Rishi Sunak packages U-turns as challenges to consensus politics – an improbable effort to rebrand as the candidate for change: The party conference speech is traditionally an important moment for political leaders. It enables them to set the agenda, rally the core membership and supporters around key themes, and speak to the wider audience of …
Age, not class, is now the biggest divide in British politics, new research confirms: Shutterstock/Hyejin Kang “Class is the basis of British politics; all else is embellishment and detail.” So wrote Peter Pulzer, the former Gladstone professor of politics at the University of Oxford in the 1960s. Nowadays, however, it is age, not social class, …
Why are those lost to COVID not formally memorialised? How politics shapes what we remember: Every Friday, volunteers gather on the Albert Embankment at the River Thames in London to lovingly retouch thousands of red hearts inscribed on a Portland stone wall directly opposite the Houses of Parliament. Each heart is dedicated to a British …
Nudge theory: what 15 years of research tells us about its promises and politics: StunningArt/Shutterstock It’s been 15 years since a particular concept of behavioural science went mainstream. “Nudge theory”, the notion that our behaviour can be successfully influenced through “soft” interventions, has subsequently appealed to plenty of people seeking to change the way we …
Ethiopia’s Amhara people are being portrayed as the enemy: the dangerous history of ethnic politics: The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency on 4 August 2023 and sent the military into the Amhara region to engage the Fano, a local armed militia. Some suggested that Ethiopia risked slipping into another civil war. It is …
Zimbabwe’s election was a fight between men – women are sidelined in politics despite quotas: Zimbabwe’s 2023 harmonised elections have largely been depicted as a battle between the two “Big Men” – President Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling Zanu-PF and Nelson Chamisa of the leading opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). Significant media …
An expanded Brics could reset world politics but picking new members isn’t straightforward: President Cyril Ramaphosa will host the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. Government Communication and Information System Eager to escape perceived western domination, several countries – mostly in the global south – are looking to join the Brics bloc. The five-country bloc (Brazil, …
Kenya at 60: six key moments that shaped post-colonial politics: Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta waves at a crowd. Harry Benson/Getty Images Kenya celebrates 60 years of independence this year. As a political scientist who has studied Kenya for the past 20 years, I consider a turning point from each decade that helped to shape …
How the ancient Greeks kept ruthless narcissists from capturing their democracy – and what modern politics could learn from them: Ancient Greece was in many ways a brutal society. It was almost perpetually at war, slavery was routine and women could only expect a low status in society. However, there is one important sense in …
Crowdsourcing new constitutions: How 2 Latin American countries increased participation and empowered groups excluded from politics – podcast: Over the past few decades, countries across Latin America have witnessed a surge in demands by its people for increased political participation and representation. Colombia and Chile stand out as notable examples of countries responding to these …
Aneurin Bevan’s writings still have lessons for contemporary politics – and far beyond the NHS: The NHS will turn 75 this year, a considerable legacy for the person responsible for establishing the service, Aneurin Bevan. But Bevan’s political career encompassed far more than this one achievement. When today’s politicians talk about Bevan’s values or principles, …
Eurovision: even before the singing starts, the contest is a fascinating reflection of international rules and politics: Shutterstock The Eurovision bandwagon has firmly arrived in Liverpool. During a week of two semi-finals, 37 competing countries will be whittled down to 26. Around 160 million people are then expected to tune in to the grand final …
Labour’s attack ads on Rishi Sunak: gutter politics or smart election campaigning?: Labour's attack ad. Twitter/Labour I feel this is a sign that Labour is serious about winning, rather than a sign that they have lost their moral compass. This was the assessment of Steve Parker, former head of strategy at M&C Saatchi, the advertising …
Ethiopia was feted for expanding education rights for refugees, then politics got in the way: Learners in a school for about 5,000 children in Nguenyyiel Refugee Camp in Ethiopia’s Gambela region in 2019. Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images Ethiopia is one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world. It hosts more than 800,000 …
Humza Yousaf: Scotland gets a Muslim leader in a moment of extraordinary change for British politics: Humza Yousaf’s appointment as first minister of Scotland is a historic moment for the UK. It means that, for the first time in history, the country has a Hindu prime minister in Westminster (Rishi Sunak) and a Muslim first …
Algorithms are moulding and shaping our politics. Here’s how to avoid being gamed: Bakhtiar Zein/Shutterstock In 2016, evidence began to mount that then-South African president Jacob Zuma and a family of Indian-born businessmen, the Guptas, were responsible for widespread “state capture”. It was alleged that the Gupta family influenced Zuma’s political appointments and benefited unfairly …
Jeremy Hunt’s budget is more about short-term politics than the economy: Jeremy Hunt’s first budget day as chancellor was in many ways more about politics than economics. Historically, the Conservative party’s electoral success has been based on a reputation for economic competence. October 2022’s infamous Liz Truss/Kwasi Kwarteng “fiscal event” seriously damaged this brand and …
With the two top jobs in politics now held by women, Italy just became a real-time case study in female leadership: Italy elected its first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Fratelli d’Italia party, in October last year. Now, the leftwing opposition Democratic party has elected its own female leader for the …