— Freedom of Information in the UK is declining, with full request approvals dropping from 55% in 2013 to 34% recently. Successive Conservative governments have increasingly restricted it, undermining transparency and accountability.
Disabled People
— So far, we’ve heard more about Starmer and Sunak’s parents than the UK’s 16 million Disabled UK citizens. Both main parties overlook significant reforms, prompting Disabled people to demand systemic change through collective action and a unified manifesto.
OPINION
— A Tory think tank’s book claims Britain’s economic success was due to British genius, dismissing the role of colonialism and slavery. Critics argue it’s politically motivated, ignoring scholarly consensus on colonial impacts.
Environment
— ExxonMobil is accused of greenwashing over claims that its ‘carbon capture’ project is reducing emissions.
Argentina
— In Buenos Aires, community kitchens face food shortages, affecting millions. Javier Milei’s government cuts worsen the situation, as women, central to these efforts, struggle against poverty and hunger in slums.
UK Politics
— Theresa May’s heartless policies will go on tormenting migrant domestic workers long after she steps down as MP.
Austerity
— Local councils in Britain face severe financial strain, resulting in cuts to essential services like lollipop patrols, street lights, and public facilities. Austerity measures since 2010 exacerbate the crisis, risking vital community support and infrastructure.
UK-Rwanda Refugee Relocation
— The UK-Rwanda asylum deal, marred by legal and financial issues, raises concerns as Rwanda developers admit that Suella Braverman’s “beautiful” flats for deported asylum seekers in Rwanda have been sold to Rwandans, contradicting the former home secretary’s claims.
UK Politics
— From new immigration laws to the COVID inquiry’s module on vaccines, 2024 is more than just a year to head to the polls.
COVID-19
— Rishi Sunak faces calls to apologise to Parliament for allegedly misleading statements about following scientific advice during the pandemic. Evidence reveals there was no consultation with scientists before implementing the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
COVID-19 Inquiry
— Boris Johnson, appearing at the COVID inquiry, denied government mistakes contributed to excess deaths, attributing them to an elderly population and high population density, and struggled to name a single mistake his government made.
COVID-19
— The government compiled a dossier of information on a doctor who fought for COVID planning papers.
COVID-19 Inquiry
— Matt Hancock foresaw the failure of the October 2020 COVID tier system, admitting in a witness statement that he was in despair over implementing a policy he knew wouldn’t work.
COVID-19
— The COVID inquiry was shown Whatsapp chats from the early days of the pandemic in which cabinet secretary Simon Case said government decision-making made it look like a ‘terrible, tragic joke’.
UK Politics
— Suella Braverman’s attack on immigrants followed the government’s failure to deliver the promised strategy to teach English.
