Truss and Sunak must put future food affordability before farmers’ votes August 5, 2022 As the Tory leadership race drags on, promises and policies of all kinds have been thrown at us, served with a side of U-turns reminiscent of the very same Johnson government both contenders used to be a part of. While Sunak had a change of heart on VAT and energy bills last week, Truss embarrassed [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Breaking the Odessa deadlock August 2, 2022 Yesterday the first container ship filled with grain left Ukraine after months of impasse. It was a huge breakthrough, enabled by a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations. The cargo ship was loaded with 26,000 tonnes of corn. It left Odessa, a Black Sea port that’s been blocked since the beginning of the [...]
A London transport funding deal must not come at the cost of accessibility July 26, 2022 HOW many of us have gotten lost in the maze between Bank and Monument station? Imagine how much harder it would be if you suddenly couldn’t remember where you had to go. “I get very confused with technology”; “I can’t ask what I’m doing wrong to a machine”. These are common refrains from people affected [...]
Explainer-in-brief: A long journey of pain for pubs July 19, 2022 It’s a tricky time for pubs – again. Amidst rising energy costs and staff shortages, pubs are struggling to keep their doors open. Fifteen per cent of independent pubs surveyed by the British Institute of Innkeeping said their business is no longer viable. Just days ago the giant JD Wetherspoon warned that higher labour costs [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Summer of Discontent, continued July 16, 2022 Brace for more industrial action. The RMT, led by media sensation Mick Lynch, will be striking again on the July 27, right before the Commonwealth Games open in Birmingham. On top of that, the union has announced two additional strike days on August 18 and 20, in the middle of the holiday season. Meanwhile, the [...]
Explainer-in-brief: The tumultuous history of the online safety bill July 15, 2022 The Online Safety Bill – drafted with the aim of making “Big Tech” accountable for the content published on their platforms – has been delayed in Parliament. It will be inherited by a new prime minister and culture secretary in the autumn. The bill’s history traces back to David Cameron’s premiership, when the idea of [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Net Zero pledges are largely absent in Conservative race July 14, 2022 As the Conservative leadership contest unfolds, the pledge to keep on track with net zero seems to be lost. Green policies were a staple of Boris Johnson’s premiership, determined by a belief in green energy’s potential to create new jobs and economic growth. The contenders don’t all seem to agree. Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch [...]
The lack of space for this year’s grain is another hard blow to war-torn Ukraine July 14, 2022 As hot weather hits Europe, it’s time for those who are still able to farm in Ukraine to start this year’s harvest. Even amidst a renewed, brutal Russian offensive, farmers have to choose between going bankrupt or picking up this year’s crops despite the risks. Most choose the latter. Letting the crops rot under the [...]
Opinion-in-brief: The pros and cons of our politicians’ love of WhatsApp July 13, 2022 The data watchdog has admonished the Department of Health over its use of WhatsApp. According to the Information Commissioner’s Office, ministers and officials used the app to talk about their work during the pandemic. Although this is not illegal, it means that it’s easier to delete potentially incriminating material. It also means that key information [...]
Opinion-in-brief: The Tory leadership race is training in the art of scheming July 12, 2022 A “dirty dossier” on Rishi Sunak – shared by an ally of Priti Patel – contained lines of attack against the frontrunner in the race to become party leader. One was that Sunak had been plotting this all along – with a campaign website domain registered in 2019. Sunak’s campaign team has denied owning readyforrishi.com, [...]
