Politics and International Relations

Will Snell, author of 'The Fair Necessities', examines how extreme wealth, exemplified by a trillion-dollar fortune, is rapidly widening inequality, with largely unearned and extractive wealth growth that harms economic growth, social mobility, democracy, and the environment.…Read more

Joanna Mack, author of 'Impoverished', argues that tackling poverty in the UK requires bold, long-term reforms that combine fairer incomes, lower costs for essential goods, stronger public services, and a more universal welfare system rather than relying mainly on means-tested benefits.…Read more

The article argues that rising inequality, scapegoating and misinformation are driving social division in the UK, but history shows societies can renew themselves by confronting structural problems rather than blaming vulnerable groups.…Read more

Lee Gregory discusses how the May 2025 local elections showed that despite Labour offering stronger evidence-based anti-poverty policies than Reform UK, voters punished Labour’s cautious and unconvincing leadership while rewarding Reform’s emotionally resonant populist messaging.…Read more

These authors argue that universities must actively defend academic freedom and human rights, especially in response to the destruction of Palestinian education, because silence risks complicity and undermines their democratic role.…Read more

Frank T. Manheim, author of 'American Environmental History and Policy', argues that Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement reflects a long-building political polarisation over environmental policy in the US, rooted in conflicts in the 1970s, and that future climate progress depends on overcoming this divide.…Read more

Oz Hassan, author of 'Why the European Union Failed in Afghanistan', argues that despite rapid military success using advanced technology, the 2026 Iran strikes demonstrate that destroying targets does not translate into political victory, instead strengthening adversaries, undermining alliances, and exposing the limits of US global power.…Read more

Tom Bewick, author of 'Skills Policy in Britain and the Future of Work', argues that Britain’s long-running skills crisis reflects a recurring pattern of under investment, social inequality, and an over relianc on market-led, voluntary training systems that have repeatedly failed to keep pace with economic change.…Read more

George Miller discusses the What Is It For? book series, inspired by Gauguin’s existential questions, arguing that in an age of global “polycrisis,” critically examining the purpose of institutions can help us imagine better alternatives, even if it cannot solve problems outright.…Read more

Emmy Eklundh, author of 'Europe’s Populist Condition', suggests that mainstream European parties are increasingly adopting populist-right policies, showing the divide between “mainstream” and “populist” politics is largely illusory.…Read more