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SubscriptionsSection: Argument
Honestly held opinions and provocative argument based on current events or our recent reports.
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The Worst of the Worst: John Whittingdale’s Return as a Media Minister
Why the Conservative MP’s return to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is a bad sign for decent journalism in this country.
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Whittingdale Returns: Who Remains to Ride to the Rescue of the BBC?
Former Labour MP and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee member Ian Lucas considers what John Whittingdale’s return to the department as a minister spells for the future of the public service broadcaster.
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EDITORIAL: Cracks of Optimism Appear
The Facade of Competence in the Johnson Government didn’t take Long to Crumble.
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Online Harms Bill: Our Democracy is at Stake and the Government Isn’t Serious About Tackling it
Kyle Taylor on the irresponsible omission in the Government’s new Online Harms White Paper — the protection of democracy.
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Climate Change Scepticism and Inaction is a Form of Violence
CJ Werleman argues that governments which refuse to take action to combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions are participants to violence.
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Britain is a Liberal and Democratic Country – Why Are the Lib Dems Missing An Open Goal?
Otto English considers why the Liberal Democrats are struggling to provide a home for the politically homeless that should be flocking to the party.
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Sajid Javid Resigns and Boris Johnson’s Brexit Bus still Teeters on the Cliff-Edge
James Melville sees that two months into ‘getting Brexit done’, the Government reshuffling of deckchairs does little to change our precarious situation.
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Boris Johnson Must Keep His Hands Off Our Judges
Gareth Roberts provides a barrister’s take on the Conservative Party’s desire to curb the independence of the judiciary.
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Governments and Banks Want to Keep Us in Debt
Iwan Doherty investigates why our economy hates saving and loves credit and the consequences of the private debt bubble that enslaves us.
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Deportation: The Ultimate Trumpian Political Tool
Musa Okwonga on how the rule of law is being chipped away disguised as Boris Johnson’s populist pandering.
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‘Pre-Fascism’ is Now Everywhere in Politics – What Can be Done?
Andy Myles looks at the democratic apathy that has allowed populists such as Trump, Bannon and Cummings to activate an effective hardcore base.
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The Doubling of the National Debt: The Conservatives Have ‘Spent All the Money’
James Melville on another big myth in UK politics – that the Labour Party cannot be trusted on the economy.
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Manchester United’s Fight Against the Sun has Little Hope with a Toothless Press Regulator
It is as if the football club is playing an away fixture, uphill, under rules written by the opposing side – which also happens to employ the referee, argues Brian Cathcart.
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Trump’s Pardons, Jobs and Trophies for Anything but the ‘Best People’
CJ Werleman on why the President’s awarding of the Medal of Freedom to the right-wing ideologue Rush Limbaugh is indicative of his entire approach to changing America’s political culture.
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Political Advertising: How to Stop Polarisation over Campaign Lies
Stephen Kinnock MP and Kyle Taylor explain why self-regulation of political ads won’t work and how we mustn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
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Attacks on the BBC are Less About Broadcasting and More About a Divided Britain
Former BBC producer Patrick Howse demolishes the arguments about the license fee but hears Tony Hall has been a ‘Useful Idiot’ for those who want to destroy the public service broadcaster.
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The ‘Oven-Ready’ Solution to Free Trade with the EU: EEA/EFTA Membership
James Melville explains the sensible way to square the circle of free trade with Europe and heal the divisions in Britain.
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Speaking Another Language: A Social Media Tale
Otto English takes us on a journey through the history of the English language, the exceptionalism of Empire and the furious and curious of Twitter.
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Three Cheers for Downing Street’s Attempts to Muzzle the Press
Fleet Street Veteran Liz Gerard Congratulates Boris Johnson’s Communications Director for Finally Exposing the Truth about the Lobby System.
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Hold Onto Your Hats: When Will Brexit Crash the Stock Market?
City Socialist explains why we shouldn’t look to stock indices for guidance on the real economy — markets don’t care about us and we shouldn’t care about them.
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Britain Enters the Next Phase of Project Blame
James Melville on how Boris Johnson’s ‘Northern Strategy’ continues a 30-year-long deflection game designed to get us to vote against our best interests.
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Brexit: the Real Battle Begins – for Workers’ Rights
Mike Buckley argues that the new Labour leadership must stand up to the economic destruction proposed by the Conservative Brexiters.
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The Racialisation of Coronavirus
CJ Werleman on why the tropes of Orientalism are at play towards Chinese people over health concerns, in the same way that Muslims are targeted through the ‘War on Terror’.
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Editorial: The Battle of Brexit May be Lost, but the Cultural and Constitutional War Goes On
The problem is not in the stars of the EU flag but in ourselves Brexit is not the cause of British decline, but a symptom. Every institution that has failed over the past three years since the EU Referendum – from our electoral laws to our oligarch-captured media, a supine BBC and the dominance of a…
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Remainers have Lost this Fight but the War Continues
As Britain leaves the EU on 31 January 2020, Mike Buckley argues that Remainers must redouble their efforts to protect democracy and fight for an open and tolerant culture.
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The Fake Superiority and Inferiority Complex of Brexit
As Britain leaves the EU on 31 January 2020, James Melville argues that a deep sense of unease with its identity in the world has led to a flawed solution: Brexit.
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Rogue Political Ads that Lie Will Never Be Tamed Without Regulation
The co-founder of the Coalition for Reform in Political Advertising welcomes new recommendations on electoral and political advertising, but believes they have ignored the biggest issue.
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Federalism Can “Take Back Control” in a Way Brexit Can’t
Could Labour leadership candidate Keir Starmer’s idea of creating a more federal United Kingdom be the only real solution to holding the Union together?
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The Weaponising of ‘Woke’
James Melville argues that ‘wokeness’ is the latest concept to be hijacked by the right-wing to make a stand against equality, democracy and justice.
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The Battle To Save Democracy Has To Start Now
Gareth Roberts argues that British democracy is being endangered by unwitting ignorance and deliberate lies.
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Labour’s Love Lost: How Short Term Memories Constantly Pit the Party Against Itself
Stephen Komarnyckyj wonders why Labour views its most successful leaders – Wilson and Blair – in such harsh terms.
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History Isn’t ‘Woke’ – It’s the Best Defence we have Against Tyranny and Hate
Hardeep Matharu explains how Laurence Fox’s myopia about the role of Sikh soldiers in World War One is a wider British problem of imperial amnesia.
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Scottish Independence Referendum: Johnson’s ‘Once in a Generation’ Game
Andy Myles, former Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats and special adviser to the Scottish government, on the Prime Minister’s untenable ‘post-truth’ populism.
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Israel Dares International Criminal Court to Hold it Accountable for its Actions in Palestinian Territories
Israel has branded the ICC as “anti-Semitic” after the court announced that it believes it has the basis to probe its crimes.
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The Lost Art of Seriousness in Politics
James Melville reflects on how the post-truth rise of politicians such as Donald Trump and Boris Johnson has been made possible.
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As a GP Attending Prevent training, I was Surprised by Extinction Rebellion’s “Extremist” Listing – but not Shocked
Dr Adnan Siddiqui argues the targeting of XR as an extremist organisation supports growing concern the government’s policy is about criminalising views it finds threatening.
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The Real Project Fear: Fake News and ‘Johnny Foreigner’
James Melville highlights the paradox of our xenophobic media driven by press proprietors who are non-domiciled for tax reasons or based overseas.
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We Must Kill Marketing Before it Kills Us
Stephen Colegrave, former marketing director of Saatchi and Saatchi, explains why the Mad Men world of marketing must die.
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Trump’s Plans to Extend the US Muslim Ban Exposes his Policy of Cruelty
CJ Werleman on why the US President will keep targeting Muslims and step up his attacks on Islam as his begins his 2020 re-election campaign.
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Editorial: First they Came for Our Children
With the youth vote heavily against Boris Johnson, the Tory Government’s first moves seem to be gunning for the young.
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Rediscovering Northern Soul: The Territorial Injustice of Austerity
James Melville explores how Boris Johnson can respond to a protest vote against the territorial injustice of austerity.
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Harry and Meghan are Taking on the Corporate Press – Fighting for Issues which Should Matter to Us All
Brian Cathcart, Professor of Journalism at Kingston University, on why Britain’s right-wing press will be intent on destroying the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex now more than ever.
