For decades, we have been conditioned into believing that the contentious debate around abortion comes down to a binary decision. Pro-life, or pro-choice? It’s a seemingly obvious demarcation to separate views on apparently opposing ends of the political spectrum. But…

At a time of pandemic induced recession and nationwide child poverty, Boris Johnson has agreed a £16.5bn rise in defence spending. Sending a clear message of prioritisation to the British public, it’s the military before hungry children. The increase of…

The annual discourse of International Men’s Day once again illuminated us on November 19th with its heady mix of sexism and bad-faith politics. It’s a meme rather than a day of dutiful political activism. You only need to glance at…

This article is part of a series exploring job-hunting in the pandemic and the difficulties that face young people in particular. The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect Backbench’s stance as…

The rhetoric around issues of migration, particularly in the UK, has increasingly taken on a vitriolic resonance within media reports and political discourse. People migrating to the UK come from all over the world, made up of students, workers and…

The Manchester United and England star – who turned 23 in October – has demonstrated a remarkable will with his heartfelt free school meals campaign. Uninfluenced by spin or “political affiliation”, Rashford has centred on a cross-party initiative that has…

2020 has been an interesting year to say the very least. Even though the news has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, the aftermath of Brexit, and more recently, the US election, free speech has managed to keep its place…

A few weeks ago, Facebook announced that it would ban “any content that denies or distorts the Holocaust”. This decision has come after years of increasing pressure placed on the social media site to do more to counter hateful content…

Everyone’s favourite politician at the moment, Ben Bradley, recently voted against the Opposition’s latest motion which would have provided 1.4 million children with free school meals during the holidays. By doing so, he has exposed himself as not only someone…

Like many people, I am dismayed at the verdict of manslaughter that has been delivered in the case of Timothy Brehmer, a police officer who killed Claire Parry. Parry was killed after sending a text to Brehmer’s wife from his…