On the third day of being in labour with my first child, I entered a new state of being. It was time to dig deep. This is what I had learned in all the childbirth classes. As long as I remained calm, breathed as instructed, moaned through the pain, things would happen as they were…
Kemi Badenoch has been clear about the qualifying criteria for prospective Conservative MPs. They must be “serious people who understand common sense,” she has said. The situation in local government is different, as demonstrated by Mrs Badenoch’s ill-judged support for a former neo-Nazi, selected to stand as a councillor in Somerset next year. Joshua Bonehill-Paine…
It’s time to be blunt: the government is about to expose hundreds of vulnerable women to the risk of death or serious injury. Survivors of domestic abuse, including women who have suffered years of physical violence and intimidation, are now preparing for the moment in October when 5,000 prisoners begin to be released early. What…
After early statements of intent on homelessness and social care, Andy Burnham capped his opening two weeks in office by addressing what one might call the English question. Plans for greater fiscal devolution to England’s mayoral authorities, unveiled last week, are part of what is perhaps the primary raison d’etre of Mr Burnham’s government: the…
The live streams are still running, training their cameras on the beach at Ceuta, where nothing is happening. The self-styled citizen journalists are still pounding the streets, capturing their shaky smartphone footage. Zia Yusuf of Reform UK was out there at the weekend, wearing a crisp white shirt and smart tailored trousers, lest anyone confuse…
The reign of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani as emir of Qatar, from 1995 to 2013, was controversial. Although around 88% of Qatar’s residents were and remain foreign workers, laws intended to protect them were rarely enforced. Passport confiscation for the large numbers of migrant workers was commonplace, as were human trafficking and overcrowded…
For more than a decade, the European Union has struggled to develop a coherent and credible migration policy. Despite repeated promises of comprehensive reform, the Union continues to respond to migration crises in an ad hoc and reactive manner. While migratory pressure on Europe’s external borders has become increasingly intertwined with geopolitical tensions, the EU…
Thousands of Moroccans attempted to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta within hours, under circumstances that continue to raise questions. Between social unrest, rumors, apparent security lapses, and diplomatic tensions, this episode goes far beyond a simple migration issue. It forces us to examine Moroccans’ relationship with their future, how institutions function, and the explanations…
Andy Burnham is having a good time. I can’t remember the last time a prime minister (or indeed any high-profile British politician) actually looked as though they were enjoying what they were doing. I saw a clip the other day in which Burnham remembered arguing with his dad about the point of an English degree,…
It’s five years this month since the chaotic retreat of US forces from Kabul. The Nato-backed invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, launched after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington DC, is now widely regarded as a failure. It cost the lives of more than 2,400 US and 450 British…
