The harms of low-blow political satire in a polarised climate
In a world where politics can often feel demoralising, it’s no surprise that many people are finding comfort and hope in political satire. Shows like Have I Got News For...Read More >
Politics
Food in prison: A path to rehabilitation or another form of punishment
Vicki Harman, Professor of Sociology at the University of Reading and co-investigator of the Doing Porridge research project, sheds new light on the impact of food in women’s prisons, showing...Read More >
Do African MPs reflect the people who vote for them? We studied 17 countries to find out
By the end of 2025, 42 African countries will have held national elections in the previous 24 months. But do these elections produce parliaments that accurately reflect the societies they serve? Aside...Read More >
LGBTQ+ Travel Tool: What happened next
The LGBTQ+ International Travel for Work Policy Development Tool won the Research Impact category at this year’s Research Awards. In this blog, the tool’s creators, Frances Hamilton and Tahlia-Rose Virdee...Read More >
Women firsts in Cabinet, a long view
Labour have won a historic landslide in the 2024 general election, but it is also a historic moment for women in parliament as Rachel Reeves becomes the first female Chancellor...Read More >
Pirates and politicians: what a 300-year-old book about the most notorious buccaneers reveals about British politics
Three hundred years ago, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson first hit the shelves of London’s booksellers. The book...Read More >
Macron won’t rule out using western ground troops in Ukraine – but is Nato prepared for war with Russia?
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said sending western troops to fight in Ukraine “could not be ruled out”. After hosting a meeting of 25 European leaders in Paris on February 26,...Read More >
‘Piety, Sobriety and Variety’: the first three female MPs to arrive at Westminster
Much has been written about Constance Markievicz, the first woman elected to parliament at the general election 1918 and Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in parliament…Read More >
Climate activism has so far been fairly peaceful: here’s why that might change
Climate change is perhaps the most serious threat to life on this planet. According to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), climate change has already caused heatwave, drought and flood deaths across…Read More >
University Research Fellowships: how has the year been?
Each year the University Committee for Research & Innovation supports up to five researchers with University Research Fellowships to develop their work in the arts, humanities and social sciences for…Read More >