Section: Politics

Two futures for Britain

Mark E Thomas

Without bold action by the government, British citizens could find ourselves living in a formerly-developed nation In the book 99%, which was published in 2019, I made what felt at the time like a bold prediction: if policy did not change significantly, neither the US nor the UK would see their civilisation remain intact to the […]

The assassination of Charlie Kirk

Iratus Ursus Major

Political violence doesn’t stay contained. It cascades – and democracy pays the price Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah yesterday afternoon. The news started coming in as I was settling down for the evening, and it instantly felt surreal. Even typing this feels somewhat surreal. The BBC update that pinged on my phone felt like […]

Starmer! Stop parroting Farage! Letter to Anna Gelderd, MP

Editor-in-chief

Dear Anna, I am increasingly concerned by the daily parroting of Farage’s far right immigration garbage by Keir Starmer and other senior Labour figures. This is a race to the bottom that Labour will not win. Everyone I talk to is either unimpressed by it because they are either left wing and it’s against traditional […]

Labour’s moral cowardice

Richard Haviland

In the last week of August 2025, Nigel Farage learned what he must have long suspected: that there is nothing so disgusting that he can’t say for fear of being challenged by the Prime Minister. For this was the week that Nigel Farage finally said out loud what it’s long been obvious he believes. It’s […]

33 per cent of young people favour authoritarianism – now what?

James Patrick

Rejuvenating our democracy is the ONLY sensible solution Britain’s electoral system has driven a full third of young people towards authoritarianism. Only fundamental reform can reverse this dangerous trend, and restore faith in democracy. Last week, there was much to celebrate for 18-year-olds up and down the country. A-Level results were published on Thursday, and […]

From PlayStations to Spanish lessons: debunking the asylum “freebies” list

Emma Monk

The Daily Mail recently ran an article: “List of perks taxpayers are funding for asylum seekers”. The Conservative party then took that list, created a handy little graphic and then posted it on X: REVEALED: The huge list of freebies and perks channel migrants are entitled to once they land in Britain. Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves is taxing […]

The racism dog-whistle has become a megaphone

Jeremy Hall

No longer is the right wing in British politics content with dog-whistle antics; we now have dog-megaphone politics.  One of the “best” vehicles used to stir up fear is immigration, and the master conjuror is, of course, N Farage. Last year he made much trouble for the police by riding piggy-back on the rumours that there was […]

What is ‘Far-Right’? Why we need to be able to call it out now

Mark E Thomas

There is no simple, agreed definition of far-right, but we urgently need one: We know what ‘right-wing’ means – and we have many examples of people we know are right-wing but who draw the line at extremist policies; A reasonable definition of far-right can draw on that distinction; and We need to be clear about this now, because […]

The deadly ‘logic’ blocking national renewal

Mark E Thomas

Three baseless taboos are derailing national renewal – but they need not The question is not whether the UK needs a decade of national renewal as Sir Keir Starmer claimed. We can see the need in nearly every city in the UK. Shops close and are boarded up; and when they reopen, it is often as charity […]

Peaceful protesters in Exeter demand ‘Stop starving Gaza’

Philippa Davies

Friday, July 25, 6pm in Exeter city centre. Shops and cafes closing their doors for the evening, people heading home from work, others on their way to pubs and bars for the start of  the weekend. None of them could miss the large crowd in Bedford Square, just off the main street, where hundreds of […]

Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival and EU opinions

Phil Lucas

For 51 weeks of the year, Tolpuddle is a sleepy, picturesque village nestling quietly in the South Dorset countryside – but for one weekend each July, it erupts! The Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival is loud, busy, musical, thoughtful and, often, offers an insightful celebration of trade unionism. It is held in remembrance of the events that […]

10 common myths about asylum hotels explained and debunked

Editor-in-chief

This information is from the Community Integration and Advocacy Centre – vital to counter the manufactured anger that is poisoning society and our political discourse Here are 10 prevalent misconceptions regarding asylum hotels, clarified and refuted with accurate information for you to share, particularly if you are sick of hearing the same tired and often […]

Countering the toxic debate around asylum and immigration

Caroline Voaden

We hear a lot from politicians about immigration, and the debate is frankly toxic. So last week I went to Common Flora, near Diptford, to meet a group of asylum seekers who come here once a month to work on the land, share a communal lunch and sing together. I met a young man who’d […]

It’s big news for our democracy…but there’s one glaring omission!

Mark Kieran

Today [July 17 2025] marks a historic moment for British democracy. The Government has published its long-awaited Strategy for Elections, announcing the most significant package of democratic reforms in a generation. There’s genuine progress to celebrate, but also a glaring omission that we cannot ignore. The good news: democracy getting a 21st century upgrade The […]

How the LibDems and Greens could permanently save the country from Reform UK

Ewan Hoyle

Standing aside candidates works against the far-right. The vast majority of voters don’t want them in power, and so will go along with whatever actions are suggested to keep them out. Proof of concept: In France in 2022, the left, centre-left and Greens formed an electoral alliance, and reformed an alliance under a different name […]

When do we shout ‘Fascist!’?

Mark Kieran

Twice this week, I found myself wrestling with the same uncomfortable question about use of the label “fascist”. First, it came up in a WhatsApp group with fellow democracy campaigners. Then, listening to the latest episode of ‘The Rest is Politics US‘, I heard hosts Katty Kay and Antony Scaramucci clash over the same issue: […]

We don’t have to become an ‘island of strangers’

Philippa Davies

To really appreciate the importance of Exeter’s Respect Festival, just imagine some of the reactions if a two-day celebration of anti-racism, equality and diversity in the city was proposed for the first time today. It would prove divisive. Many people would love the idea, but you can bet there’d be some pushback, with the word […]

Why “move fast and break things” is a danger to democracy

Mark Kieran

Democracy’s slow-and-stable safeguards are features, not bugs. Silicon Valley’s defining mantra – “move fast and break things” – emerged from Facebook’s early culture, celebrating rapid iteration, aggressive risk-taking, and a willingness to disrupt in the name of innovation. It revolutionised tech, enabling energetic start-ups with fresh ideas to topple established giants who had grown stale […]

Reform UK is on the march. That’s why I created Reform Watch

Jack Dart

I launched Reform Watch because I’ve seen what happens when movements like Reform UK are allowed to expand without challenge. Across Europe and beyond [most notably in the USA], we’ve witnessed populist parties rise by distorting the truth, attacking democratic safeguards, and presenting themselves as the sole voice of “ordinary people”. What begins as anti-establishment […]

We need to talk about Reform UK and MAGA…

Tan Smith (@Supertanskiii)

Not enough people are linking Reform & MAGA. It’s time to correct that by talking about Nigel Farage, MAGA money, and a US PR firm with direct ties to Bannon. It’s not patriotism and pints. it’s a shared plan and international far-right coordination. Grab a cup of tea and strap in… Farage received logistical, media […]

Standing up to big money in our politics

Mark Kieran

On June 2, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Elections held a joint event with Transparency International UK and the APPG on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax. The message was clear: it’s time for anonymous billionaires and oligarchs to stop buying up politics. Britain is long overdue for campaign finance reform: In 2023, the UK reached […]