A recent exchange on LBC Radio has brought into sharp focus one of the most contentious questions in contemporary British life: what does it mean to be English in a modern, multicultural nation? During the programme, host Ben Kentish challenged caller Benjamin, a supporter of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK then Continue Reading
The State We’re In 2024–25
The UK faces significant challenges, including rising homelessness and personal debt, with 354,000 people homeless and personal debt reaching £1.9 trillion. Despite slight improvements in mortgage arrears and inflation, high living costs persist, leaving many households financially strained. Overall, the situation remains precarious, with recovery still elusive.
Panorama Investigates: Has War Shattered the Dubai Dream?
For decades, Dubai has presented itself as something close to a miracle: a glittering metropolis built from desert sand, protected from the political upheavals surrounding it and open to anyone with ambition, influence or money. That carefully cultivated promise lies at the centre of the BBC Panorama documentary Dubai: Is Continue Reading
Ayo Oyebade: The Black Gay Activist Who Refused to Be Invisible
Long before diversity became a fashionable word in corporate mission statements, Ayo Oyebade was speaking openly about the reality of being both Black and gay in Britain.. I knew Ayo through the London Lesbian and Gay Teenage Group, one of the earliest organisations of its kind anywhere in the world. Continue Reading
Trump and Iran: A Glimmer of Peace, or Diplomatic Fool’s Gold?
Donald Trump deserves some credit for attempting what many American presidents have found politically hazardous: negotiating directly with Iran. But diplomacy cannot flourish indefinitely at the end of a missile. For a brief moment, it appeared that the United States and Iran might be inching away from confrontation. In June, Continue Reading
Andy Burnham Prepares for Downing Street with Promise of a New Direction
The new Labour leader will become prime minister on Monday, but questions remain over his cabinet, taxation plans and how quickly he can deliver the change he has promised. Andy Burnham is preparing to enter Downing Street after being elected leader of the Labour Party, completing a remarkable return to Continue Reading
Protecting Our Politicians Is Protecting Democracy
Britain must confront political violence without cutting elected representatives off from the communities they serve Politics is supposed to be passionate. It should involve argument, protest, disagreement and the vigorous testing of those who seek public office. But there is a line between political conviction and political hatred. When opponents Continue Reading
Ann Widdecombe: A Voice Silenced in an Act of Violence
British politics has lost one of its most recognisable, uncompromising and extraordinary figures. Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister, parliamentarian, author and television personality, has died aged 78 after being found with serious injuries at her home near Dartmoor in Devon. Her death is now the subject of a murder Continue Reading
