Blog

Why Poverty Is So Expensive

Ten million adults and four million children live in poverty in Britain, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Right-wingers argue that we can't afford to tackle this scandal – but the truth is, we can't afford not to.

Shifting the Blame

As Britain's Covid death toll exceeds 100,000, the government has set out to blame the public – but from the very beginning its recklessness, ineptitude and cronyism have paved the way for this tragedy.

The Cosy Politics of the BBC Chair

The appointment of Tory donor and right-wing think-tanker Richard Sharp as BBC Chair strengthens the party's grip on the broadcaster – and continues a long history of political concerns trumping the public interest.

Weegie Elegy

Douglas Stuart's acclaimed novel Shuggie Bain paints a compelling picture of the dying days of industrial Clydeside, but its success owes much to a formal conservatism and political quietism.

Playing by the Rules

Anneliese Dodds' speech was not as bad as advertised – but it demonstrated the fundamental problem with Labour's new leadership: it is more concerned with appearing respectable to elites than with representing popular interests.