Nightmare on Downing Street: The Horrors of a Reform Victory

Farage zombie

The Conservatives are in permanent decline, unable to arrest their slide in the polls. They haven’t managed to poll beyond third place since April, and defections to Reform UK are now dangerously frequent. Danny Kruger became the first shadow cabinet minister to jump ship last week. Few think Kemi Badenoch will still be in place … Read more

Diversity in Advertising and the Outrage Industry

People have lost their minds. The latest outrage that angry people are getting angry about is adverts — specifically, too many non-white people in adverts. Normally I’d start with some statistics to see if this complaint has any basis in fact. But not this time, because this isn’t really about numbers or representation. It’s about … Read more

Mind Your Own Business: How the Conservatives Abandoned Britain’s Love of Privacy

I’m going to teach you one of the most powerful sentences in the English language — four words that define what it means to be British: Mind your own business. The sworn enemies of every true Brit are the bossy bureaucrat, the nosy neighbour, the local gossip, and the curtain-twitching nebbisher. The nosy Parker. The … Read more

How the American Right Turned Autism Into a Culture War

The American right are freaking out about autism. I’m neurologically diverse, and most people who know me won’t be shocked by that revelation. I first found out when I was in hospital and the neurosurgeon showed me a scan of my brain. Robert F. Kennedy Jr — the conspiracy-minded Secretary for Health and Human Affairs … Read more

Reform: Bribes, Broadcasters and Bad Faith

Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform in Wales, has pleaded guilty to eight counts of accepting bribes from Russian sources in exchange for making pro-Russian statements in the press and in the European Parliament. It’s not the first time that Reform UK — and its predecessor parties — have been linked to Moscow’s orbit. … Read more

Why UK Government Borrowing Costs Are Rising as Interest Rates Fall

Once again, we’re talking about government debt and interest rates. At Labour’s last conference, Andy Burnham was criticised for suggesting the UK government shouldn’t pay so much attention to international financial markets and the price they charge for UK government debt. The criticism was justified: as long as the government has to borrow, it must … Read more

Fake It Until You Break It: How the Internet Turned Politics into Performance

Fake content and far-right radicalisation online are reshaping our politics and society. We live in an age of unreality, where everything is fake — except the hate. The internet has rewired how we think, argue and even feel. The exponential rise of online porn alone suggests future historians might call this the golden age of … Read more

The Battle Over Indefinite Leave to Remain: Labour, Conservatives, and Reform Compared

The Battle Over Indefinite Leave to Remain: Labour, Conservatives, and Reform Compared Labour, the Conservatives, and Reform UK have all announced plans to tighten the rules around Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). On the surface, they’re united by a single goal — reducing net migration. But dig deeper, and the differences are huge. What Is … Read more