Ben Smoke
Top or bottom? The play exploring the politics of gay sex
‘We need to dissolve labels’ — Parties, porn and sexual politics: we talk to writer Willy Hudson about his play Bottom – a raucous journey through contemporary queer life in London.
Written by: Ben Smoke
So what comes next for Extinction Rebellion?
11 days later — After 11 days of protest, Extinction Rebellion have ended their action in London. Writer and activist Ben Smoke assesses how effective they were.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The Great British Breakup: the Blair years
Welcome to Brexitland — As Theresa May’s government ploughs on delivering a Brexit that nobody wants, our brave historian Ben Smoke dives into 40 years of mess to find out how we got here.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The Independent Group is a self-serving vanity project
Why it’s doomed to fail — Chuka Umunna, Angela Smith and co want to fix Britain’s ‘broken politics’. But their ‘new way’ looks very much like the old one – only with greatly reduced influence, and no way of winning elections.
Written by: Ben Smoke
In conversation: the activists resisting mass deportation
Elin Ersson v The Stansted 15 — Stansted 15 member Ben Smoke meets Elin Ersson, the Swedish student who went viral for grounding a deportation flight: ‘I’m doing what I can to protect humans instead of staying silent and letting them die.’
Written by: Ben Smoke
The Great British Breakup: the Thatcher years
Welcome to Brexitland — As Theresa May’s government ploughs on delivering a Brexit that nobody wants, our brave historian Ben Smoke dives into 40 years of mess to find out how we got here.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The Channel crossings: your guide to the so-called ‘crisis’
All you need to know — Since Christmas Day, 100 people have crossed the English Channel seeking refuge and asylum in what is being called a ‘major’ national crisis. Writer Ben Smoke talks us through the mess.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Brexit unpacked: your bullshit-free guide to the current mess
What is happening? — While it’s easy to switch off, Brexit will shape British politics, and our lives, for a generation – so we owe it to ourselves not to clock out. Writer Ben Smoke talks us through the mess.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The complicated truth behind ‘cry for help’ overdoses
Desperate measures — As UK hospitals suffer from spiralling funding and dwindling resources, it can be hard to feel heard. For writer Ben Smoke, this desperation led to drastic action.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The dark world of forced deportation
All you need to know — Earlier this week, Swedish student Elin Ersson went viral for halting the deportation of a 52-year-old Afghani man. But this was a tiny part of a much bigger, and more sinister, story.
Written by: Ben Smoke