SubscriptionsSection: Argument
Honestly held opinions and provocative argument based on current events or our recent reports.
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Even as the World Burns, Johnson has to Play his Anti-Immigrant Fiddle
The Prime Minister activated his base in the one way he really knows how, when he claimed that the fall of the Roman Empire has great lessons for today’s climate emergency, says Hardeep Matharu
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Lost At Sea: Untethered Britain in the Age of Emotion
As international leaders gather in Glasgow for the COP26 summit, Hadley Coull and Chris Ogden consider Britain’s unmoored identity in a volatile world
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Playing With History Is Playing With Fire
The Coronavirus pandemic should have been the wake-up call to ‘Never-Gonna-Happenism’ and the lure of empty populism, says Otto English
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Defunding Frontline Healthcare Services During a Pandemic: an Unrecoverable Moral Debt
Daniel Goyal observes that unlike other nations, the UK’s healthcare capacity remains 4% lower than pre-COVID level, and this means more unnecessary deaths
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The Meta Narrative: How Zuckerberg Just Won’t Listen
The Facebook boss’ response to damning revelations about the social media platform has been to go full Orwellian, says Kyle Taylor
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The Indian Government is Fuelling Anti-Hindu Violence in Bangladesh
Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist administration appears to be deliberately exacerbating tensions among Hindu communities by implementing policies that ‘other’ Muslims, writes CJ Werleman
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COP OUT? Why Johnson and Sharma are Ill-Prepared for Vital Climate Summit
The Prime Minister has been getting his excuses in early about why the COP26 climate change conference may not lead to progress, says Mike Buckley
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Climate Protests have Sparked a Debate About the Role of Individual Consumers While Tackling Structural Problems
Jack McGovan explores the personal responsibility of the top 10% of global consumers and the impact they can make on halting the effects of climate change
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Insulate Britain: Be Impossible, Demand the Realistic
Charlie Waterhouse, a member of Extinction Rebellion’s media team, sets out why he believes the actions of Insulate Britain should be praised not demonised
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Empty Shelves and Driver Shortages are Important – But So are the Disabled People Left Without Carers
The effect on the lives of disabled people of care workers reluctant to come from abroad, and a shortfall of those joining the profession in the UK, is being unsurprisingly ignored, says Penny Pepper
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We Can’t Trust the Prevent Review to be Honest About Counter-Terrorism Failings
It looks likely that the Government’s review of the controversial strategy will significantly strengthen the programme as a means of hitting back against its many critics, argues Dr Richard McNeil-Willson
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The Pandemic: A Toxic Mix of Political and Public Health Crises
The handling of the Coronavirus crisis by Boris Johnson’s Government is an egregious example of structural failings at the heart of the British state, argue Professor Gurch Randhawa and Mike Buckley
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Why Did Labour Lose the Military?
In 1945, the armed forces vote helped sweep Labour to power – but in modern politics the military vote is more likely to go to the right
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A Winter of Discontent? Maybe. A Frozen Government for Sure
Peter Jukes looks at the differences between the crises of the 1970s and the current state of Brexit Britain – and finds some surprising but chilling echoes
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Saccharine Narratives about Adoption are a Disservice to Children and Parents
This National Adoption Week, Andrew Taylor-Dawson – an adoptive parent himself – asks for a more nuanced approach to how Government and society thinks about adoption and its challenges
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Under the Radar: How the Hindutva Lobbying Campaign Has Extended to the US
CJ Werleman explores the growing influence of radical Hindu nationalists in American politics
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To Match His Climate Rhetoric, Boris Johnson Must Axe These Five Projects
Claire Hamlett unpicks the Government schemes that are obstructing the UK’s net zero ambitions
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Trojan Horse Legislation: Turning the NHS into a $28bn Profit Opportunity
The 99% Organisation reveals how ministers could use the Health & Care Bill to transform the NHS into something like the US healthcare system
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Journalism is Not a Profession: It Has to be Unruly to Challenge the Rulers
As Chinese journalists are sent for professional re-education, Matthew Gwyther argues that regulation and conformity threaten the unlicensed essence of holding power to account
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How the UN is Held Hostage by Power and Money
Jonathan Fenton-Harvey explores the forces manipulating and undermining the objectives of the United Nations
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‘Us and Them’ Politics Puts Us All in Danger
The more we are wound up through a divisive politics of polarisation, the less safe we all ultimately are, says Hardeep Matharu
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The Persecution of Steven Donziger Threatens All Environmentalists
The case of the environmental lawyer demonstrates the continuing force of the fossil fuel industry – in tandem with political interests and private courts, says Thomas Perrett
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From Mask Wearing to the Run on Petrol: The Consequences of Crowds
Crowd behaviour helped public health initiatives in the early stages of the Coronavirus pandemic, but social proofing also means that people are easily influenced to reject safety measures, writes Clara Hickman
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Brexit Forever: The Northern Ireland Protocol and the Government’s Brexit Addiction
David Frost’s speech on the Northern Ireland Protocol, and Dominic Cummings’ shocking revelations on Twitter, showed that the UK is playing the same old games over Brexit, says Mike Buckley
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In a War Between the US and China Over Taiwan, Who Wins?
CJ Werleman assesses the capability and will of both superpowers as tensions continue to escalate over the island territory
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Johnson, Starmer and the Tectonic Plates of British Politics
Professor Chris Painter explores the strategic electoral dilemmas which Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer respectively face, as normal political engagement resumes
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Facebook’s Big Lie is Finally Being Exposed
Kyle Taylor puts the social media platform’s recent scandals into context and argues that the House of Zuckerberg is slowly crumbling
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The Attacks on Chris Packham are Part of a Global Assault on Environmental Activists
Whether a UK TV presenter or an environmental campaigner in the Amazon, those fighting the climate crisis and to protect biodiversity are increasingly under attack
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Johnson’s Jolly and Political Polarisation
The public’s attitude to the Prime Minister’s holiday shows that we are still stuck in an era of tribal political conflicts, contends Sam Bright
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Johnson’s Hypocritical Hand-Outs: How MPs Warp Perceptions of Poverty
The reality of deprivation in Britain is distorted by those who complain about earning more than £80,000 a year and rely on wealthy friends to pay for their holidays, says Maheen Behrana
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The Far-Right’s Corruption Paradox
Sian Norris explores why populist and far-right leaders win on anti-corruption platforms only to be accused of exploiting their positions for personal gain
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Luftwaffle: Fantasy Nostalgia Betrays the Past, and the Present
Otto English explores the trend among Brexiters to summon myths about World War Two It’s a day of the week, so right-wingers are busy invoking World War Two again. In a country where virtually no-one goes to church any more, ‘The War’ has become a de-facto religion for many a Brexit-minded Conservative. And several have…
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Money Over Morality: Saudi Arabia Feeds the Premier League’s Financial Addiction
As the Government turns its gaze to the regulation of the football industry, the takeover of Newcastle United shows the urgent need for reform, says Adrian Goldberg
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The BBC Has an Institutional Culture of Brexit Self-Censorship
Former BBC producer Patrick Howse explores why the broadcaster is unwilling to speak truth to power over Brexit
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A Turning Tide? Johnson’s Campaign to Turn Two Fingers Up at Business Continues
Mike Buckley reflects on the Prime Minister’s attempts to distract from the economic plague that the Government has inflicted on the nation
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A US-China War Over Taiwan Appears Not Only Inevitable, But Imminent
CJ Werleman explores what the rapidly escalating tensions over Taiwan reveal about the nature of the world’s two superpowers
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Three Key Reasons Why Boris Johnson Isn’t Serious About ‘Levelling Up’
Behind the gags, the Prime Minister’s plan for regional redistribution is woefully lacking, says Sam Bright
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Mirror Ball Journalism and the Revolving Disco Dance Floor of British Politics
Mic Wright argues that the private cosiness between political reporters and politicians doesn’t serve the interests of the public
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A Successful Climate Movement Won’t Be Radical Or Moderate – It Will be Both
We must not add the self-sabotage of ideological purism to the challenges of creating the mass movement required to tackle the climate emergency, says Rupert Read
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Boris Johnson Betrays a Common Misunderstanding of Misogyny
Making hateful behaviour directed at women because of their sex a hate crime does not mean adding cat-calls to the statute books, says Sian Norris
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Levelling Down – Boris Johnson’s Other Conference Speech
Byline Times is reliably informed that Boris Johnson has prepared two speeches for his appearance at the Conservative Party Conference tomorrow – Otto English has been leaked Version A
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Deception Management: How Mendacity Devoured British Politics
Hadley Coull and Chris Ogden consider why policies and principles have been subsumed to the art of political deceit
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UK’s Biggest Climate Change Challenge: Confronting the Gap Between Government Rhetoric and Reality
Thomas Perrett explores the ways in which the UK may be an embarrassing presence when it hosts next month’s COP26 climate change conference
