UK Politics

David Cameron returns: How can a prime minister make someone who isn’t an MP foreign secretary? And what happens now?

— Rishi Sunak’s decision to appoint former PM David Cameron as foreign secretary, even though Cameron is not a current member of the Commons, highlights the influence of patronage exercised by the PM and raises concerns about democratic legitimacy.

UK Politics

Suella Braverman: How much of a threat is sacked home secretary from the backbenches?

— Rishi Sunak’s removal of Home Secretary Suella Braverman, known for appealing to the cultural right, and the appointment of former PM David Cameron as foreign secretary reveals his struggle to balance diverse factions within the Conservative Party.

UK Politics

Rishi Sunak is wrong: We polled the British public and found it largely supports strong climate policies

— The UK Government is backtracking on climate legislation and directing funds towards the expansion of the oil and gas industry. Research, however, highlights widespread public support for robust climate measures, contradicting the government’s narrative.

OPINION

The alarming rise of the new fascism

— Global concerns escalate as U.S. Project 2025 promotes far-right Christian nationalism. In Britain, Suella Braverman’s inflammatory language towards migrants, the homeless, and protesters raises fears of the Conservative Party transforming into a far-right authoritarian entity.

UK Politics

Suella Braverman: Why the home secretary can’t force the police to cancel a pro-Palestine march

— Suella Braverman criticised the Met Police for alleged double standards in handling pro-Palestinian marches, accusing them of leniency. Her interference raises concerns about the police’s non-partisan role, damaging the fragile contract of public trust, essential for effective policing.

LGBTQ Rights

‘Conversion therapy’: UK government kicks ban down the road – and there’s a major problem with what’s been proposed so far

— The UK government’s 2018 commitment to ban “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ individuals remains unfulfilled. A potential exemption for consent from those over 18 weakens the ban’s impact, as it may lead to coerced consent, contradicting legal standards.

PPE Scandal

Tory donor’s firm secures lucrative PPE storage contracts: The inside story

— A firm linked to a major Conservative Party donor received £546,000 in PPE storage contracts from the Department of Health and Social Care. The timing of these contracts and donations raises concerns about potential influence and transparency in contract allocation.

UK General Election

New Labour dominance in the 1990s is now weakening the Conservative voter pipeline

— A study on voting trends in Britain spanning 55 years reveals that growing older doesn’t directly lead to increased Conservative support. Instead, age appears to have a greater influence on Labour voting.

COVID-19 Inquiry

Dominic Cummings has exposed a hole at the heart of the British government – and a glaring problem with the way we choose prime ministers

— Giving evidence to the COVID inquiry, Boris Johnson’s former adviser exposed the dysfunction of an administration lacking in the expertise needed to manage a crisis.

COVID-19

‘We look like a terrible, tragic joke’: COVID WhatsApps show government chaos

— 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’.

COMMENT

Britain’s cosplay with warships and suchlike in the eastern Mediterranean

— What is the purpose of Rishi Sunak’s Government deploying a notably smaller naval task group in the Middle East compared to the United States, if not to project a larger presence on the international stage?

Long-Read

Brexit has driven the Tory Party mad

— The influence of Brexit on the Conservative Party has bolstered populism and pushed the party further from moderate conservatism towards the influence of Nigel Farage, which is characterised by detachment from reality and ideological purity.

UK Politics

The government quietly ditched its plans to help refugees learn English

— Suella Braverman’s attack on immigrants followed the government’s failure to deliver the promised strategy to teach English.

Immigration

Labour’s immigration policy: Will focus on ‘security’ win an election?

— Labour’s immigration policy emphasises border security and targeting smuggling gangs, aiming to win back “red wall” voters concerned about immigration. Labour’s strategy can talk tough on security while not demonising migrants themselves, offering a nuanced position.

OPINION

The Conspiracy Party conference

— The Conservative Party conference has revealed the Tories’ embrace of conspiracy theories, extremism, and threats to democracy. The Tory party is moving towards far-right ideologies, attacking trans people and migrants, posing a significant danger to democracy.

UK Politics

Rishi Sunak packages U-turns as challenges to consensus politics – an improbable effort to rebrand as the candidate for change

— A prime minister who has been an MP for nearly a decade now wants to challenge 30 years of ‘vested interests’.