Fact versus Fiction: How AI and Disinformation has shaped the 2024 US Presidential Race
What Donald Trump described as a “day of love” marked one of the darkest moments in American history. The violence and destruction of January 6, 2021 stands as a stark reminder of the fragility of democracy when disinformation is used to disrupt electoral integrity. The role technology played in the Capitol riots has competing narratives. […]
The Autumn Budget: Briefing
Today’s may be a generationally consequential Budget, and not just because of the striking optics of the first-ever woman Chancellor and Labour’s first Budget in fourteen years. But because it may shape the political and economic terms for arguably the next decade. While the numbers and details will take some time to forensically interrogate, the […]
Pre-Budget Briefing: What You Need To Know
Tomorrow, the Chancellor will deliver the first Labour Budget since Alistair Darling did so in March 2010. She will also be the first female Chancellor to ever do so. The Logistics of the Day The Chancellor’s speech is scheduled to start at 12.30pm immediately after Prime Minister’s Questions. Unusually, it’s not the Shadow Chancellor that […]
From Zero-Hour Contracts to Day-One Protections: Inside Labour’s Workplace Reforms
On Thursday Labour unveiled its ambitious “Make Work Pay” plan, designed to boost wages and productivity while improving workers’ rights. This marks the government’s first major step towards achieving its promise of delivering economic growth that benefits working people across the country. At the heart of the plan are reforms to end exploitative zero-hour contracts […]
Starmer Goes to Brussels
Security was the prime focus of the Prime Minister’s visit to Brussels this week, where he conducted his first formal meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, hoping to “reset” relations with the EU. The new security pact will revolve around improved exchanges between the police and the security services, as well as […]
Review and Rebuild: Challenges and Optimism at This Year’s Conservative Party Conference
Having suffered their worst ever General Election result just a few months ago, the slogan of this year’s Conservative Conference was “Review and Rebuild”. A generous conclusion would be that this year’s gathering marked the first step in this process. A less charitable conclusion would be that the party has yet to come to terms […]
Conservative Party Conference: the Battle for the Leadership
This year’s Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham was the Party’s first annual gathering in a decade and a half where they are not the party of government. It also served as the stage for the four Conservative leadership hopefuls to make their final pitches and vie for support from the Tory grassroots. This Conference was […]
The Message to the Class of 2024 is Clear: Wait Your Turn
The results are now in for all of the Commons select committee chair positions, and what is clear is that attempts by newly elected MPs to win a position, and thus begin forging a name for themselves, have not been successful. Only Patricia Ferguson, just elected as the Scottish Affairs committee Chair, is from the 2024 […]
Labour’s Growing Pains
Last night, the government suffered its first challenge in the House of Lords, with 164 Peers voting in favour of a motion expressing ‘regret’ that pensioners will be ‘worse off in Winter’. Though symbolic in nature, the vote was still indicative of the continued criticism being levelled at the Government over its winter fuel payments […]
Starmer’s Promise of Partnership at the TUC
The TUC Congress is not just a key date in the diary for 5.5 million unionised workers and the 48 member unions, but also for Sir Keir Starmer, at his first Congress since becoming Prime Minister. It can set the tone for Labour’s conference season, as the party decides which union motions to progress, and […]
