Section: Politics

What do the local election results mean for the environment?

May Puckey

Hi there, my name is May and I’m a 17-year-old from East Devon who’s passionate about finding solutions to the climate crisis. Although local elections can seem less important than general elections, in reality they have a significant effect on setting the agenda for local policy, including on issues surrounding the environment and climate change. […]

The lettuce and the orange

Mark E Thomas and Vincent Gomez

Trump’s Budget has similarities with Truss’s – will his fate be the same? This article is by Mark E Thomas and Vincent Gomez of the 99% Organisation, a former investment banker and member of the Bank of England’s Citizens’ Forum. Liz Truss was UK Prime Minister from 6 September-25 October 2022. At 50 days, this is the shortest […]

The Farage paradox

Jon Danzig

Someone commented: “Farage is committing political suicide by aligning with Trump. He needs to distance himself from the ‘orange aubergine’ if he wants British votes.” 𝗠𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿: That’s the paradox. 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 – because his brand is built on the Trump playbook. Nationalism, scapegoating, culture wars, anti-media attacks, climate denial – it’s all […]

Meanwhile, in Absurdistan – Poland turns right

Tomasz Oryński

The preliminary exit polls published just minutes after the first round of presidential elections surely gave some people in Poland a proper scare. As for me: being a pessimist again paid off. My prediction turned out to be correct again. The most stressed must be those who believed that those elections were to be just […]

Dear Home Secretary… An open letter expressing serious concerns about Labour’s direction of travel

James Flower

I am writing to express deep alarm and disappointment at your recent announcements opposing a youth mobility scheme and cancelling care worker visas. These decisions are not only irresponsible and damaging — they represent a political miscalculation of staggering proportions. They are accelerating the breakdown of our health and care system in an extremely dangerous […]

“Trump disgusts me!” (Tory former defence minister)

Mike Zollo

Trump’s Cards Everyone seems to have been shocked by the disgusting, disgraceful conduct of Trump, Vance and their political and journalist cronies in the Oval Office on 28 February; it has been referred to as an ambush, a mugging, an invective-laden attack. I have yet to meet or hear of anyone who disagrees with this […]

Say ‘NO!’ to the Trump state visit

Mark Kieran

Last month, I wrote to the Speaker of the House of Commons asking for confirmation that Trump would not be given the honour of addressing Parliament during any upcoming State Visit. The Speaker replied, confirming that no such request had been received – at that time. Since then, however, Donald Trump has announced that he expects to return to […]

Ridiculous cuts at Derriford Hospital – letter to Anna Gelderd MP

Carl Garner

Dear Anna I am deeply concerned about the announcement this week that Derriford Hospital is expected to save £67m recurrently from its budget.  The trust has taken away staff cups of tea and raised staff parking fees, but this is a drop in the ocean.  The only way these cuts are truly possible is to […]

The Farage traps

Mark Kieran

One of the government ministers I worked for in a former life used to say, “For every major political problem, there are at least five solutions that are, a) obvious and common-sense; b) quick and easy to implement; and c) absolutely the wrong thing to do from the perspective of the national interest.” His words […]

Motivation

Laurence Bristow-Smith

Like everyone else, I have been watching and waiting to see what Donald Trump will do next. I have been shocked at his apparently soft approach to Russia and hostility towards Ukraine. I have been amazed at his absurd demands to annex Greenland and make Canada the fifty-first state. I have been appalled and staggered […]

Democracy that delivers: what the UK must learn from America’s local revolt

Mark Kieran

Britain’s democracy is visibly malfunctioning. A government elected with just over a third of the vote now holds almost two-thirds of the seats in Parliament. Meanwhile, millions of people feel ignored, misrepresented, or completely shut out of decisions that affect their lives. The result? A political system that delivers neither fairness nor results. Our public […]

Most European countries are in the EU or want to be

Jon Danzig

President Trump calls it “Liberation Day” – but what he’s launching is a global trade war. Sweeping US tariffs are provoking retaliatory ones from around the world. Everyone, including Americans, will end up poorer. Contrast that with the EU’s approach: cooperation, not confrontation. The Single Market offers tariff-free, frictionless trade among its 27 members. It’s […]

When the world changes…

Mark E Thomas

Our government faces stiff challenges and if it is to meet them and deliver the promised national renewal, it will need a rapid and significant shift in mindset. Before the 2024 General Election, Sir Keir Starmer explained that the UK needed a decade of national renewal. He was undoubtedly correct. The Chancellor recently commented that:  “The world […]

Brexit is causing a severe medicine shortage in the UK

Jon Danzig

The UK is grappling with its worst medicine shortage in four years, and the evidence points squarely at Brexit as a central cause. In 2024 alone, drug companies reported 1,938 supply disruptions to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) – a sharp rise from 1,634 in 2023. The worst-hit medications include essential treatments […]

Millionaires urge MPs “tax us, the super rich” to avoid cuts and invest in Britain. The van will be in the southwest this afternoon. Report to follow

Editor-in-chief

“Tax our wealth” – that’s the message from millionaires across the UK who are taking their campaign out on the road ahead of the Government’s Spring Statement. Patriotic Millionaires UK has commissioned a fleet of mobile billboards to tour towns and cities across the country to tell people and constituency MPs: a tax of two […]

When billionaires play politics

Mark Kieran

In an era where democracy feels increasingly fragile, the story of how American tech billionaire, Elon Musk, casually sparked an internal meltdown in one of Britain’s rising political parties offers both a cautionary tale and, perhaps, a glimmer of hope for those of us concerned about the far-right’s recent momentum. It started, as so many […]

‘Mr Trump, remember that you are dust…’

Chris Tehan

As the priest traced a cross on my forehead with ashes during the Ash Wednesday service at Buckfast Abbey, he said “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return”. As every Ash Wednesday, these words provoked an empty feeling inside me, or rather a deep sensation of humility. The ashes are the […]

International Women’s Day: there’s work still to be done

Sharon O'Dea

It was International Women’s Day on March 8, and after taking a break from calling out corporate hypocrisy last year, I’m back at it. Why? Because with DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) under attack, pay gaps persisting, and women’s rights rolling back globally, this work isn’t done. Last year, I stepped back, focused on building […]

Denying refugees citizenship? How low can we go?

Richard Haviland

The Labour leadership can and must do better Imagine your son came home from school one day making derogatory comments – clearly picked up in the classroom – about a refugee kid in his class who had just acquired a new British passport. Knowing your son was well-meaning but easily led, you might encourage him […]