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History, music, cooking, travel, books, theatre, film – but also with an eye on the ‘culture wars’, nationalism and identity.
Insular definitions of the national past overlook the very things we should take pride in
In his monthly column, John Mitchinson explores how a country house party in Oxfordshire helped invent democracy
As tensions mount over long range missile attacks on Russia, Chris York explains the daily routine for Ukrainians living in the capital Kyiv
Any law to help people die is the beginning of a slippery slope for disabled people whose lives are already devalued, writes Penny Pepper in her monthly column
In his monthly column, John Mitchinson reflects on why the old lettuce leaf is not so dull (Liz Truss aside)
In her monthly column, Penny Pepper describes the aftermath of a terrifying break-in, which she fears may have been a disability hate crime
In her monthly column, Penny Pepper wonders what new threats disabled and elderly people will face as the season turns
John Mitchinson explores why he chooses to raise and then consume man’s second best friend
In his monthly column, John Mitchinson explores why we should be listening to the honey bees
Disabled people may have been cheering the end of Tory rule – but their trust has not been won by Labour, writes Penny Pepper
In his monthly column, John Mitchinson remembers the original social justice warrior
Every change that improves the lives of disabled people has been predominantly led by disabled people themselves, whose stories are overlooked or misappropriated, writes Penny Pepper
John Mitchinson explores how a 600-year-old poem by an unknown poet can reset our moral compass
There are 14 million disabled people in the UK – are politicians even considering them in this election campaign?
With news that senior Murdoch executives now face a civil trial, Peter Jukes looks back on a decade of deceit
To sit and listen to a nightingale is to be transported to somewhere that is both quintessentially English but also impossibly rich and exotic, writes John Mitchinson
For Penny Pepper, debates about changing the law on assisted suicide are a way in for a dangerous, niggling, idea of how we should value disabled people’s lives
‘Our Island Stories: Country Walks Through Colonial Britain’ reveals fascinating connections between colonial history and British rural life – but it isn’t expected to go down well with everyone
John Mitchinson explores why are we so fascinated by the odious, uncancellable, Mr Punch
Despite the best efforts of the woke deep state, censored sections of the former prime minister’s diary have been leaked to Otto English
A Team GB spokesperson told Nathan Jones-Sparkes that the British Olympic Association was very clear with the press that its new kit design would always feature the Union Jack
John Mitchinson explores why perception is as much about what we know as what we see
On International Women’s Day, Penny Pepper celebrates how other disabled women came to be her pillars of strength, wisdom and joy
The suspicious death of the Russian opposition activist and behaviour over his remains shows little has changed in the Kremlin
John Mitchinson explores how the lessons of the Crimean War still resonate today
As a community book seller loses her unique shop in Shepherd’s Bush Market, Iain Overton looks at the broader struggles facing London’s historic markets, facing the juggernaut of modern development.
In the wake of Lord Melvyn Bragg’s House of Lords debate on the vital importance of the arts to the UK’s society and economy, composer Howard Goodall makes an urgent call for the Government to rethink its proposed further reduction of resources for musical education
Nathan O’Hagan explores the notable shift away from a culture of excess drinking among today’s younger generations
The myriad threats comedians face is explored in the new edition of ‘Index on Censorship’, writes its Editor-in-Chief Jemimah Steinfeld
John Mitchinson explores why the dark and mysterious yew tree is a symbol of both life and death
In her monthly column, Penny Pepper explores her love-hate relationship with artificial intelligence
Museums across the country are being forced to close as the reality of austerity-struck Brexit Britain hits home
Dr Mine Conkbayir reflects on her time working with the founder of Kids Company and the fight for justice that continues after the campaigner’s death
An end of year reflection from Peter Jukes, Co-Founder and Executive Editor of Byline Times
Developing a stronger sense of Englishness cannot merely be looked at through a political lens – our identities are personal and multiple, conflicting and shifting, writes Hardeep Matharu
Maintaining the illusory story of what Britain was is integral to the illusion of what Britain is – and the maintenance of political and economic hegemony, writes MP Clive Lewis
At the heart of our political crisis is how England, in particular, has struggled to find its way in the modern world, writes MP Caroline Lucas
Anthony Barnett explores why a recent conference in Edinburgh aimed to initiate a conversation about an ‘England’ distinct from ‘Britain’
John Mitchinson explores the attributes of the character that long pre-dates ‘Santa Claus’
AI is not just disrupting our lives but our very language too, writes Dan Clayton