The words ‘Downing Street party’ along with the names Boris Johnson and Sue Gray have been on everyone’s lips these past few weeks and have distracted the nation from some extremely important news stories. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are…
Over the coming months, Backbench will be partnering with Torrin Wilkins, Director of Centre Think Tank for a series of comment pieces. In his column, Torrin will explore prominent policy issues – some of them related to the latest news…
With all Covid restrictions set to be lifted on 19th July, the Backbench wanted to explore what this might mean for society – in terms of the economy, public health and in terms of the wider political ramifications of this…
It’s been 11 months since I last hugged my family. I was fortunate though, as I made it back before the UK’s first lockdown last year – most Australians overseas haven’t been so lucky. Australia’s borders have been shut since…
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…
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…
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…
There is an impression in Britain, that we are a nation of people that tends to give people a chance to show their colours before we judge them. Increasingly, it feels as if that impression is being removed or replaced…
On the 3rd February, it was announced that Dr Alex George, a contestant from the 2018 series of Love Island, was appointed as the ‘Ambassador for Mental Health’. While the move may reverse some of the PR damage that influencers have experienced…