And Now for a Check in at Parliament: Dawn Butler & "Unparliamentary Language"
In short, unparliamentary language is useful for allowing debates to simply not descend into a shit hurling contest, but since the age of spin and the rise of ‘alternative news’ Johnson and his unscrupulous colleagues have been able to lie and cheat with impunity. Butler’s actions do not threaten the nature of parliament, however they do set a worrying precedent. If those in opposition are increasingly unable to correctly hold the government to account, then what good is a chamber of debate.
Read More
Debunking Anti-Lockdowners & Their Use of The Phrase “Vaccine Apartheid”
As a history student who is currently studying apartheid, I was mortified that such comparisons were being made: these protestors had clearly misunderstood what apartheid actually is.
Read More
What Does #DefundThePolice Mean?
The defund the police movement does not suggest that the government fire every police officer and close every prison immediately. Rather, it quite rightly argues that our current method of manging social issues via policing are a waste of tax-payer’s money.
Read More
Why Are Farmers Protesting in India?
“Why aren’t we talking about this?! #FarmersProtest”, tweeted Rihanna on the 2nd of February 2021, more than six months after the movement began. Unlike other protests from 2020, the farmers protest has been given minimal media exposure, leaving many completely unaware of India’s largest protest to date. Though protests began locally, unrest led to farmers hailing from various parts of the country, with most originating from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, to unite in Delhi and resist three agricultural laws that passed through government last August.
Read More
Another View: Does Politics Have A Place in Music?
Music is one of the strongest forms of communication. Do you know that feeling of listening to a song finding yourself completely in tune with the piece? And how many times did you dedicate a song to someone special, just because you could not find better words to communicate your feelings?
Read More
Criminalising A Way of Life - The Impact of The Bill on Travellers
One human right that we take for granted is a legal respect for family life and home (Article 8, Human Rights Act 1998.) The bill has another section of concerning content, part 4. Unauthorised Encampments and Trespass, that threatens that basic right for many. With that wording you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s only fair for landowners to be able to evict those who trespass without permission, but the current laws already enable this so what’s being changed?
Read More
Who Do You Protect? We Are Peaceful, What Are The Police?
Days of unrest have been spreading through our streets. OUR streets. Each time, met with increasing violence and fear tactics. Each time the public grow a greater mistrust for the police. The ardent chants of ‘Who do you protect? Not us.’, and ‘We’re not violent, what are you?’ have never rung truer.
Read More
An Eye from the Protestors Side - Who Threw the First Stone at The Bristol Protests
So to answer who threw the first stone at Bridewell... the police did. Much like with other historic events, it was the police who transgressed first. A group of people then decided the reaction to this would be to resist - which led to vans being set alight and spray painted, and the police station window being smashed. All of this is repairable and replaceable; what is not repairable or replaceable is the trauma that the police inflicted on people that day.
Read More
Inequality, Political Participation and Political (Il)literacy in the UK
According to the National Literacy Trust, 12% of adults in Wales, 16.4% of adults in England, 17.9% of adults in Northern Ireland and 26.7% of adults in Scotland have very poor literacy skills. This means that “they can understand short straightforward texts on familiar topics accurately and independently, and obtain information from everyday sources, but reading information from unfamiliar sources, or on unfamiliar topics, could cause problems.”
Read More
My Thoughts on the Government's Coronavirus Response, From a University Student
Costly and tragic mistakes have been a major factor in Britain becoming among the worst COVID-affected countries in the world. And for young people like me, it really feels like we’re losing some of the most prime years of our lives to a virus which has been allowed to do unfettered damage to the country.
Read More
Covid-19 as a Piece of Political History
Boris does not quite fit the same stereotypical populist profile as Bolsonaro and Trump, but he shares some characteristics. Boris does not have so much of a cult of personality around him. However, he did use narratives around leadership and Brexit to curry favour in those that feel left behind by globalisation.
Read More
Che Guevara T-Shirts and Other Performativity
If you don’t know who Che Guevara is by name, you almost certainly know his face. Emblazoned on t-shirts around the globe, the pop-art print of the revolutionary’s face has become a staple of capitalism and fast fashion.
Read More
Tories Eat Humble Pie as Meal Packages Leave Children Hungry
I am one of these parents and I have a few things to say. Not just about the (sadly expected) mishandling of free school meals provision in a time of national crisis by the government, but also about how it feels to be on the receiving end. This latest debacle feels like the perfect example of how little our government thinks of us, and the poor choices they have made in a time when we need strong, fair leadership, more than ever.
Read More
Political Bodies: How Our Bodies Are Used Against Us in Politics
In various media the idea of including diverse characters is often perceived as a political statement and what diversity means depends on the platform. It’s not limited to queer representation, but BIPOC, disabilities, women.
Read More
The Capitol Hill Riots: Where Were The Armed Guards?
Where were the armed guards? Where were the police whose job it is to stop people getting as far as they did? Where was the second Capitol Hill officer to back a brother up? Oh, yeah, the protesters were White, so there was no need to call in the troops.
Read More
Black Women Don't Owe You Feminism
Throughout History Black art, cultural and intellectual property have been coopted, whitewashed and mass produced for white consumption. From Picasso to a racist Elvis Presley for decades our culture has been sold back to us by white artists. It is reproduced in a style and language more consumable for white eyes and ears whilst we are told our women are undesirable, our men aggressive and our vernacular uncivilised.
Read More
Ireland Has Sealed The Mother & Baby Homes Archive For 30 Years - What Does This Mean For Survivors?
In October, controversial legislation was passed in Ireland sealing the archives of Mother and Baby Homes for 30 years, denying survivors access to their own information. As the five-year commission into mother and baby homes came to an end, the bill to seal the archives was signed by President Michael D Higgins on 25th October which outlines that any records not passed on to the child and family agency, Tusla, for use in its database will be sealed for the next 30 years.
Read More
What Does A Biden Presidency Mean For The World?
Whilst Biden is not without his flaws, he will be a more accountable figure than Donald was, and he represents a more recognisable vision of what a good leader should be.
Read More
ELECTION NIGHT 2020: What Now?
It shows what a broken system the American democracy is that a candidate has written the textbook on how to be the worst President and he still is in contention to win the next morning.
Read More
Who Is Amy Coney Barrett And What Does Her Supreme Court Nomination Mean For Abortion Rights In The USA?
Amy Coney Barrett - Trump’s supreme court nomination - is everything Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasn’t. It is a painful irony that one of the most revered feminist judges will be replaced with one who has a questionable record when it comes to womxn’s rights.
Read More
