Politics
Clive Lewis: ‘Politicians rely on people to be ignorant’
Season of disruption — The Shadow Treasury Secretary discusses greenwashing, bullshit, and his hopes for a radical future with school strikers Noga Levy-Rapoport and Al Shadjerah.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Why imagination is key to building a fairer future
Reject the centre — By limiting our thinking to what’s deemed ‘sensible‘, we play right into the hands of those upholding the status quo. In response, writer Nathalie Olah is issuing a rallying cry: a better future is possible, we just have to dream bigger.
Written by: Nathalie Olah
All hail Coleen Rooney, the hero we need right now
Save us — The slog of Brexit is too much to bear. A literary mystery with explosive consequences is the perfect tonic for these dark times – and we scarcely deserve Rooney’s work.
Written by: Dawn Foster
Top Boy exposes the problem with British broadcasting
Middle class mediocrity — The show, which considers financial struggle, alienation and racism, was one of the few important documents of life in modern Britain. So why did Channel 4 cancel it?
Written by: Nathalie Olah
Pay-to-win: the great injustice of private education
It’s time for an overhaul — Labour is right about abolishing private schools. Upholding tiered education because it benefits your child is not wanting the ‘best’ for them – it is wanting worse for others.
Written by: Tristan Cross
What we learned from The World Transformed 2019
Power in the grassroots — Earlier this month, the annual arts and politics festival returned for its biggest – and most radically transformative – year yet.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The story behind London’s most radical design studio
Paddington Printshop — From anti-landlord housing struggles, to socialist activism: the Paddington Printshop designed the aesthetic of rebellion in the 20th century.
Written by: Jacob Charles Wilson
Birmingham’s independent art scene is fighting for its life
Another casualty — Digbeth, which lies just west of HS2’s Phase One development site, faces an existential threat in the face of rising rents, changing demographics and government cuts.
Written by: Luke Charnley
Great Britain and the toxic myth of virtuous origin
We need new stories — In her new book, We Need New Stories, journalist Nesrine Malik challenges the most damaging myths behind our age of discontent. In this condensed extract, she confronts the way the UK has ‘airbrushed’ its problematic past.
Written by: Nesrine Malik
How Görlitzer Park became a battleground for Berlin
Tale of two cities — Known colloquially as Görli, the public space operates as a microcosm of tensions in the capital between liberal and conservative factions. The fight for its future remains ongoing – but the conclusion will have an impact that stretches way beyond the park’s walls.
Written by: Alice Finney