Democracy, power and governance

Tracey Davanna, co-editor of 'Policing in Crisis?', discusses how The Hunt Saboteurs Association exposes the violence, privilege, and state complicity surrounding illegal fox hunting, highlighting how direct action is often the only means of holding powerful rural elites to account.…Read more

José Marichal, author of 'You Must Become an Algorithmic Problem', examines how algorithmic personalisation lulls us into predictable, familiar choices that erode exploration and, over time, threaten the foundations of liberal democracy.…Read more

In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Peter Beresford about the problem neoliberalism poses, both in politics and in our everyday lives.…Read more

Devran Gülel argues that visa regimes act as structural gatekeepers in academia, disproportionately limiting the mobility of Global South scholars, marginalizing their knowledge, and perpetuating global hierarchies under the pretense of meritocracy.…Read more

A curated collection of open access works explores urgent global challenges, from climate grief and AI ethics to inequality, migration, and political representation,offering critical insights for study and teaching.…Read more

David Bailey and Masoumeh Iran Mansouri argue that while AI’s rapid rise offers immense promise, its grave risks may outpace weak safeguards like the EU’s AI Act unless met with far stronger resistance.…Read more

Carolyn Snell and Lucie Middlemiss, authors of 'Just Climate Futures', argue that while Net Zero policies are vital for tackling climate change, they must be shaped around everyday realities and social inequalities to ensure they enhance rather than diminish people’s lives.…Read more

Nathan Kerrigan, co-author of 'Liquid Racism', reflects on how the Southport attack sparked a resurgence of racism, driven by insecurity and exploited by far-right populism.…Read more

Kate Hamblin, Grace Whitfield, and James Wright explore how, despite growing enthusiasm for AI in UK social care, its use raises pressing ethical, equity, and ecological concerns that undermine claims of efficiency and effectiveness. Ask ChatGPT …Read more

Jason Pandya-Wood, author of 'The Kindness Fix', explores how the UK’s welfare system remains entrenched in punitive, outdated policies that perpetuate poverty and stigma, demanding a radical rethink rooted in dignity and compassion.…Read more