It is now over a year since Theresa May came to power. She did come to high office on the back of an electoral victory. Nor was she even elected by Tory members. May was simply in the right place at the right time. But now she is in the wrong place at the wrong time. (More…)
European policy-makers must address cultural and political anxieties about Islam and refugees head on, rather than ceding the public debate to the far right and their self-defeating policies, argues Behzad Yaghmaian. (More…)
Thousands of pilots of migrant boats have been jailed in Italy. Ilaria Sesana takes a closer look at their stories and finds prosecutions that criminalize escaping migrants amid a growing campaign to change the courts’ approach to the “scafisti.” (More…)
A year ago the UK stepped into the darkness after voting for the unknown. We’re now a year into the unknown and no more the wiser of where we are heading. The negotiations over Brexit have only just begun, and the destination is nowhere in sight. (More…)
The pace of British politics has yet to slow down. Every week we face a new outrage or a fresh atrocity, but the show must go on. Theresa May is still clinging on to power by her fingernails. At any moment the prime minister could fall into the abyss of political failures. (More…)
Today, on Saturday, June 24th, Liverpool is hosting Armed Forces Day in Britain. Armed Forces Day is a relatively new occasion in the UK; it began as Veterans’ Day, in 2006, and was then renamed Armed Forces Day in 2009 in response to declining public support for the armed forces. Events take place across the UK (this year there are over 350), and local councils bid to host the national event – for which they receive a small amount of government funding and sponsorship, and also spend significant amounts of their own money. (More…)
Events in Britain are moving at a dizzying pace. It feels like every week there is a new outrage, a fresh atrocity and an even stranger twist in the body politic. In the space of a week we’ve had the horror of the Grenfell Tower fire and the Finsbury Park attack. (More…)
When I heard the Queen’s speech was being delayed, I wondered what could be behind this. The Conservatives and the Democratic Unionists were still plotting behind closed doors. Suddenly an image appeared to me. (More…)
You’ve no doubt seen the news, the unelectable socialist Jeremy Corbyn has given the Conservatives the thrashing of a lifetime. Of course, Corbyn would not approve of the word ‘thrashing’. But the point is Corbyn’s Labour Party has deprived Theresa May of the super-majority she craved. Finally, the Labour left has won its legitimacy. (More…)
Walking home the night of the attacks at London Bridge and Borough Market, I came to a pedestrian crossing where a man shouted from his car “Fuck terrorists!” as he passed by. A small befuddled crowd nearby muttered to each other: “Did he just say ‘fuck tourists’?” (More…)
Jeremy Corbyn has played his cards well in challenging Theresa May to take part in the leaders’ debate. If May had accepted the challenge, the sheer dearth of political agility on display will put the incumbent at a huge disadvantage. Even Corbyn, the anti-charismatic politician, is faster on his feet. At last, the UK election looks interesting. (More…)
After the terrible events of Monday night, the British government has suspended the election and the country is left shaken. The army has been deployed to protect “key sites” as the UK goes on ‘critical alert’ fearing an imminent terror attack. (More…)