One year on from his election as Labour leader, Keir Starmer faced his first test: the local elections. What was predicted to be a moderately successful evening for Labour, turned out to be one of their biggest failures in a decade. After losing control of…
If only I had a pound for every opinion piece written over the past decade titled: ‘Labour must embrace … if it wants to win another election’. Insert your own quasi-ideology. Some options include, but are not limited to: socialism, centrism, Corbynism, Blairism, its working-class…
It would be ignorant to deny the progressive legislation regarding gender equality passed in the last few decades to protect women – and their rights – haven’t correlated with societal attitudes towards women. From a simple catcall to sexual assault in broad daylight, it is…
It’s been a busy year and a bit for the Backbench editorial team. Nothing could have prepared us for March 2020. Not only was the conversation totally and utterly dominated by COVID-19, but more people than ever were looking to write for us, hoping to…
After eleven years of continuous, seemingly unassailable Conservative governance in Britain, it’s easy to think about them exactly the way we did eleven years ago, particularly if you aren’t one of their supporters. Having been in the Labour Party for some years now, I’d like…
This week, millions of Scots will head to the polls to determine who wins control of the Scottish Parliament and the levers of power over Scotland’s future. When created in 1999, the Scottish Parliament was Tony Blair’s crown jewel in New Labour’s devolution package, aimed…
On the 6th of January 2021, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that all GCSE and A-level exams would be cancelled for the 2020/21 academic year. Announcing his plans to the House of Commons chamber, he stressed that the government would be putting their faith in…
This article is part of a series exploring the local and mayoral elections. Articles from the editors, as ever, reflect the editors’ personal views and not necessarily those of Backbench. Readers are invited to share their thoughts on the elections and local democracy more generally.…
Last year, the COVID-19 lockdowns saw road traffic in the UK fall by over 70%, and industrial emissions from China between February to March 2020 were reduced by 18%, a cut of 250 million tons. The cleaner air quality that resulted from less industrial and commercial activity saw…
This article is part of a series exploring the local and mayoral elections. Articles from the editors, as ever, reflect the editors’ personal views and not necessarily those of Backbench. Readers are invited to share their thoughts on the elections and local democracy more generally.…
Whilst this past year has undoubtedly been disruptive for everyone, I can’t help but feel that Covid-19 has caused university students to have an especially scarring and tragic experience. If you look past the headlines of “lockdown fences” being erected at Manchester University or humorous…
On Sunday evening it was announced that a new European Super League would be created in which the 12 biggest teams in Europe would play weekly matches against each other. The ‘big six’ of English football would join AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and…
Where there is much to be positive about regarding the UK’s strong vaccine rollout, a public inquiry into how this pandemic has been handled in the country since the first signs of COVID emerged will be required, to ensure mistakes aren’t repeated in the future. Such an…
Torrin Wilkins is the Director of Centre Think Tank, a think tank and pressure group which supports a comprehensive welfare system alongside free markets. All views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent Backbench’s stance. Members of Centre Think Tank will…
After more than a year spent battling the social, economic and health effects of a pandemic, Britain is tired. Admittedly, that’s a bit of a sweeping statement, but with news of lockdown fatigue and an escalating mental health crisis making headlines, I think it’s a…
Joe Biden has announced that he expects to run for reelection in 2024. This means that he would be campaigning at the age of 81 and by the end of his second term he would be 85. It is said that the goal of politics…
Hartlepool fits the bill for the much clichéd image of the ‘Red Wall’ constituency: northern, coastal, deindustrialised and the tenth most deprived local authority area in England as of 2019. After the resignation of the Labour MP elected in 2019, May’s by-election has generated significant media…
When I caught myself reminiscing about the past year, my immediate thoughts were primarily self-centred. Upon reflection, I felt a degree of shame. Why hadn’t I been more compassionate about the positions of everyone else? Empowered by frustrated aspiration, the normally repelled streaks of selfish…
Regardless of whether it’s a cheap stunt or a threat to the lifeline many refugees depend on, the Government’s threat to jail alleged people smugglers for life involved in English Channel crossings have certainly not been taken lightly by campaigners, activists and much of the…
As a student at the University of Bristol, I was shocked at the violence that took place in the city centre last Sunday night. Bristol has garnered national and international press attention for protests and civil disobedience on its city’s streets in recent years, but…