British Politics
Describing someone as ‘coloured’ is a lot more than ‘clumsy’
Amber Rudd, when talking about the abuses women in politics face, described Diane Abbott as ‘coloured’. Moments later, she tweeted ‘Mortified at my clumsy language’, as though her rapid apology…
Proportional representation does what it says on the tin
Much of the rhetoric surrounding the EU referendum focused upon the idea of ‘taking back control’. According to some, this country exhibited its eagerness to regain its autonomy and exercise…
Let’s remedy politics with electoral change
The British political system has undergone monumental upheaval in the past two and a half years. These are unchartered waters. Our government are a shambles and the media, since they…
A second Brexit referendum is a bad idea
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s has publicly pledged support for a second referendum and Theresa May has again delayed a definitive resolution to the Brexit-deal-debacle in the Commons. The possibility of…
What can football hooliganism tell us about tribalism vs individualism?
Mid-February saw both an unseasonably sunny Prague and half a thousand students and scholars gathered for the first Ayn Rand conference ever held in Europe. While I’ve never been particularly…
Laughing at Shamima Begum is inexcusable
When I think about the complex layers of Shamima Begum’s case, it sickens me that it, and she, is becoming the butt of a national joke. Yes, she was part…
On Brexit: Theresa May checks into Last Chance Saloon
Emil’s Week in Review And thus another week has come and gone, and we are no closer to a Brexit resolution. With 37 days to go until D-Day, the question…
The issue with ‘Sleep In The Park’
‘4 cities. One night. 12,000 people under the stars.’ You would think this was an advert for a fun stargazing trip. In fact, this is the tag line for social…
Stansted 15: The Home Office’s brutality must end
On 28thMarch 2017, a group of 15 immigration activists successfully stopped a charter deportation flight from Stansted Airport in an act of non-violent protest. Today, the group face the end…
UK universities will follow US anti-safe-space lead
For the past six years, the organisation Turning Point USA has been championing the anti-safe space movement. It is an American right-wing organisation dedicated to ridding universities of what they…
‘Project Fear’ seems to mean nothing and everything
First used in the Scottish independence referendum, the notorious phrase has become a hallmark of pro-Leave political strategy. But how has it come this far and what does it actually…
Brexit has brought democracy under question
It is widely agreed by the Western world that democracy is the best form of government available. However, with the legislations and actions of several countries’ governments coming under intense…
Without a Brexit destination, how can we work out directions?
Having a British accent at a continental university means one thing these days: you’re going to get asked about Brexit fairly frequently. For this exact reason, I don’t tend to…
Remainers and Leavers alike: rejoice!
The House has rejected May’s deal. Compromise has been offered, and met with a decisive, uncompromising no. 432 votes against 202. There is no plan B in sight, It’s all…
Human stories hit home in a world of stats
Anywhere we have an internet connection, we’re part of a networked society. By having news notifications sent to our phones and scrolling down Facebook or Twitter, we feel up to…
Windrush: Their impact on multi-cultural Britain
Earlier this year the government announced their plans to hold a ‘National Windrush Day’ to commemorate the impact of the Windrush Generation and their families. These contributions can be seen…
Thank God it’s not a Cromwellian Christmas
When people ask me where I’m from, I usually just say Cambridge, a city know the world over for its university, long history, and beautiful English charm. Sadly, however, the…
This Christmas, I call a Brexit truce
I hate Christmas markets. Crucify me, but I loathe them. Every December, the parks of Europe are transformed into Poundshop medieval hamlets, kitted out with everything from ramshackle ferris wheels…
Parliamentary confidence must extend to the people’s vote
We must respect the vote of the people on Brexit, there will be no second referendum, so why did the Tories get the chance for a second vote on their…
Brexit shows us it’s time for a new Cromwell
For months I have waited with bated breath for the men in white coats to show up and wheel away the unfortunate victims of Mad Brexiteer Disease, who still run…
#Time4Change: Reimagining the state: Brave, Bold & Entrepreneurial
A modern government could pave the path to a more prosperous Britain. But this requires a big re-imagination of the state’s role in today’s world. The role of state has…
Windrush: immigration centres and morality
Immigration is one of the most divisive issues we face today. The Windrush Scandal has highlighted the major issues with the Home Office’s dealings with immigration and the anti-foreigner sentiment…
Windrush: Are we moving towards a resolution?
On the 21st June 1948 HMT Empire Windrush docked in Port Tilbury. It was carrying West Indian migrants who had travelled to the UK at the request of the British government…
Plans for a nation in space show optimism’s not dead
I don’t really remember when or why, but a while back I signed up to become a citizen of the first space nation. “Asgardia is the first-ever space nation —…
Who taught our government geography?
Perhaps like me you are wondering what our nation’s geography teachers were doing when they had our members of government in their classrooms? Many former and current cabinet members have…
#ThisIsNotConsent: Clothing is not conducive to consent
It’s 2014. I’m in a Religious Education lesson. The teacher has asked me to do up a button on my nun-like uniform. It is distracting the male students in the…
At least it’s not the 70s
I’m pretty happy not to be in the UK right now. With the PM’s announcement of a (rather unpopular) Brexit deal, the resignation of multiple cabinet members, and the call…
The Brexit parachute comes to Raab’s aid
Just imagine it. You’ve handed in the dissertation that you’ve been working on for months and your supervisor informs you that it’s shit. You then realise that it’s shit. What’s…
The answer to Brexit
With the government in disarray following this morning’s resignations and the Sterling at its lowest point since the 2017 Brexit crisis, one thing is clear; May’s resignation is a foregone…
Red meat tax will affect society’s poorest
Back in 1958, as part of the infamous Great Leap Forward, Chinese dictator Mao Zedong introduced the ‘four pests campaign’. This campaign sought to greatly improve public hygiene through the…
Armistice Day: How brazen has right-wing politics become?
Even on a weekend like this, they just couldn’t help themselves. It’s a weekend that remembers some of the most important moments in modern European history. Of course, on Sunday…
The border and how it’s dooming Brexit
The morning of the 9th of June 2017 was one of strange mixed emotions for me. The day after the general election I woke up to see that despite the…
Brexit means Brexit but what does Brexit mean?
The phrase ‘nobody voted for x’ has become a rather popular one in recent months. It refers to the reality that is gradually sinking into the British population’s collective cortex…
#Time4Change: Is inequality Britain’s great divider?
In today’s political climate, divisions run deep, and this is putting Britain’s social cohesion under jeopardy. The main culprit has grown too large – inequality. This is fuelling a sense of…
Please, don’t make airports even worse
I’ve something of a love-hate relationship with airports. Having spent the past three years of my life living abroad, I’ve become used to the whole process of waking up unreasonably…
Where are you, Mr Hunt? Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe needs you
Since April 2016, I’ve completed my A-Levels, moved to Scotland, finished two years of university, and lived in three different flats. Since April 2016, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been detained in…
How to: Find pots of gold at either end of the political spectrum
The right is evil. The left is stupid. This is genuinely what some people think of the other side of the political spectrum in today’s society. And the gap is…
Repeat after me: ‘I am a free thinker’
If you’re a hip and trendy millennial, then you’ve almost certainly seen this months hot new meme. Crafted in the depths of the right-wing web, and denounced as dehumanising by…
The perils of contemporary political polarisation
The Broad hosted a lively panel on the topic of political polarisation this week, and for those that could not attend I would thoroughly recommend watching the action unfold on…
Jamie’s jerk rice proves the concept of cultural appropriation is inconsistent
A couple of months ago, Dawn Butler MP accused Jamie Oliver for appropriating Jamaican culture to reap profits. The irony is, amongst all this criticism, images emerged of Butler wearing…
#Time4Change: A case for systemic economic reform
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine our economy and our generation must not let this slip. None of us needs reminding that we live in politically turbulent times. But…
Political polarisation holds us all back
In the weeks leading up to Brexit I didn’t see a single article on my newsfeed that suggested that the Leave campaign might win. Most of my friends are left…
Brexit, to Nordic community, means the loss of ‘a neighbour’
While Theresa May grapples with the ever steepening slope of leaving the European Union, those over the sea in the Nordic regions are shaking their heads in disbelief. In August,…
Unbelievably, we still have to talk about communism
“I’m literally a communist, you idiot” has been on the rise as the mantra of the millennial left ever since Ash Sarkar’s outburst against Piers Morgan. Neo-communists, caked in hypocrisy…
Zero hour contracts are not a ‘flexible choice’
This week, Business Minister Claire Perry made some pretty naive comments about zero hours contracts, having quite obviously never been in a position in which she would need to undertake…
The government must accept that festivals and drugs are inseparable
Each year, thousands upon thousands of revellers put on their wellies and brave the great British weather in the name of festivals. A tragic aspect of this summer tradition is…
Protesting Trump’s state-visit is expensive and ignorant
The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, has arrived for his ceremonious ‘state visit’ to the UK. An event so highly anticipated, it is being met with its…
Boris Johnson’s resignation means progress for Brexit
Following the emergence of a soft-Brexit Chequers deal earlier this week, May’s cabinet has taken several blows. Most notably, the Conservative administration has suffered at the hands of the resignation…
The most glaring problem with the NHS
If someone were to ask you what the biggest problem with the NHS is today, what would you say? Some would argue that Tory cuts have reduced the pride of…
May’s made a decision that might be her last
One cannot help but be grateful to Boris Johnson. Just when the flow of the global political tsunami seemed to have reached a normalising ebb, the Foreign Secretary of the…
Trump and his associates don’t deserve civility
This coming Thursday, President Trump will be making his first official state visit to the UK. A series of demonstrations and protests are scheduled to take place during his four-day…
Deal or no deal, what does Brexit mean for the NHS?
March 2019 is not getting any further away, and the UK Government is still struggling to make any progress in ongoing Brexit negotiations. With the aim of guiding the nations…
Why immigration is the EU’s Achilles’ heel
Since German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s controversial decision to throw the doors of Europe open to millions of migrants in 2015, a growing minority of pundits have postulated migration will be the…
The state needs to leave vices alone
Governments love to spoil a good time. I know, this sounds like the philosophy of a rebellious teenager. But it’s absolutely true, and especially so in the UK. Just look…
Cannabis is just as viable a legal drug as alcohol
“Pot is a better drug than alcohol […] I’ll prove it to you, man. You’re at a ball game or a concert, and someone’s really violent and aggressive and obnoxious,…
Prince William’s Israel visit is long overdue
On June 25th, Prince William touched down at Ben Gurion Airport where he would be beginning what is the royal family’s first ever official visit to Israel. In her 65…
We should be thankful that Labour Live flopped
The Labour Party’s recent attempt at recreating the success of last year’s Glastonbury festival fell almost comically flat. Rather than rejuvenating the support of the youth, ‘Labour Live’ turned out…
Labour Live epitomised everything wrong with today’s Labour Party
The endless ‘JezFest’ which has become the singular face of a once diverse party was on full display at this trivial one-day festival which took place on June 16th. Corbyn’s…
When it comes to immigration, low skilled labour is high value
At an event focusing on Brexit and immigration this week, I was sat across from a woman from the Scottish Government’s immigration office. Arms crossed and smirking, she flicked her…
Does Britain need a new centrist party?
There’s no doubt that centrists in the UK have become the political vagrants of the island. As the Labour party promises the nationalisation of major industries, while the Conservatives continue…
Immigrants and refugees shouldn’t have to prove their worth
A couple of weeks ago, the name Mamoudou Gassama meant nothing. The Malian migrant, living undocumented in France, had survived the treacherous journey via boat to Europe and was struggling…
Should we be investigating the Tory Party for Islamophobia?
Following complaints from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has recently called for closer investigation of potential Islamophobia within the Conservative party. This has come following…
Scotland’s period of reflection on menstrual poverty is admirable
SInce devolution was formalised, Scotland has consistently put Westminster to shame with their political maneuvers. Their innovative response to attempt to tackle period poverty is no exception to this. Whereas…
Scotland deserves a voice in Brexit negotiations
As 29 March 2019 grows ever-closer, and the UK’s exit from the EU looms like a dark cloud over British politics, it seems politicians have gone pretty silent on the…
The NHS doesn’t need more money – it needs competition
Doublethink in the UK is nowhere as present as it is with the NHS. Simultaneously, it is both underfunded, understaffed, and overcrowded, yet is also the pride of Britain and…
Women are to be heard, not just seen
Illustration by Francesca Taiganides On 26 May, Ireland overwhelmingly voted to repeal the 8th amendment, allowing women to have abortions up to 12 weeks into pregnancy and up to 24 weeks…
If parliament isn’t equal, how can society be?
I can only speak for myself, but when I look at government, and see that cronie-circle of old school associates and Etonians, it feels like a gentleman’s club. Yes, members…
The royal wedding was beautiful, and that’s enough
For weeks now it has seemed as if the country was holding its breath in anticipation for the moment when Meghan Markle would step out onto the steps of St….
Is a Royal Wedding the moral equivalent of war?
All through May, British media has unloaded an unstoppable barrage of coverage on the Royal Wedding. The dress! The ceremony! The flowers! No aspect of an otherwise conventional Western practice…
Britain takes a hit of Royal gossip at any cost
Imagine undergoing open heart surgery and, as a result missing your own daughter’s wedding. A horrible thought. Then imagine undergoing open heart surgery, missing your own daughter’s wedding while being…
Grammar schools are not the way forward
On May 11 the government announced its plans to provide £50m for an expansion of the number of places in grammar schools, after their plans to open new grammar schools…
The Butch, The Bitch and The Mummy: the women in Westminster
Let’s go back to the tripartite I suggested in the first article; the Butch, the Bitch, and the Mummy. If you’re a woman working in politics, expect to see your…
It’s time for a change in Labour’s leader
The local election results indicate more than ever that the antisemitism scandals under Corbyn are forcing Jews away from the Labour Party. Sadiq Khan conveyed a clearly misplaced confidence regarding…
Row, row, row your boat back to Blighty or stick your left oar in
Think about the word, ‘change’. Chew over it for a moment. Is the unknown, the scary, and the weird, to be avoided? Or is it a break from a tired…
Amber Rudd: the women in Westminster
‘Where would you like to sit?’ Her office was hardly short of options. ‘Shall we go soft?’ and pointed to the corner sofas before we became confused. As a staunch…
Why did the state have ultimate control over Alfie Evans’ life?
The tragic story of Alfie Evans, a 23-month-old infant who passed away this morning, has touched the hearts of many across the globe. Suffering from a rare neurodegenerative disorder, the…
The government is high on anti-immigration, but this is its final hit
Stories of the Windrush generation living ‘illegally’ in the U.K have dizzied the media this week. These people have lost jobs, been denied access to the NHS and benefits, and…
The Duchess of Cambridge’s pregnancy is not your property
Pictured above: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after the birth of their first child, Prince George Have you heard? There is a new royal baby. Not a single detail has…
Deported Windrush victims are the only ones not to blame
What was Amber Rudd thinking? This question has been on the minds of most over the past fortnight. It does indeed seem bizarre that many Windrush settlers – people whose…
Media ignoring the next big refugee crisis
It is well known that the media is ill-equipped to handle several international crises simultaneously. And thus it is inherently not well known which international crises are left out of…
An encounter with Andrea Leadsom: women in Westminster
I knew very little about Andrea Leadsom before I met her. Like many, I had watched Leadsom’s 2016 Conservative Leadership campaign go up in flames after suggesting in an interview…
Negative press ignores the necessity of the Syrian airstrikes
Commentary on the airstrikes which targeted the Assad regime early morning on April 14 has been, from right-wing to left-leaning British news outlets, overwhelmingly negative. The arguments against the strike…
Well said Ealing Council, let’s hope others follow
Despite being a difficult topic to discuss, it seems abortion has been on everyone’s minds. In light of the Irish referendum, the recent action of Ealing council bears more significance…
Stop treating Calais like it’s a world away
Pictured above: Alice Bletsoe, Jemima Erith, Beth Boff, Lucy Browne-Swinburne, Laura Berg, Sophie Merrick (from left to right, photo credited to Laura Berg) I spent a week in Calais as a…
Interviewing Ruth Davidson: the women in Westminster
There seems to be an ‘all-eyes on Ruth’ effect in the media. Everyone is listening out for what she will say next, or anticipating which armoured vehicle she’ll jump into…
Corbyn’s just as bad as the rest of them
It’s clear that Jeremy Corbyn has achieved cult status among both students and wider sections of the population. He has an army of loyal fans on social media who dominate…
Government pay gap report ‘effectively comparing chief executives with secretaries’
Britain has one of the largest gender pay gaps in Europe. Women earn a mere 80p for every pound a man makes, and this inequality has increased slightly over the…
Another one bites the dust: sugar’s ill-fate
In 1795, the Duty on Hair Powder Act saw the taxation of hair powder and consequently marked the decline in fashion of the powdered wigs that were very much en…
May plans Syrian intervention whatever the cost
The chemical attacks that occured in Douma, Syria on Saturday were barbaric and deserve a response. But rushing into world war three on the heels of a deranged despot armed…
A knee-jerk ‘humanitarian intervention’ in Syria would be ignorant
On April 7th, 2018 a number of sources reported an alleged chemical attack on the rebel-held city of Douma in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta. Exact numbers of casualties are hard to…
Just a spoonful of sugar from the nanny state
Obesity is something we are all familiar with. Having more than trebled in the last three decades, and affecting almost a quarter of the UK population, it is a serious…
Power plays: the women in Westminster
The ‘visibility issue’ of women in politics is not just how many are sitting in Parliament. It’s also an issue of who they’re allowed to be once they’re there. If…
The Tories are trying, but they need to do better
Worryingly, this is the second time this year that I’ve agreed with a Tory policy. Although it may be throwing my political identity into chaos, the recent government-sponsored report into…
Anti-racist, anti-facist, anti-Semite? Millennials have forgotten the Holocaust
In one of the most disgusting cases of antisemitism we have seen in recent years, Mireille Knoll, an 85-year old French Holocaust survivor, was stabbed 11 times, then burned to…
Government can’t change the censorious attitude on campus
The joint committee on human rights (JCHR), a select committee of the Commons and the Lords chaired by Harriet Harman, have recently been considering the issue of free speech at…
Tory response to Skripal poisoning is an own goal
The UK’s news on the poisoning of Sergei Skripal has been rife with inflammatory and miscalculated political statements. Deftly written and well argued, yes, but my fellow Broad columnist Emil…
We could all do with a Politics class (or twenty)
Politics is a subject that causes social divide, mass-speculation and outright uncertainty. As we navigate through a muddy political path in the UK – queue Brexit – it seems necessary…
Corbyn’s silence on Russia shows why he’s unfit for No. 10
The ‘unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom’ is what Theresa May called the attempted murder of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal. That’s about as…
Opt-out organ donations
You know a policy is a corker if you agree with Jeremy Hunt on it. After all, the man has continuously ran the NHS into the ground since he was…
Vince Cable’s speech has revealed his anti-democratic bigotry
The Liberal Democrats are currently polling at 7%. They have been languishing around this level for some time and, despite rebranding themselves as some sort of Remain resistance, have yet…
Borders underpin international order
Last week my fellow columnist Lucy Hodgeon wrote a piece on whether borders have been made redundant by globalisation. It was original, thought-provoking and brilliantly written. I categorically disagree with it….
Borders suffocate international progress
Trump and Mexico. Britain and Brexit. Whilst states across the world seem to be reaffirming their borders, there exists a counter movement asking: do we even need borders? The World…
How I stopped worrying and learned to love Corbyn
British politics has seen better days. Take one look at Theresa May’s cabinet, and you’ll see a crew arguing which way to sail a beached ship. Then feast your eyes…
Brexit, the worst mistake made by the UK since the First World War?
If the UK leaves the European Union, politicians can run the country how they want; Corbyn can try out his Stalinist policies or Mogg can take us back to the…
The real threat to democracy? Millennials
The Baby Boomers will be remembered as the luckiest generation in history. But the millennials will be remembered as the most spoiled. Previous generations perceived democracy as the moral antithesis…
The UK’s political future should be decided by educated voters
In modern day society it is almost unanimously believed that democracy is the best way to govern a country. Democracy seems to be synonymous with fairness, creating a government which…
Saying ‘three cheers for a century of female suffrage’ is not enough
True irony: the fact that the female suffrage centenary is currently sharing column space with the revelation that Tesco, one of UK’s largest supermarkets and employers, could be sued up…
Project FUN Not FEAR
On 23rd June 2016, 26% of the UK population or 37% of the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union. Around 3 million people, including; EU nationals living in…
The Conservative deceit that is Brexit
In early October Jean-Claude Juncker, the Luxembourgish Head of the European Commission, compared Britain to a friend who orders a round of drinks at the bar and then leaves without…
Cable is destroying whatever hopes his party has left
You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. For many, this is not far from an accurate analysis of the current state of Britain’s ‘third’ party,…
Any believer in free trade will embrace leaving the European Union
No matter which side you supported during the EU referendum, there is one aspect of the upcoming Brexit that should strike optimism into every Brit – leaving the archaic customs…
Supporting Corbyn is a trade-off with a soft Brexit
Corbyn’s appeal is understandable. We live in a country plagued by inequality, and unlike many politicians, he has made it his priority to address it. In the UK, the top…