Should people protest during a pandemic? My latest post for fifteeneightyfour argues that the risks posed by COVID-19 are not distinct, in a morally relevant sense, from the risks faced by previous generations of protestors who fought white supremacy.
Read MoreThe genuine threat to liberty exposed by the coronavirus pandemic is that some of those who hold power believe that they ought to be above the law, above scrutiny, and above accountability. The actions of Trump, Johnson and Cummings may delight their base, but their supporters should bear in mind that a favoured slave is no less a slave.
Read MoreThe coronavirus pandemic has produced a surge in philanthropic giving from some of the world’s wealthiest people. It is not surprising that they have enjoyed widespread praise and acclaim.
Indeed, it is well deserved. But the situation also illustrates a profound imbalance in society
Read MoreI’ve written a short piece on the ethics of resisting injustice for Aeon. The idea for it came as I was walking through London during the Extinction Rebellion protests. It is a cause that I felt a lot of sympathy, but didn’t join the active protest. The question that this raised was what do I owe these people who are resisting injustice. The answer it turns out was a lot of nothing.
Read MoreIn December Cambridge University Press published my first book Global Poverty, Injustice, and Resistance. If you are interested in reading more the first ten pages of the book are available to everyone via this post.
Read MoreInternational trade reduced, global supply chains cut off, imports interrupted: globalisation is going backwards thanks to coronavirus. But in an age of trade wars and nationalism, could this be a taste of things to come?
Read MoreThe threat of 'illegal economic immigrants' is often at the core of populist and alt-right politics in the West. Indeed, many otherwise liberal persons view these people as 'queue-jumpers' who ought to be sent to the back of the line. In this blog for Cambridge University Press I make the case for illegal immigration.
Read MoreA few weeks ago I appeared on TRT World’s Roundtable to discuss the future of Europe. The long and short of it is that while there are tensions, the external pressures from geopolitics and climate change ought to check the centrifugal forces within the EU.
Read MoreToday I woke up as a European citizen, tomorrow I will not. The gamblers have won and they got Brexit done. Or so it would seem. They want to give the impression that they are taking their chips and leaving the table, but they are not cashing in. They are moving to a higher stakes game.
Read MoreCaroline Flint has alleged that Emily Thornberry blamed the Johnson’s triumph on the ‘stupidity’ of voters. Thornberry denies this and has begun legal action against Flint, but behind closed doors many people may think that democracy has a problem: it gives too much power to the stupid, ignorant, and misinformed. They just don’t have the stomach to publicly challenge the foundational belief that democracy is the cornerstone of a well-ordered state. Is this true?
Read MoreThere are now less than two weeks before the election and things are not looking good for Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party. Despite climbing from the mid-20s to the low-30s in some polls, they are still 11 points back on some counts. The Labour Party tried to make an election about Brexit an election about austerity. It isn’t working and if they don’t change tact then they are likely to be decimated. They need to show Leavers and Remainers that Boris Johnson’s ‘oven ready’ deal is half-frozen slop that you wouldn’t give to your dog.
Read MoreToday we are two weeks out from the general election and, against my predictions, it seems that Boris Johnson is on track for a strong majority. YouGov’s MRP analysis of every constituency has predicted a major Tory breakthrough. But is this the high tide for the Tories and can they stop it from draining away?
Read MoreOne of the more inexplicable elements of the British political landscape is the enduring fixation with the ‘Australian-style points-based immigration system’. It is a core commitment of the Conservative Party’s manifesto. The problem is that it has little to do with Australia and that country’s immigration system. Indeed, it is a dog whistle that appeals to the folk-memory of the far right in the UK.
Read MoreOn Friday I said pretty unequivocally that parliament would not grant Johnson an election. He doesn’t have the numbers. However, I made a rather basic oversight. The UK is not a two-party system.. The LibDems and SNP have shown how disruptive they can be. Is their election gambit reckless or sound strategic thinking?
Read MoreWe are entering a high stakes week for Brexit. Is it going to be Thermopylae or Marathon for the opponents of Boris Johnson’s Deal?
Read MoreBoris Johnson, humiliated by the Supreme Court for his unlawful prorogation of parliament, returned to the House of Commons unrepentant. He burned every bridge to the opposition, but this won’t bother him. Johnson and Cummings are going for broke.
Read MoreJohnson and Cummings had a disastrous week. Painted into a corner the government prorogued parliament, while making chicken noises at the opposition. How should Corbyn respond? Be the adult in the room.
Read MoreThe Prime Minister and Dominic Cummings lost two major bets this week. They failed to block opposition legislation or call an election on their terms. The price has been the catastrophic loss of their majority, a split in the Tory Party, and the narrative is slipping away from them. What can they do now?
Read MoreIt’s hard to be overshadowed by a boss who lurches from crisis to crisis, but it is all in a day’s work for Sajid Javid.
Read MoreOn the back of the prorogation palaver, Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings seem set to roll the dice for a general election. Is this wise and what should Jeremy Corbyn do?
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