Joseph Ward
The rise of authoritarian politics in ‘formal democracies’ across Europe has been met with various forms of protest. Some of these movements have achieved partial success. But evidence from the UK and France suggests that neoliberal governments are harnessing such resistance to accelerate authoritarianism and hostility towards marginalised people, write Joseph Ward and Thomas Da Costa Vieira Read more
Jack Newman
Jack Newman, Simon Collinson, Nigel Driffield, Nigel Gilbert and Charlotte Hoole argue that the real solutions to the failings of the Conservative government’s levelling-up agenda in the UK lie in governance and not just investment. This is a lesson the Labour Party, as likely winner of the next election, should learn Read more
Karl Pike
When it came to Brexit, many British political actors placed far too much weight on Germany and its former Chancellor. Karl Pike and Tim Bale explore what they call the ‘Merkel myth’ and how it affected the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union Read more
Tim Bale
Tim Bale, author of a new book on the Tories, argues they’ve been moving away from the mainstream for some time. It’s just that recent events have accelerated the process – and there are few, if any, signs of it stopping Read more
Chris Butler
Decision-makers need to be able to judge how voters will react to a policy. It is important for their continued electoral success, and for the success of the policy. Yet, write Chris Butler and Barbara Vis, systematic biases often lead policymakers to misjudge voters’ reactions to their policy decisions Read more
Ruairidh Brown
Despite often being regarded as a blueprint for authoritarianism, Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan gives prudent advice on the limitations of sovereign power. Ruairidh Brown argues this serves as a timely warning for the next Conservative leader on their approach to Scottish politics Read more
Andrea Ceron
Andrea Ceron and Elisa Volpi argue that rather than sweeping the damage under the carpet, parties can best restore their image by emphasising competence, clarity and their ability to handle the core issues Read more
Simon Weschle
The UK government is embroiled in a sleaze scandal after a Conservative Member of Parliament was found to have lobbied for a company in which he held a second job. Simon Weschle argues that these jobs have systematic consequences for how legislators behave in parliament — some problematic, some not Read more
