Downstream: How the Mainstream Media Enabled Climate Denial
Aaron Bastani speaks to George Monbiot about COP26, which countries are climate change leaders and how the mainstream media enabled a culture of climate denial when it mattered most.
Tag: uk
Downstream: Veterans: Rightwing or Radical?
They are claimed from all sides and by all parties. But who are Britain’s ex-service personnel? What do they want? And what do their politics – whether conservative, liberal or socialist – tell us about Britain as a post-imperial country? Aaron Bastani speaks to Joe Glenton, journalist and author of ‘Veteranhood’.
Opinion: The American Right Knows How to Fight a Culture War
Kojo Koram
We're lucky the British right hasn't learnt from the sophisticated and strategic attacks of their US counterparts. But they still could.
The Bastani Factor: Why the Media Can’t Tell the Truth on Israel & Palestine
Whether it’s the filtering process of mainstream outlets – or the ‘electric fence’ approach of lobbying organisations – the biggest casualty is truth and the Palestinian people. Aaron Bastani on why the truth is rarely uttered when it comes to covering the occupation.
Downstream: Is the Left Failing on Free Speech? Interview With Ronan Burtenshaw
Does the right actually care about free speech? Why should free speech matter to the left? Aaron Bastani speaks to editor of Tribune Magazine, Ronan Burtenshaw.
The Bastani Factor: Boris Johnson Ends ‘War on Woke?!’
On Wednesday, shortly after Joe Biden was inaugurated as President of the United States, Boris Johnson said there was ‘nothing wrong’ with being ‘woke’. Yet the signature of the Tories in recent years has been a ‘war on woke’, with MPs and media outriders attacking ideas of social and economic equality while using the term. […]
The Bastani Factor: Do Donors Now Control the Labour Party?
Yesterday Richard Leonard resigned as leader of the Scottish Labour party – less than 24 hours after a potential donor allegedly said they would not give money while he remained in place. This raises huge questions. Firstly whether the Scottish Labour Party is autonomous of the party at Westminster, and secondly whether wealthy donors now […]
Opinion: When Will Britain’s Politicians Have the Guts to Take Lessons From Asia?
Aaron Bastani
Vietnam - a country with almost 100 million people, a huge land border with China and only a third of the wealth of Bulgaria - has lost just 35 lives to Covid-19 while also seeing its economy grow last year, notes Aaron Bastani. Why is the UK failing to learn from Asia's success stories?
Analysis: The Death of the Fossil Fuel Industry Could Be Disastrous for Workers. Now’s the Time to Nationalise It
Kate Aronoff
Fossil fuels may be on the way out, but there’s no reason to trust firms will wind down quickly enough, or in a way that protects workers. Kate Aronoff looks at how nationalising the sector could work in the US or UK - and argues ultimately it’s a good idea.
The Bastani Factor: The 21st Century Crisis Nobody Talks About: Demographic Ageing
Humanity is getting older. But while the old outnumbering the young is one of the supreme achievements of our species, it comes with major challenges. Aaron Bastani on a crisis set to re-define societies around the world which, for the 21st century at least, is every bit as disruptive as climate change.
Opinion: Donald Trump Has Exposed the US-UK ‘Special Relationship’ for What It Really Is
David Wearing
While some suggest London is powerless in the face of Washington’s demands, the UK can - and does - stand up to the US when it wants to. When Britain accommodates and even actively collaborates with Trump, it can’t be let off the hook, argues David Wearing.
Ash Wednesday: Ash Sarkar Debunks Anti-Migrant Myths
While establishment media jumps at the chance to go on refugee safari in the Channel, Ash Sarkar debunks the myths behind anti-migrant sentiment.
Analysis: Would ‘Defund the Police’ Work in the UK?
Tom Kemp & Koshka Duff
'Defund the police' has become a central demand of Black Lives Matter protesters in the United States. UK activists should seize the moment to formulate their own demands, drawing on the long-standing abolitionist campaigns and traditions of resistance that already exist in Britain, write Koshka Duff and Tom Kemp.
Ash Wednesday: Dear Lobby: Keep It Simple. Stick to Facts. Don’t Fuck It Up
The stakes have just been raised in the government’s daily press conference. Can Westminster journalists rise to the challenge?
Explainers: Boris Stop Treating Our Healthcare Workers Like Trash Challenge
The government is clapping for the NHS – but refusing to protect frontline workers. The bravery NHS staff are having to show is a sign of government failure. So don’t just #clapforNHS, demand that Boris #givethemPPE
The Bastani Factor: Britain and the Coronavirus: a Timeline of Failure
Despite previous claims by the government that it was well-prepared for the Coronavirus, Britain is now expected to have one of the highest death tolls in the world. In this video Aaron Bastani examines precisely what happened in recent months, and how public authorities – broadly unchallenged by the media – let a tragedy unfold.
Opinion: The 2020 Budget Shows the Tories Are Playing by New Rules
Aaron Bastani
Did Rishi Sunak just end austerity? No. Is Britain adequately preparing for the panoply of crises set to define the coming decades? Also no. But make no mistake, writes Aaron Bastani, this was the first Tory budget since 2010 to abandon the neoliberal frame of ‘necessity', demonstrating how Labour under Corbyn won certain arguments.
Novara Live: Bernie Hits the Jackpot
Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani and Dalia Gebrial discuss Bernie’s big win in Nevada, ballots dropping in the Labour leadership race, and the start of Julian Assange’s extradition hearing.