perspectives

The 2010s may have just departed, but already there are now political ventures to look towards. While 2020 is only just upon us, political events are taking place, within the UK and overseas, that will significantly impact the world for decades to come. The Christmas season allowed some reflection and unwinding. That is now over - there are a whole host of changes on the horizon very shortly that will shape the UK’s future, bo...

Greta Thunberg has been under the spotlight for the past year. She gained immediate popularity after being spotted outside the Swedish Parliament protesting against climate change. The image of a sixteen-year-old girl striking all by herself was so moving that it attracted international media attention right away. In the following months, she headed a protest movement called ‘Fridays for Future’ that united millions of student...

There was always going to be a stigma around poppies. The concept of war seems outdated in an age that prides itself on social consciousness and progress, in a generation which challenges the impact of patriotism. Even conventional values of ‘sacrifice’ and ‘national pride’ are growingly being seen as more harmful to society. Now criticism has captured this red flower. A pocket-size image used to remember ‘sacrifice’ can now b...

Considering that 71% of Britons consider the climate emergency a more pressing issue than Brexit, it would be expected that politicians would be working just as, if not more ardently to protect and stabilise the environment. However, unfortunately this is not the case.

In the last 139 years, every year has been the hottest on record, currently reaching its peak in 2019, with an average increase of 0.8°C each year. Two thirds of...

Prince Andrew is the Queen of England’s second-born son, who is currently trying to defend his relationship with the convicted sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein. By defend, I should correct myself and say he is currently trying to think of any plausible excuse for any questions he is asked. One must think, such a prestigious figure would have been prepared for his interview on Saturday night but nothing could have made him ready for...

Masculinity has been a key topic of recent years whether talking about the rise of populism, the #metoo movement or gang culture, it seems men and society’s view of masculinity is one cause. Movember, of course, recognises the truth in this - the concept of masculinity which pushes forward violent, sexually aggressive and unemotional men causes harm for others, but what is often misunderstood is the harm it does for men themse...

It’s delectable, delicious and makes us feel happy once consumed! Yes, it's chocolate of course, but the trade of the cocoa bean used to make this chocolate is a source of pain and exploitation for the farmers who produce this crop. 

The chocolate industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry, dominated by an oligopoly of a few major manufacturers from the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Switzerland and Italy...

A global audit named Coca-Cola the top plastic polluter in the world on the day I interviewed Jonathan Woods, the company’s general manager in the UK and Ireland. Of a total 476,423 pieces of plastic collected worldwide over the last year, Coke accounted for 11,732. I asked Woods what the findings said about the success of Coke’s efforts to lower its plastic footprint. Ever the marketer, he responded “the first thing it says i...

 On Monday 14th October, England beat Bulgaria 6-0 in a UEFA Euro qualifying match, which was overshadowed by racism. Bulgaria fans shouted disgusting racial abuse at England’s black players during the match. Since the match, sixteen of the Bulgarian fans have been identified and face repercussions. These repercussions just aren’t enough to have an impact in preventing further racism, more needs to be done, but what?

I have bee...

In February 2019, Marcus Ball began a private prosecution that transformed the 2016 Brexit referendum into one of the most controversial moments in the history of UK politics. The popularity of his case garnered over half a million in funding and widespread support, with a sole target amidst the chaos: PM Boris Johnson.

He protested Johnson’s ‘highly damaging’ and ‘misleading’ claims of the UK losing £350 million to the EU ever...