The US tried high tariffs and ‘America first’ policies in the 1930s. Trump should note what happened next: Donald Trump has hit the 30-day pause button on imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, but is proceeding with slapping 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, and tariffs on the EU are still on his agenda. Trump …
Economic policies encourage the careless use of people and the planet. Creating caring economies is the answer: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change includes a Gender Action Plan, adopted in 2017. The plan aims to “enhance the gender responsiveness” of climate policy and climate action. It outlines specific actions and strategies to promote …
Why many policies to lower migration actually increase it: OlegD/Shutterstock Every spring and summer, when the weather improves, the numbers of people trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe drastically increase, sometimes tripling. Distressing photos and headlines dominate front pages, and politicians stoke negative narratives about migration. People migrate for many reasons: safety, work, education, …
Waiting for Trump to be re-elected is wrong – Nato leaders need to Trump-proof their policies now: The re-election of Donald Trump as US president would cause another enormous shock to international politics. The world is full of crises, such as Ukraine and Gaza. But Trump casts a destabilising shadow over all these issues. How …
Through its immigration policies, the UK government decides whose families are ‘legitimate’: Gutu Valerica/Shutterstock Amid another panic over high net migration to the UK, the government and new home secretary James Cleverly have proposed several changes to visa rules. The proposals apply to economic migrants, rather than other kinds of migrants such as asylum seekers, …
Rishi Sunak is wrong: we polled the British public and found it largely supports strong climate policies: The UK’s Tory government is rolling back climate legislation and is continuing to fund the expansion of domestic oil and gas reserves. Our new research suggests this might be based on a misreading of public opinion. Since winning …
Solar power expected to dominate electricity generation by 2050 – even without more ambitious climate policies: Solar power is likely to become the dominant electricity source worldwide by 2050. Mny-Jhee/Shutterstock In pursuit of the ambitious goal of reaching net-zero emissions, nations worldwide must expand their use of clean energy sources. In the case of solar …
How to design menopause leave policies that really support women in the workplace: Ground Picture/Shutterstock More than 15 million women are in employment in the UK right now, which means menopause is undoubtedly a workplace issue. And while there has been enormous progress made in the UK at workplace level in this area, many women …
France in Africa: why Macron’s policies increased distrust and anger: French west Africa has experienced five coups in the past three years. Underpinning most of these coups is hostility towards France, a former colonial authority. Mohamed Bazoum of Niger’s downfall in July 2023 comes after coups in Mali in August 2020, Chad in April 2021, …
Net zero: direct costs of climate policies aren’t a major barrier to public support, research reveals: Amid headlines of wildfires raging across Europe and Africa and flooding in China, the UK government took the bewildering choice to expand fossil fuel extraction. Prime minister Rishi Sunak declared that more than 100 new oil and gas drilling …
Migrant deaths at sea: the real blame lies with policies created by European states: Photo by Oliver Weiken/picture alliance via Getty Images On 15 June, the overcrowded fishing trawler Adriana sank on its illicit journey from Libya to Italy, drowning hundreds of men, women and children. In response, states have expressed shock and sadness, and …
Minority ethnic politicians are pushing harsh immigration policies – why representation doesn’t always mean racial justice: There’s no question that British politics is becoming more diverse. From only four minority ethnic MPs elected in 1987, now 67 MPs are from a minority ethnic background. The Scottish first minister, Humza Yousaf, recently became the first minority …
Ghana’s population is young and rapidly urbanising – policies need to match the data: Ghana’s population can be described as rapidly urbanising and young Wikimedia Commons/Flickr Ghana’s population has reached 30.8 million according to the 2021 population census. This is a 6.1 million increase from the 24.7 million recorded in 2010. Understanding population trends is …
‘Dehumanising policies’ leave autistic people struggling to access health, education and housing – new review: Autistic people often don't receive the correct healthcare to meet their needs. toodtuphoto/Shutterstock Around 3% of people are estimated to be autistic and it is a lifelong disability. Most autistic people experience the sensory world differently, such as places being …
Harry Oppenheimer biography shows the South African mining magnate’s hand in economic policies: The late South African mining tycoon, Harry Oppenheimer. Harry Frederick Oppenheimer in his Johannesburg office. (Photo by William Campbell/Sygma via Getty Images In Harry Oppenheimer: Diamonds, Gold and Dynasty, his outstanding biography of the South African mining magnate who died in 2000, …
Ethiopia has one of Africa’s most ambitious housing policies – but the lottery-based system is pulling communities apart: New apartments blocks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images The shortage of adequate housing in cities is an issue around the globe, particularly among developing countries that are rapidly urbanising. …
A history of Zambia’s green policies shows why environment and development must go hand in hand: The Barotse Sub-Basin in Zambia is part of the country's climate resilience plan. Wikimedia Commons/Flickr Climate change and environmental policy measures have become a central part of planning for sustainable development and avoiding crises such as food and water …
China protests: Uyghur people have suffered most from draconian zero-COVID policies but are too terrorised to join in: The latest wave of protests sweeping through China were sparked by the deaths of at least ten people in a fire in a high-rise apartment block in Ürümchi, Xinjiang. Residents were apparently prevented from leaving the building …