It’s been a long, long war. Like the majority of my generation, my memories of peacetime are sparse and foggy. I remember the day I made my Instagram account, in the afterglow of the summer of 2012. The skeuomorphic icon of the colourful camera, the grainy photos of my guinea pigs uploaded for my zero… Continue reading Social justice culture and the New Left — how pragmatism beats idealism
We live in the age of performative inclusion and the political destruction of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Newsrooms, late-night shows and political figures discuss the impact and relevance of diversity, equity and disability rights as casually as a morning routine. And yet some of the most ordinary forms of difference — speech patterns —… Continue reading Who gets laughed at — speech, power and the limits of “inclusion”
In the way it is being played in England and across the UK, contemporary politics has almost become something unreal to many people. The complaint of the sceptics and the wide disillusionment about the current premiership of Keir Starmer is that politics, politicians and promises mean nothing to many. For some, it is a game… Continue reading Farage’s warnings and Starmer’s fears — Britain waits for vindication
As we reflect on the past year and attempt to digest its wildest moments, it feels fitting to coin these past 12 months as “the year of the billionaire”. Some of 2025’s biggest moments were headed by business moguls, most notably Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk; whether they were launching rockets into space or making… Continue reading Are billionaires trendy now?
In recent years, Spain’s Mediterranean coast — particularly Valencia — has faced devastating storms known as DANAs (Depresiones Aisladas en Niveles Altos — or in English, Isolated Depressions at High Levels). These weather events bring sudden, torrential rain, flash floods and severe damage. As Europe (and the rest of the world) experiences more unpredictable climate… Continue reading Deadly Floods in Valencia – Can the same Happen in the UK?
Scrolling through our feed, thumbs flicking past the absurd headlines that have become the wallpaper of our modern life: “Satire, Propaganda, or Just Tuesday?”, “Everything’s Fine, Experts Assure, as World Burns’ We laugh, a small, nervous sound that dies in the blue glow of our screens. “At least the jokes are still funny, right?” muttering,… Continue reading When parody becomes propaganda — laughing our way toward disaster
A reaction to being kettled and reflection on the authoritarian turn of the British state through policing It produces a horrible feeling. Animal instincts and feelings swell up as you are trapped in an enclosed space by other animals. They form a tight circle around you and slowly constrict that circle, coming closer to you,… Continue reading The kettle and the cage —rising authoritarianism in the UK
Earlier this month, the University of Nottingham announced that it was considering cutting up to 48 courses from its programme, encompassing 15 subject areas. The reason given for this decision was the courses no longer being “financially viable” for the university. A look over the subject areas highlighted for the ban vary widely, from food… Continue reading The discontinuing of language education in the UK — a step further from Global Britain?
At a time when the vocabulary of the progressive left feels hollowed out and political participation continues to decline, a handful of figures are trying to reverse the slide. In today’s shifting political landscape, progressive voices are redefining what it means to advocate for social change. Two leaders at the forefront of this movement are… Continue reading TwoFaces of the New Progressive Politics — Zohran Mamdani and Zack Polanski
In a city just south of Seoul, the government is ordering cafés to erase English from their signs. In France, Le Académie Française continues to issue new warnings against the use of Franglais. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Oxford English Dictionary adds over fifty Korean and Japanese words to its pages. And Spanish Royalty decrees… Continue reading Words of power — how language borrowing reflects global shifts in cultural influence
