Opinion

The roles, responsibilities, and authorities of the Head of State, or monarch, are established by conventions. One of the traditions is the political impartiality of the monarch. The common law system applied in England and Wales is a hybrid of both the

Since the building of the Palace of Westminster in the middle of the nineteenth century, not much has changed. This has therefore burned out electrical, heating, ventilation, and drainage systems; wasting-away roofs, rotting pipes, and plumbing issues are permanently muddying the interiors.

The English Parliament was the body that exerted the greatest influence on the development of representative government among those that had been fashioned in Europe during the Middle Ages. Parliament arose out of assemblies called by the kings to decide disputes, to

Every court in the United Kingdom is required to interpret and apply the law in a manner that is as near to the Human Rights Act as feasible. This is a requirement for all matters that courts handle. This covers both cases

We’re surrounded by single-use plastics, often without even realising it. That morning cuppa? Your tea bag might contain plastic. That cigarette butt flicked onto the street? It’s actually made from plastic fibres. And while we’re getting better at saying no to plastic

The London Resort, backed by Kuwaiti investor Abdulla Al Humaidi[1], collapsed in 2023 after years of stalled progress, failed funding rounds and the loss of key environmental approvals.[2][3] The project, once described as “Dartford’s Disneyland”, it consumed millions in public funds including

The chancellor faces some challenging choices at the budget next month. With forecast productivity growth likely to be revised down by the Office for Budget Responsibility, she will need to close a gap in public finances of around £20bn if she is

Direct flights are about far more than convenience. They are bridges between nations, carrying with them the exchange of ideas, culture, commerce and diplomacy. When Britain invests in connectivity, we strengthen not only our economy but also our influence and our values.

There is a strange irony in that sanctions are the most overused tool in the policy kit despite being ineffective when unaccompanied by other measures. Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea are all under Western sanctions. The goal: to tie the

The countdown begins. One hundred days from now, an election will take place in war-torn Myanmar. I say ‘election’. It is not a proper election. More like a dog and pony show. An elaborate theatre organised by men in military uniform who

The case of Daniel Hume shows the cracks in Australia’s Voluntary Assisted Dying programmes55yr old convicted paedophile Daniel Hume died at Cessnock Hospital in Australia on August 28 after officials in New South Wales (NSW) approved his application for Voluntary Assisted Dying

Nearly 65 years ago the Suicide Act (1961) changed a centuries-old law and taking one’s own life ceased to be a crime in the UK. Importantly the Act at the same time recognised that suicide – although no longer a crime –

The government’s new elections strategy is a welcome step in the right direction – modernisation that’s long overdue. Not the full answer, but progress. Ministers say its goal is “bold but simple: to reclaim Britain’s democracy as an aspiration for the rest

When MPs debated decriminalising abortion on 17th June, there was much talk of women in “desperate” circumstances. “Some women in desperate circumstances make choices that many of us would struggle to understand” pontificated Tonia Antoniazzi, the sponsor of the amendment. She went

The UK government has again unveiled sweeping immigration reforms, this time in the wake of the Reform Party’s local election gains. Successive administrations had promised to take action on migration, each time framing new measures as essential for economic stability and reduced

My father died when I was twelve although his illness had started when I was two. My childhood memory is that he first knew something was wrong when his beautiful handwriting deteriorated and he became unsteady. It turned out that he had

Once, Artificial Intelligence was like the quiet helper in your spreadsheet. It made typing faster, helped you find your lost phone, and even suggested you watch Sharknado 4. (Bold move, AI.) Then the unexpected happened: the helper became the boss. With tools

“Britain is not attractive to essential workers from overseas, warns immigration lawyer, and the effects could be crippling…….” The UK’s healthcare system is on the verge of a staffing crisis that threatens to sabotage the very foundations of our care services. As

In 2019, Amanda Bronkhorst founded JUST ONE Tree with a simple yet powerful mission: to combat climate change through reforestation. What began as a small initiative has grown into a global movement, making a tangible difference to ecosystems and communities worldwide. The

Since 2018, Ethiopia has experienced a tumultuous journey of war and peace, driven by internal strife and regional tensions. Under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, the country has seen escalating domestic conflicts, many of which have spilled across its borders, destabilizing the

Since 2018 Ethiopia took a rollercoaster ride of war and peace, the pm of the country who has all the utmost power abiy ahmed ali, creating all the wars in the country has gone regional, exporting war and violence in the horn.

*This future gazing think-piece, never published, was written by Malcolm Fisk in 1999 together with a report ‘Our Future Home: Housing and the Inclusion of Older People in 2025’ released by Help the Aged. It imagined, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, as

My friend, Alison Davis, represents the best possible reasons for changing the law to allow euthanasia or assisted suicide. Those wanting to change the law have based their campaign on highly-charged, emotional personal stories of suffering people like Alison, but they never

One of the raft of Bills the Government has introduced this parliamentary session is new legislation “to give greater rights and protections” for renters[1]. Better known as ‘no-fault evictions’, Section 21 notices allow a landlord to ask a tenant to leave a

I made a flying visit to the conservative party conference in Birmingham this week, expecting to find a funeral gathering of party activists, the remaining MPs and supporters. However, I found the atmosphere surprisingly light, almost upbeat. What, you might ask has

The August far-right riots affected the UK negatively, but things could’ve been worse without positive communal efforts. Members of several communities staged counter-protests to protect central targets of the attack, such as immigration organisations and immigrants, including those granted leave outside the

There is a risk associated with any effort to talk about policies relating to boys and men on their own terms – that is, without reference to women and girls. It is understandable that until recently, sex inequality has focused primarily on

As the process to see who the next leader of the Conservative Party gets underway there is one side of the party that all candidates mustn’t forget: The Young Conservatives and ensuring the party wins back young members who have been tempted

Lord Falconer has drawn second place in the Ballot to present an ‘Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill’. The advocates of assisted suicide are once again bringing the debate back to Parliament. Their attempts have failed many times in the past.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden surprised American voters and the wider world by announcing that he would drop out of the presidential race. His decision came after weeks of pressure from Democrat politicians, donors, including Hollywood icon George Clooney and party grandee

Like millions of other I settled down last week to watch the actress and disability rights campaigner Liz Carr, make the argument against legalising assisted suicide and euthanasia. It was, without a doubt an incredibly powerful film, which I am certain will

The Journal of Medical Ethics Forum has posted an article by Prof. David Albert Jones, Director of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, showing that support for assisted suicide in Scotland has declined significantly. Three polls conducted by the pro-assisted suicide group Dignity in

In the recent report by House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee “Assisted Dying/ Assisted Suicide Second Report of Session 2023–24”. They speak about the impact on Palliative Care and wrongly state that if there is a change in the law

This report is a welcome and comprehensive discussion of the issue of assisted suicide and euthanasia in the UK and around the world. It contains up-to-date information about areas where the practice is legal and discussions in the UK. It is even-handed

It is already illegal to sell any vaping product to under-18s, so banning disposables will do nothing but take them out of the hands of adults, who represent the vast majority of users of disposable vapes. With this ban on disposables, the

Everyone pretends they have read Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. But they haven’t; I’m sure of it. Because if they had, we wouldn’t, here and now, in the UK, be strolling nonchalantly towards frightfully similar totalitarian horrors. Orwell’s boldly drawn satire throws a bright

If you visit a typical classroom filled with teenagers studying for their GCSEs, you’ll find that 45 percent are not living with both natural parents. Many will agree with me that this is an extraordinarily high proportion. It’s almost certainly the highest

The following is from the Department of Education’s guidelines about how Black History should be taught at Key Stage 3 Teachers could, for example, look at Britain’s transatlantic slave trade – its effects and its eventual abolition – including the successful slave-led

Politicians have come to believe many things about decarbonisation that are not true. This applies just as much to those in opposition as it does to those on the Government benches. Ed Miliband, for example, has become convinced that offshore wind is

As first-time buyers fall to the lowest level in a decade, Michael Gove continues to show what a slim grasp he has on economics, investment and the current housing crisis, by threatening to plunge the residential property sector into further crisis through

Politics in 2024 will see a long wait for the General Election – probably until November or even December. This could well be a ‘big change’ election when it comes. The British public rarely votes a Prime Minister out and a new

In recent weeks, proponents of decriminalising abortion have suggested that the current law has led to an increasing number of women being investigated by the police after suffering a miscarriage or stillbirth. This was highlighted by a recent article in the Times.

If you work in Westminster, as many reading this article do, it is hard to ignore a King’s Speech. The streets are closed down and the surrounding areas get tidied ready for a visit from the monarch, who will turn up in

It was the philosopher Plato who remarked “Just as it would be madness to settle on medical treatment for the body of a person by taking an opinion poll of the neighbours, so it is irrational to prescribe for the body politic