The influencer economy is one step ahead of us and changing again as TikTok stars demand freedom June 2, 2022 Influencers – also known as content creators – have been anticipating what the public likes since the beginning. From blogging in the late ‘90s – showing a new appetite for sharing intimate thoughts in public arenas – to TikTok now – with our thirst for informal, snappy content – influencers started doing it before the [...]
Explainer-in-brief: firing up the coal plants to stave off the dark of night May 31, 2022 Six million British households could face power cuts this winter, as the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine send shockwaves across the energy supply chain. This is bad news not only for the people affected, who could see their electricity cut in the early mornings and evenings, but also for the green transition. Keeping the [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Behind a Twitter takeover that looks like a soap opera May 30, 2022 When Elon Musk decided to buy Twitter, the Internet went crazy. Some were celebrating the billionaire’s penchant for protecting free speech, others were scared that Twitter would turn into a hate speech nightmare. Now the saga has taken a different turn, with Musk being sued by Twitter investors for driving down the share price of [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Guess who’s behind the dead cat strategic masterpiece? May 27, 2022 Yesterday Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the introduction of a windfall tax – or as he called it, a “temporary targeted energy profits levy” – signalling a huge u-turn from his party’s previous stance on the policy. The announcement came the day after the Sue Gray report on Downing Street boozy parties, leading some to condemn [...]
To understand what London needs, we should look at the history of spatial poverty May 27, 2022 In the “Republic”, Plato wrote that “any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich”. This still rings painfully true today, especially if the city in question is London. The capital is a uniquely unequal place: it hosts some incredibly wealthy people, as [...]
Opinion-in-brief: The closing act of Partygate is embarrassing for everyone May 26, 2022 The report by Sue Gray on the parties held in Downing Street was finally released yesterday – and hell, it was damning. It concluded that the “senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility”. What was Boris Johnson’s defence? He “humbly” apologised and took responsibility, but urged everyone to “move on”. [...]
The Uyghurs can’t afford the cost of inaction May 25, 2022 China’s horrific treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority is far from a secret. Despite Beijing’s denial, proof has emerged of internment camps in the Xinjiang region where Uyghurs are subjected to forced labour and attempts at brainwashing. Yesterday new key information emerged about Beijing’s reckless policy of authoritarianism. A stockpile of files were leaked to [...]
Explainer-in-brief: A bill to fight off a dangerous global grain shortage May 24, 2022 This week, a bill to accelerate the manufacturing of genetically edited crops will be brought to Parliament. As the world faces a potential food crisis in the aftermath of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the government hopes the bill will allow it to shore up the country’s reserves of wheat. Genetically edited crops are more resistant [...]
Explainer-in-brief: The final act of No10’s Partygate? May 20, 2022 Yesterday, it was perhaps the beginning of the end of Partygate. The Met Police investigation was closed, with a final verdict of 126 fines issued to 83 people. There were no additional fines for Boris Johnson. By the end of it, the investigation – called Operation Hillman – cost £460,000. Yet we’re still waiting for [...]
From calorie counts to meal deals, Boris Johnson can’t make up his mind May 19, 2022 When American political activist Ralph Nader famously called McDonald’s double cheeseburger “a weapon of mass destruction” he was on to something. On this side of the pond too, decades of unhealthy fast – and fat – food eating have left a mark. Around 63 per cent of adults in England are either overweight or obese. [...]
