It is one of the most enduring taboos of British society. From sex to swearing, decades of progressive liberalisations have given successive generations the social freedom to speak candidly and act expressively. But, curiously, money – and particularly the size of your pay packet – remains...
In September the UK Government faced criticism from human rights groups for failing to back a series of recommendations by the UN Human Rights Council. UN officials made a total of 229 recommendations on UK policy and law which aim to strengthen human rights outcomes, but...
As Britain responds to its third terrorist attack in as many months, UK Prime Minister Teresa May has declared that “enough is enough”. Speaking after the London Bridge attack she presented a four-point action plan for preventing future attacks. She called for a battle of ideology...
For me, it was the blistering goal of an 18-year-old Michael Owen as England were defeated by Argentina in the 1998 World Cup in France which sparked my interest in football. I remember taking the day off school, dubiously ill as I tucked into popcorn and...
For decades the West’s policy in fighting global poverty has been exemplified by Bob Geldof’s immortal words: “give us the money”. Millions of people heard this call from gigs around the world, organised to raise funds for an ongoing Ethiopian famine which had impregnated and planted...
In what some will see as the latest step in the political ladder to Cold War version 2.0, Russia has been denied a place on the UN’s Human Rights Council after the UN General Assembly failed to vote for it as one of 14 new members....
Yemen is a country in the grip of a civil war, which has far reaching implications, not just for its regional neighbours, but also for the Western powers that have long sought supremacy in the battle to claim the spoils of their Middle Eastern pie. For the...
As Britain comes to terms with the result of its most recent expression of mass electoral democracy, the EU referendum vote, political division has given way to tense debate about how we define and exercise democracy. With the Vote Leave campaign winning by a margin of...
An accountable police service which operates in the interests of the population is a fundamental foundation for any state. It is a prerequisite for social justice, democracy, peace, and the effective maintenance of security for all citizens. For Lebanon, the need couldn’t be more acute. The...
The curious thing leading up to Britain’s decision to exit the EU was the distinct lack of real choice, despite the vastly opposing consequences of the two options on the ballot paper. One side told us to reject the established norms of globalisation, to take back...
Last month was the three year anniversary of the collapse of the eight story Rana Plaza factory complex in Bangladesh, where 1,130 garment workers were killed as they began their day at work. It was the worst industrial disaster of the 21st century. As we reflect...
This 17 April was the 20th annual International Day of Peasants’ and Farmers’ Struggle. It was also a solemn reminder of the risks that millions of farmers face in their seemingly innocuous ambition to simply grow and sell food. Twenty years ago, on 17th April 1996, 19...
This March we find ourselves in Fairtrade Fortnight, that two week period when we are invited to reflect on our purchasing choices and to pay a little extra for our coffee, safe in the knowledge that the premium will go to help coffee producers in some...
Picture the image of opposing armies charging each other in a muddy field during the Napoleonic Wars and it’s easy to see that there has been an evolution in the way that we fight wars. It is now inconceivable to think of soldiers lining the miles...
In 1984 BBC News aired a report into the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia as widespread famine engulfed the country. For the first time on such a scale, audiences in the UK and around the world sat on mass in their homes and watched as the...
