#politics

milliesmithh

Mar 22, 2021
5 min

New mothers in politics; damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

Written by Erin Graham Women in parliament are told that maternity leave is simply ‘not recognised’, and your ‘return to work date’ is day after you give birth. In this context, women who want to choose family ‘over’ work will easily be replaced. There will be 3 men in and out of her office by the time a UK MP would get back from a fraction of average maternity leave. As women, we are the only humans who can reproduce, sustain two beings at once, and give birth to this (not

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Christmas vs Coronavirus: How far are we willing to go?

milliesmithh

Dec 19, 2020
3 min

Christmas vs Coronavirus: How far are we willing to go?

Written by Jessica Morris For the majority of the UK, things aren’t looking too merry and bright this Christmas. Most of England has been under Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions since the end of the second lockdown and on average, national cases are rising yet again. In the summer we had been filled with hope, cases were falling and our in-person social lives had somewhat started to resume. Since September however, we have seen bouts of exponential rises in cases. Thankfully, we

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milliesmithh

Dec 14, 2020
5 min

A Year in British Politics

Written by Matilda Head From the threat of World War Three to eye tests at Barnard Castle, 2020 has been quite the year for British politics. With non-stop news coverage, you’d be forgiven for giving into news fatigue and tuning out from time to time. But as the year draws to an end, take this opportunity to revel at the sheer number of events that shook Britain in 2020. January 2020 certainly started as it meant to go on, as Donald Trump approved targeted airstrikes in Baghd

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milliesmithh

Dec 7, 2020
3 min

The Crisis of ‘Fake News’

Written by Libby Taylor The power of fake news is something that cannot be underestimated. Whether it has changed presidential election results, or stirred views in society, it has led to a wide distrust in western media. The Cambridge Dictionary defines fake news as “false stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke.” It goes even far to state that “There is concern about the power of

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milliesmithh

Nov 30, 2020
3 min

BIDEN WINS

Written by Megan Evans Biden’s win in the election means a great deal for America, now that Donald Trump will no longer be in power in January. Biden has introduced a lot of new ideas onto the table, including: becoming friendlier with America’s allies, becoming a bit tougher on autocrats, and better policy on climate change. There is a need for a shift in ideals as attitudes amongst our peers are dramatically changing. A lot has changed since Biden was in the White House as

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How Casual Classism Has Resurrected on TikTok

milliesmithh

Nov 16, 2020
4 min

How Casual Classism Has Resurrected on TikTok

The latest ‘chav check’ trend on the social media app has blown-up over the past several months, reintroducing casual classism against the working class not only in the UK, but across the world. Since the early 2000’s, television and social media has highlighted the working class stereotype of ‘chavs’. Comedy sketches such as Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard, to Catherine Tate’s Lauren along with reality shows such as Jeremy Kyle, The X Factor and Big Brother have all profited

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Trump VS Biden VS Social Media: USA Elections 2020

milliesmithh

Nov 9, 2020
5 min

Trump VS Biden VS Social Media: USA Elections 2020

Written by Katie Marrin Illustrated by Zoe Shields I’ll be honest, I don’t consider myself to be a politics expert – with an arts background, the world of politics used to seem very out of touch from my reality. But let’s be frank, the last four years have forced everyone to to become interested in politics, whether we like it or not. After the shocking result of Donald Trump’s presidency win and the UK’s decision to leave the EU in 2016, the political world seems to been non

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milliesmithh

Nov 2, 2020
4 min

Catching up on Brexit

Written by Sophie Aristotelous Although the Coronavirus pandemic seems to have taken over the recent conversation, the news on Brexit is not quite over. The UK officially left the European Union (EU) on January 31 2020, otherwise known as Brexit day. Yet, with the UK being the first country to voluntarily leave the EU, the process is unprecedented, and the British government are still working with Europe to come to an agreement on their future relationship. Brexit day marked

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milliesmithh

Oct 26, 2020
3 min

The Future of Work

Written by Olivia Leishman As each day brings yet more restrictions around the UK and fewer people are feeling safe enough to leave their home, the future of work is being closely examined. Working from home soared from six per cent pre-pandemic to 43 per cent of employees by April this year. And as both the UK government and Welsh ministers continue to advise to work from home where possible, the fate of office life is uncertain. Could this pandemic result in the end of the

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Lessons on how the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inequality

milliesmithh

Oct 19, 2020
3 min

Lessons on how the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inequality

Written by Isabelle Thompson Public Health England published a report in August 2020 exploring the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on inequality in England. The primary argument shows how COVID-19 has not only emphasised the inequalities facing Britain today, but has exacerbated such inequalities. The economic damage caused by the current pandemic reveals how urgent national and even global intervention is needed; the government can no longer ignore the situation. The report

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“Writing Not For Today, But Tomorrow”: On the Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

milliesmithh

Oct 12, 2020
3 min

“Writing Not For Today, But Tomorrow”: On the Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Written by Hannah Parkes Smith It’s a still weekend morning in the middle of September. In Washington DC, the trees are beginning to flare red and softly russet, air heady with the promise of the coming election, and there is a cool in the shade that transcends the changing season. A little sense of foreboding roils as the nation wakes up and sets its coffee to drip, a tectonic grumble in the pluck of the state capital’s bedrock: a change has been made, and an era has come to

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He will turn if he wants to, and often: the Johnson government’s overuse of the U-turn and its impli

milliesmithh

Oct 5, 2020
5 min

He will turn if he wants to, and often: the Johnson government’s overuse of the U-turn and its impli

Written by Annie Wakefield Illustration by Ellen Stanton If you were asked to think of Britain’s most controversial Conservative Prime Minister, the mind would more than likely conjure up an image of Margaret Thatcher. And though that’s perfectly justifiable, it wouldn’t be too far off the mark if you thought first of Boris Johnson, who’s leadership has similarly divided opinions, and who himself has quickly become as memorable a figure in his own right. When it comes to indu

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milliesmithh

Sep 28, 2020
5 min

Should Schools Reopen?

Written by Caitlin Parr Illustration by Zoe Shields The only thing that is clear at this point of the pandemic is that no decisions made make any sense at all. Whether that’s because they contradict other pieces of advice, or because they aren’t sensible or evidence based decisions. Putting children at risk in any situation is a huge cause for concern but as we continue to go through the pandemic, should we really be risking their health and wellbeing for the sake of in perso

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milliesmithh

Sep 21, 2020
4 min

The Class of COVID-19

Written by Chloe Bayliss Illustration by Zoe Shields 2020 has not exactly been the year we all anticipated it to be. It has been one disaster after another, affecting people of all ages from all over the world. Unless you live under a rock, then you would have heard about the chaotic mess that has been the A level class of 2020. I have the honour of being part of this group essentially used as the lab rats for the government’s changes to the education system. From SAT’s, refo

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The Current Refugee Crisis and The Implications of Labelling

milliesmithh

Sep 14, 2020
3 min

The Current Refugee Crisis and The Implications of Labelling

Written by Isabelle Thompson On the 18th of August, a refugee rescue mission funded by Banksy carried over 200 passengers across the Mediterranean Sea. There have been long disputes into whether wealthy Western countries should embrace the passing of refugees from struggling countries or deny refugees because their own countries are already ‘too full’. Governments turning a blind eye to this grave situation are just as complicit as those actively denying help to those in dire

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milliesmithh

Sep 7, 2020
6 min

The UK’s Handling of COVID-19

Written by Rachel Parry Many people’s memories of January, including my own, are that of feeling mildly annoyed at perceived hysteria toward Covid-19. At the time, many of us thought it was merely a flu, not cause for concern. As ordinary people, our ignorance at what was to come can perhaps be excused. However, our government’s failure to protect us against coronavirus cannot. On the 30th January, the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus outbreak a ‘Public Heal

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Eat Out to Help Out: Helping or Hindering?

milliesmithh

Aug 31, 2020
3 min

Eat Out to Help Out: Helping or Hindering?

Written by Eden James Illustration by Ellen Stanton On paper, the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme seems like an amazing idea; how could you turn down the opportunity to get half price food at your favourite restaurants? However, the scheme isn’t as perfect as it might initially seem, many people have pointed out how the scheme is in some ways problematic. The scheme seems like a great help for both the consumer and the business owners. It can be enjoyed every Monday, Tuesday and

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milliesmithh

Aug 24, 2020
5 min

Rebuilding Beirut: Who Will Pay?

Written by Heather Collier With Lebanon in the midst of a health, economic and food crisis, it is no wonder that it is a republic that has been brought to its knees. Lebanon remains a country that has suffered decades of unrest; religious divides and generational trauma. It is clear now more than ever that there is a limit to its resilience. The main aim, of course, is to rebuild the capital; to restore homes and livelihoods. Not only in the hearts and minds of the Lebanese p

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