UK Politics
— When civil servants and MPs can’t speak up against ministers, they can’t do their jobs properly.
Analysis
Our analyses thoroughly examine current events and complex issues, providing nuanced insights into politics, health, economics, and social trends. Supported by evidence-based perspectives from experts, these articles go beyond the headlines to explore underlying causes and impacts, fostering informed discussions on the forces shaping our world.
UK Politics
— With everyone from rail workers to civil servants going on strike over the winter, it’s hard to see this ending well. To say the least, Rishi Sunak’s government is in a very difficult position.
Long-Read
— Professor Chris Grey’s analysis on how the budget aftermath exposed the costs and the lack of public consensus for Brexit. Some of the revived debate repeats the past, but there is a new context. How Labour responds now is crucial.
Trust in Politics
— The public does not trust British political parties at the moment, particularly not the Tories. This affects their ability to govern because much of governing is about persuading people to do or not to do things, and that becomes impossible if voters believe that they are being lied to all the time.
China Protests
— Young people are angry at COVID restrictions, but also poor job prospects and China’s heavy-handed suppression of free speech. Some protesters are even voicing the unprecedented demand that Xi Jinping steps down.
IndyRef 2
— The Scottish government wanted to trigger a second independence vote without consulting Westminster but that has been deemed not legally permissible.
Bird Flu (H5N1)
— With a greater number of wild birds infected, this latest bird flu outbreak is likely to mean that there have been more opportunities for infected or contaminated wild birds to come into contact with poultry.
Refugees
— If the Canadian government sticks to its new plans for refugee resettlement, the next three years could have significant implications for refugees and refugee policy beyond Canada’s borders.
Analysis
— Donald Trump made little mention of his personal legal battles as he announced his bid to retake the White House. But would an indictment end the former president’s run for presidency?
X (Formerly Known As Twitter)
— Any moves by Elon Musk to remove content moderation on Twitter risk breaching corporate human rights obligations. Moderating content is a box that still needs to be ticked.
Climate Change
— Focusing our attention on attitudes towards climate change could help us take a valuable step back from potentially deadlocked ideological debates.
Analysis
— A third of the people surveyed incorrectly thought there was a £2,500 cap on energy bills following Liz Truss’s claim that her government was “making sure nobody is paying fuel bills of more than £2,500”.
Press Freedom
— Eight journalists covering a protest on the M25 motorway were recently detained by police. Preemptively limiting media access is the hallmark of an authoritarian rather than democratic state.
Analysis
— The prospect of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss adding peers to the House of Lords has reopened a knotty debate that never quite gets resolved.
Analysis
— Recent scenes at Victoria Station and Manston immigration centre are one way the government drives anti-migration sentiment. 12 years of Tory governance has pushed narratives that dehumanise vulnerable people, and turned the border into a spectacle.
Long-Read
— Rishi Sunak’s pitch of economic competence brings the cost of Brexit into new focus. For all the claims of the usual suspects, voters won’t be willing to pay the price of this failed and unpopular project.
