This end of year review is part of a series from Backbench’s editorial team as they consider some of the themes that have dominated 2020. The views expressed in these reviews are those of the editors themselves and do not…

This piece is part of a series from Backbench exploring the US 2020 presidential election. To have your say and share your opinions on this defining moment for the US, email your pitches and articles to editor@bbench.co.uk. On 27th October,…

Sir Sean Connery, the first and in the eyes of many, the best James Bond. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1930, Thomas Sean Connery came from humble beginnings. His father Joseph was a factory worker and his mother, Euphemia, was…

This article is part of a series from Backbench’s editorial team which examines this year’s Black History Month from the angle of ‘making history’. The opinions expressed in these pieces are those of the editors themselves, and do not necessarily…

SPOILERS AHEAD. Consider yourself warned. Normal People by Sally Rooney, quite simply, is a perfectly imperfect story about two individuals with very different life experiences who keep finding their way back to one another. The adapted screenplay, available in its…

Every time an election rolled around, I remember begging my Mum to wait until after she picked me up from school before casting her vote. In my head, the polling station was an amazing place where adults went to vote, and I…

India’s water crisis offers a further example of the terrifying effects of climate change and provides a staggering reminder that the world is currently facing a climate emergency. Constant access to water in the world’s second-most populous country is only expected…

Summer is upon us, and that means Love Island has begun for its 5th year running and, in line with previous years, seems to be lacking in relation to body diversity. The show, which has become notable in its promotion…

As little as I want the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, it may come as a surprise to some that I will, in fact, be voting for Labour in the European elections on the 23rd May. As others…

Myself, along with approximately 700,000 others took to the streets of London on the 20th October to protest for a people’s vote, a say on the final Brexit deal. Among the inspiring speeches of unity and the inventive, often hilarious,…