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The Conversation

Politics + Society

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew and the British establishment’s ‘target-rich environment’ for spies

Philip Murphy, School of Advanced Study, University of London

A drawing of hands placed on top of each other in solidarity.

Could trusting each other more unlock economic growth?

Paul Whiteley, University of Essex

an older woman with grey hair, sitting at a desk working on a laptop

Who chooses to work, and who is forced to, after retirement?

Takao Maruyama, University of Bradford and Vincent Charles, Queen's University Belfast

Close up of two women sitting at a cafe, looking at news on their mobile phone

What does the X exodus to Bluesky mean for journalism?

Craig Robertson, University of Oxford

Most ‘words of the year’ don’t actually tell us about the state of the world – here’s what I’d pick instead

Tony Thorne, King's College London

A magnifying glass over a scattering of wooden scrabble tiles on a blue background
Why don’t more women choose to propose to their male partners?

Daniela Pirani, University of Liverpool; Ratna Khanijou, Goldsmiths, University of London, and Vera Hoelscher, Royal Holloway University of London

Woman proposing to man with ring
Gregg Wallace: why it’s so hard to challenge ‘cheeky chaps’ and ‘loveable rogues’ (even for middle-class women of a certain age)

Carolyn Jackson, Lancaster University

John Torode and Gregg Wallace on a TV with someone pointing a remote control at the screen.

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Gisele Pelicot

Gisèle Pelicot is a non-stereotypical rape survivor – her case could make a real difference to others

Tadgh Tobin, Nottingham Trent University

Nigel Farage

Is Reform really pulling ahead of Labour? Polling expert on what to really make of Farage’s supposed lead

Paul Whiteley, University of Essex

Angela Rayner and a group of metro mayors taking a selfie.

English councils and planning set to be transformed under ambitious devolution plan – an expert explains

Jack Newman, University of Bristol

The Conservatives have had a terrible few years – these are the three first steps to recovery in 2025

Andrew S. Roe-Crines, University of Liverpool

Kemi Badenoch.
Albania-Italy: migration deals risk becoming a requirement for EU membership

Andi Hoxhaj, King's College London

Edi Rama and Giorgia Meloni shake hands while holding diplomatic folders, standing in front of Albanian and Italian flags
Multilingual people may be more likely to take a vaccine if they read about it in English – new research

Monika Schmid, University of York

Vaccine being given
Elon Musk wants to give Nigel Farage US$100 million – this is the funding loophole that makes it legal

Sam Power, University of Bristol

Elon Musk giving a speech.
Santa Claus having a mugshot taken after being arrested

The 12 crimes of Christmas – the legal woes of being Santa Claus

Peter Vaughan, Nottingham Trent University

Kim Leadbeater in front of press photographers

Assisted Dying: how MPs voted and what it tells us about ‘cross-party consensus’

Philip Cowley, Queen Mary University of London

A row of people against multicoloured backgrounds

Sexual identity is more fluid than previously thought, says twelve-year study

Willi Zhang, Karolinska Institutet

Why are female politicians more often targeted with violence? New findings confirm depressing suspicions

Gianmarco Daniele, Bocconi University

An illustration of a woman standing with her back to a ball of messy squiggles and lightening bolts, suggesting chaos.
Bresignation: British people are ready to turn a page on the EU referendum vote

Miriam Sorace, University of Reading

A man wrapped in a European flag looking into the distance.
Parents lie to children all the time – but they should think twice about it

Rebecca Brown, University of Oxford

Mother and child in supermarket

Class and politics

Nigel Farage speaking.

Nigel Farage, AI and the revolt of the squeezed middle: class politics is about to get messier than ever

Laura Hood, The Conversation

The true class divide in British politics is not which party people choose, but whether they vote at all

Oliver Heath, Royal Holloway University of London and Laura Serra, London School of Economics and Political Science

A row of terraced homes above shops and restaurants.
Class identity: why fancy freebies are a bigger political problem for this Labour government than its Tory predecessors

Vladimir Bortun, University of Oxford

Angela Rayner and Keir Starmer
What does class mean today in Britain? Podcast

Laura Hood, The Conversation

A man on his phone in an alleyway, next to two delivery cyclists taking a break on their phones.
Thatcher, Blair and a brief history of class in British politics – podcast

Laura Hood, The Conversation

Tony and Cherie Blair shake hands of supportes outside Downing Street.
Kemi Badenoch dressed in a McDonald's uniform standing at a chip fryer putting chips in a McDonald's box.

Can Kemi Badenoch claim to have ‘become working class’ while working in McDonald’s – and why would she want to?

Michael Rees, Nottingham Trent University

Boris Johnson stands in front of a blow-up version of himself.

When did class stop predicting who people vote for in Britain? Know Your Place podcast

Laura Hood, The Conversation

Check out our new podcast on class and politics in Britain

Listen now
Kemi Badenoch speaking at the dispatch box in the commons, wearing a red suit

I research race in politics – Kemi Badenoch’s views on inequality should worry Black Britons

Michael Bankole, Royal Holloway University of London

Collage of smiling photos of donald trump and keir starmer against a dark red background

What next for the special relationship? What Keir Starmer needs to navigate in a second Trump term

Martin Farr, Newcastle University

The return of Trump means Britain must rethink its defence strategy – and role in the world

Frank Ledwidge, University of Portsmouth

John Healey and Keir Starmer speaking to each other in front of a white columned structure at the US Arlington National Cemetery
Kemi Badenoch: the three (very difficult) tasks that lie ahead for the new Conservative party leader

Mark Bennister, University of Lincoln and Ben Worthy, Birkbeck, University of London

Kemi Badenoch with Robert Jenrick in the background
Ethnic minority voters: is there truth in old myths about why some groups are more likely to choose Labour?

Zain Mohyuddin, King's College London

Keir Starmer talking to guests at a black history month event.
Populist parties thrive on discontent: the data proves it

Rui Silva, University of East Anglia

Geert Wilders walking down a street surrounded by press microphones.
Read More

Most read this week

1.
The five best non-fiction books of 2024 – according to our experts

Jay Prosser, University of Leeds; Christopher Rodgers, Newcastle University; Julia Johnson, Anglia Ruskin University; Kieran Connell, Queen's University Belfast, and Olaya Moldes Andrés, Cardiff University

The five best non-fiction books of 2024 – according to our experts
2.
My grandfather was ‘Mr Health and Safety’. His life’s quest to make work safer has been ridiculed – but the rise of the gig economy shows it’s no joke

Simon Harold Walker, University of Glasgow

My grandfather was ‘Mr Health and Safety’. His life’s quest to make work safer has been ridiculed – but the rise of the gig economy shows it’s no joke
3.
Most ‘words of the year’ don’t actually tell us about the state of the world – here’s what I’d pick instead

Tony Thorne, King's College London

Most ‘words of the year’ don’t actually tell us about the state of the world – here’s what I’d pick instead
4.
What does the X exodus to Bluesky mean for journalism?

Craig Robertson, University of Oxford

What does the X exodus to Bluesky mean for journalism?
5.
Europe’s microstates: the medieval monarchies that survive in our midst

Elisa Bertolini, Bocconi University

Europe’s microstates: the medieval monarchies that survive in our midst
6.
Sex machina: in the wild west world of human-AI relationships, the lonely and vulnerable are most at risk

James Muldoon, University of Essex

Sex machina: in the wild west world of human-AI relationships, the lonely and vulnerable are most at risk

Cities

People walking in a crowd, with blue facial recognition squares over their faces

Five ways you might already encounter AI in cities (and not realise it)

Noortje Marres, University of Warwick

Thirty-five years since the wall fell, Berlin is divided – over what to do with crumbling communist buildings

Katrin Schreiter, King's College London

A historical photo of people standing and sitting on the Berlin wall as it is about to be torn down.
Blackpool: why seaside towns in England are struggling – and what they’re doing about it

Heather Brown, Lancaster University; Amelia Simpson, Lancaster University, and Reuben Larbi, Lancaster University

Grey skies over a beach.

Editors' picks

Research shows our understanding of ‘posh’ words is all wrong

Natalie Braber, Nottingham Trent University and Rhys Sandow, University of Sussex

View from behind of a man and woman dressed up in hats and formal outfits at the horse races
How images of knives intended to stop youth knife crime may actually be making things worse

Charlotte Coleman, Sheffield Hallam University and Jess Scott-Lewis, Sheffield Hallam University

View from the street of two teen boys walking and cycling from school in front of a house
Many asylum seekers are persecuted for what they believe in – but what about those who don’t believe?

Lucy Potter, University of Sheffield

Overhead view of a large crowd of Muslim men gathering in a square for prayer, kneeling side by side in rows
When to give your child their first mobile phone – and how to keep them safe

Andy Phippen, Bournemouth University

Girl in bed looking at mobile phone

Women

Trump represents a specific type of masculinity – and it’s dangerous for women

Ashley Morgan, Cardiff Metropolitan University

A crowd of men at a Trump rally, with one lifting a red MAGA cap above the crowd
Gisèle Pelicot is a non-stereotypical rape survivor – her case could make a real difference to others

Tadgh Tobin, Nottingham Trent University

Gisele Pelicot
Violence against women isn’t the only national emergency – we must also tackle the misogyny that’s causing it

Lisa Sugiura, University of Portsmouth

Silhouettes of two men walking in a subway underground
The return of 90s culture echoes a backlash to feminism that we’ve seen throughout history

Julie Whiteman, University of Birmingham

Photo of a black and white mural of Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis in Manchester

1.
The five best non-fiction books of 2024 – according to our experts

Jay Prosser, University of Leeds; Christopher Rodgers, Newcastle University; Julia Johnson, Anglia Ruskin University; Kieran Connell, Queen's University Belfast, and Olaya Moldes Andrés, Cardiff University

The five best non-fiction books of 2024 – according to our experts
2.
My grandfather was ‘Mr Health and Safety’. His life’s quest to make work safer has been ridiculed – but the rise of the gig economy shows it’s no joke

Simon Harold Walker, University of Glasgow

My grandfather was ‘Mr Health and Safety’. His life’s quest to make work safer has been ridiculed – but the rise of the gig economy shows it’s no joke
3.
Most ‘words of the year’ don’t actually tell us about the state of the world – here’s what I’d pick instead

Tony Thorne, King's College London

Most ‘words of the year’ don’t actually tell us about the state of the world – here’s what I’d pick instead
4.
What does the X exodus to Bluesky mean for journalism?

Craig Robertson, University of Oxford

What does the X exodus to Bluesky mean for journalism?
5.
Europe’s microstates: the medieval monarchies that survive in our midst

Elisa Bertolini, Bocconi University

Europe’s microstates: the medieval monarchies that survive in our midst
6.
Sex machina: in the wild west world of human-AI relationships, the lonely and vulnerable are most at risk

James Muldoon, University of Essex

Sex machina: in the wild west world of human-AI relationships, the lonely and vulnerable are most at risk