Opinion & Analysis
Could the BBC survive without the licence fee?
Pip Burley explores the BBC’s future funding, warning that losing the licence fee could threaten its independence and public-service mission.
Visionaries in focus – how spectacles became symbols of political power
Babak Mehrdadnia examines how spectacles worn by Gandhi, Roosevelt and Hitler became symbols of identity, authority and political influence.
The coach driver building a dating platform in his sixties
Dr Stephen M. Whitehead meets Kevin Peddie, 61, who is building LoveHuddle, a dating platform centred on conversation rather than...
If I were Chancellor, disabled people’s independence would be at the heart of the Budget
Matthew Kayne sets out five priorities for a Budget that puts disabled people's independence, accessible services and essential support first.
Trump, Europe and the battle over who controls free speech
Eric Heinze and Marc Tuters examine how tensions between Washington and Europe are reshaping the debate over free speech and...
Frozen bank accounts, NHS errors and food shortages. How AI could trigger a national crisis
Vendan Ananda Kumararajah explores four hypothetical AI crises in Britain, examining how failures could disrupt essential services and affect vulnerable...
AI might kill us all, but not until it’s got what it wants
Professor Tim Coulson explores how AI could domesticate humans, exploit their labour and energy, and eventually threaten humanity’s survival.
UK government urged to ban personalised price rises based on shoppers’ online behaviour
Dr Raj Joshi urges the UK Government to ban personalised price increases based on shoppers’ online behaviour and browsing histories.
UK urged to introduce new laws to protect businesses from data vendor lock-in
Ed Accura urges UK lawmakers to protect businesses from vendor lock-in through enforceable data portability rights covering cloud and on-premises...
Europe’s towns fight back against the billion-euro AI data centre boom
Rosalia Mazza examines how communities challenge AI data centre projects over environmental concerns, resource demands and uncertain local benefits.
Losing the top job can help business heirs find their own identity
Dr Stephen Whitehead explores how Adrian Cheng is building his own business identity after leaving the family empire’s top job.
The Conservatives’ blueprint for government needs clearer safeguards for when things go wrong
Vendan Ananda Kumararajah examines gaps in the Conservatives’ government blueprint, calling for clearer safeguards, stronger accountability and evidence-based correction mechanisms.
Iran’s historic treasures face destruction as war puts centuries of heritage at risk
Babak Mehrdadnia warns that war threatens Iran’s historic monuments, traditional crafts and the livelihoods sustaining centuries of cultural heritage.
Trump’s midterm reckoning could reshape Europe’s relationship with America
Ravi Balgobin Maharaj examines how US midterm elections could reshape Trump’s influence and affect American foreign policy and European security.
Europe can’t treat technofascism as an American problem
Dario Migliorini explores Mark Coeckelbergh’s warning about AI, surveillance and Big Tech’s influence, urging stronger democratic oversight and European leadership.
Journalism needs to put trust before traffic
Michael Leidig argues journalism must prioritise trust over traffic, drawing lessons from Athens’s ancient centres of philosophy and intellectual inquiry.
American author who left US after being branded ‘unpatriotic’ starts new chapter in Britain
Michael Katakis left America for Britain after political criticism and now writes novels following 25 years managing Ernest Hemingway’s literary...
AI disaster warning as Britain urged to act before failures spiral out of control
Vendan Ananda Kumararajah examines why Britain’s AI security plans must turn incident reports into preventative action and stronger governance.
Putting a full stop to Brits’ bad grammar
David Lott argues that rethinking traditional grammar teaching through his book Organic Grammar could help improve literacy and writing skills.
AI could leave us with more free time but less reason to live
Dr Stephen Whitehead warns that AI could remove meaningful work, leaving people with more free time but less purpose.
A close shave with evolution – why humans are so hung up on hair
Professor Tim Coulson explores why humans remove body hair, examining cultural anxieties and evolutionary theories behind our unusual hair patterns.
