How the ‘circus’ became the metaphor of choice in political rhetoric: The Circus by Georges Seurat (1891). Musée d’Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt In his 2023 New Year’s Speech, Labour leader Keir Starmer reiterated his criticism of the “Tory circus” as he lamented the apparently unbreakable but entirely avoidable cycle of crises at …
Veganism: why we should see it as a political movement rather than a dietary choice: Shutterstock The start of a new year these days signals the launch of Veganuary, a campaign which encourages people to give up animal products for the month of January. But while this time of the year sees a focus on …
Kosovo: ethnic tensions have created a political ‘volcano’ that could erupt anytime: After US state department counsellor Derek Chollet recently visited Kosovo in a bid to calm tensions flaring in the north of the country, he said Washington’s priority was to prevent “violence metastasising” (spreading) between Serbs and Albanians. “The last thing any of us …
Why food is such a powerful symbol in political protest: Shutterstock Food is a hot issue in today’s activism. Last year, UK climate group Just Stop Oil hurled tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. Later they smeared cake on a Madame Tussauds waxwork of King Charles. Protesters affiliated …
Chinese workers on Africa’s infrastructure projects: the link with host political regimes: Chinese workers are part of most Chinese government-funded projects in Africa. Wikimedia Commons China has rapidly become Africa’s most important infrastructure builder, and the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and villages across the continent. With the launch of …
Kenya in 2022: 4 essential reads on a year of political drama and economic hardships: Motorcycle taxis queue for fuel in Nairobi in April amid shortages. Photo by Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images The year 2022 was always going to be an eventful one. After nearly 10 years in power, President Uhuru Kenyatta was destined …
Autumn statement is highly political compared to research on ‘best’ ways to fix public finances: The UK faces some significant belt-tightening following Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement, which announced spending reductions and tax rises of around £55 billion. Much research has been done into the best ways to do fiscal austerity in terms of reducing …
Girls are held up as figureheads of political change, but they don’t want to do it alone: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock Girls are at the centre of global movements for indigenous rights, climate justice, gender equality and civil rights. Educational activist Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel peace prize at 17. Greta Thunberg has inspired millions of …
Suella Braverman’s talk of a refugee ‘invasion’ is a dangerous political gambit gone wrong: When someone hears the UK home secretary speaking about “stopping the invasion on our southern coast”, they might be forgiven for thinking Britain is at war. Suella Braverman’s description of refugees landing at Kent as an “invasion” is an unprecedented comment …
Four of Shakespeare’s plays and how they speak to the current political situation in Britain: New prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is the latest to take on the leading role in this unravelling Shakespearean drama. Allstar Picture Library Ltd/Alamy The last few years in politics have gifted the keen observer many allusions to some of Shakespeare’s …
Lesotho bungles political reforms, risking fresh bout of instability after 2022 poll: Lesotho citizens queue to vote in a previous national elections. EPA-EFE/ Kim Ludbrook The Kingdom of Lesotho – a small landlocked country in southern Africa with a population of 2.1 million people – has failed to introduce key political reforms needed to bring …
Nigeria’s Independence Day is a time to reflect on political gains and challenges – and a way forward: A woman selling Nigerian flags in preparation for Nigeria's independence anniversary in Lagos on September 30, 2020. Photo by Olukayode Jaiyeola/NurPhoto via Getty Images. Olukayode Jaiyeola/NurPhoto via Getty Images. Nigeria got independence from Britain on 1 October …
Brazil election: how the political violence of the country’s history has re-emerged: Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro delivered a message to his nation this year on the anniversary of its independence day, September 7. He recalled what he saw as the nation’s good times, and bad, and declared: “Now, 2022, history may repeat itself. Good has …
Northern Ireland census shows more Catholics than Protestants — a political scientist on what this really means: Belfast City Hall, Northern Ireland. Ballygally View Images | Shutterstock The results of the 2021 Northern Ireland census have been released and they show that 42.3% of the population identify as Catholic and 37.3% as Protestant or other …
‘Too afraid to have kids’ – how BirthStrike for Climate lost control of its political message: Blythe Pepino, founder of BirthStrike, on the Tucker Carlson show. YouTube In March 2019, Blythe Pepino, singer-songwriter and founder of the environmental activist group BirthStrike for Climate, appeared on the right-wing Tucker Carlson Tonight show on Fox News in …
Charles III: the difficult legacy and political significance of the new king’s name: On the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the former Prince of Wales was proclaimed King Charles III. Although it’s been known for decades that Charles would succeed his mother, there were rumours that he might, once king, choose the name George …
UK-Africa ties: future looks gloomy under Liz Truss as political myopia reigns: Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss. EFE-EPA/Stuart Brock Britain has a new prime minister in Liz Truss. For African leaders wondering what the new administration might mean for UK-Africa relationships, the view must be pretty gloomy. British politics has been solidly inward-looking for …
How Russia is using gas as a political tool to win support for the Ukraine war: Russia is using its dominance of the European oil and gas market, where it accounts for 40% of EU gas consumption, to attempt to reduce support for Ukraine. To ramp up that pressure ahead of the winter, Russia has …