Opinion

  By Daniel Khalili-Tari One of the US’s greatest exports is arms. Cuba’s is doctors. In the US citizens can die if they can’t afford healthcare. But in Cuba, universal healthcare is free. The US’s adult literacy rate is not known. Cuba’s however, is 100 per cent. Why is the Trump administration so valiant in maintaining an unjust embargo on the Caribbean island, located only 103 miles from the US? Why punish a country which wants to govern itself, in an...

For all the negative press football and football supporters get, one couldn't help but feel a little choked up on Tuesday night when the French and English national teams and their fans came together to sing Manchester's anthem Don't Look Back in Anger in an effort to remind the global community of football's unifying spirit in times of adversity. The message of solidarity echoed the repeat fixture two years ago when both sets of fans sang La Marseillaise at Wembley in the wake of the Paris...

Watching the last inspirational election broadcast by the Labour party, as a follower of politics across the EU, you may be forgiven for thinking that the film, style and content was not dissimilar to the left’s ‘new  kids on the block’ Anti Austerity Alliance -People Before Profit’s promotion been broadcast concurrently in the North and South of Ireland. Whilst much media and social media comment concerns the new power and influence of Northern Ireland DUP, little has been reported on the...

The most popular story ever on this website was Labour's increasing share of the popular vote in the June 8th general election. Genuine surprise and from many real euphoria. But what is behind this and what does it tell us? The most embraced and it would seem obvious solution is that Jeremy Corbyn is a great deal better at campaigning than many of his critics gave him credit for. Clearly, there can be no doubt that the massive upsurge in...

On International Working Animal Day (15 June), Geoffrey Dennis, Chief Executive of the charity SPANA, argues that animals still play a vital but largely ignored role in keeping the world’s economy moving. If you’ve just spent another miserable morning fighting your way through rush hour traffic to get to work today, you may be forgiven if you find yourself yearning for a time before the streets were crammed bumper to bumper with polluting cars and trucks. Go back to the...

It is quite an admission from the long-term Councillor for Putney and newly-elected Deputy Mayor of Wandsworth Ian Lewer that a career in politics might be a stretch for him, but given the lack of talent that currently resides within Westminster it seems to be a problem facing many young people. In Lewer's opinion, one of the most depressing outcomes of this election is that it shows in "bold relief what little talent there is in politics today". Although this is...

13 years ago, I was part of the team at Stonewall that helped achieve workplace equality, same-sex marriage and the Equality Act, protecting lesbian, gay and bi people in terms of goods and services. Today, the Democratic Unionist Party, now in coalition with the Conservative Party, opposes many of these hard-won rights. They previously supported a campaign called “Save Ulster from Sodomy”. The party vehemently opposes same sex marriage. It is largely and solely responsible for the fact that Northern Ireland is...

By Daniel Khalili-Tari What happened? According to the polls the Conservatives had a lead in the double digits. How could Theresa May, who only in April earlier this year was the most popular politician in the UK, now be having to form a minority government? How could the Prime Minister once praised for her political acuity now be squatting in Downing Street, while Jeremy Corbyn appears on the Andrew Marr show victorious? What happened to her ‘strong and stable’ leadership? How...

When Jeremy Corbyn was first elected as Labour leader in 2015 those old enough were quick to ring the alarm bells. "This is Michael Foot all over again" they prophesied, warning how his left-leaning leadership and strongly socialist tone was about to throw the party into political wilderness. Less than two years later results from the General Election show he has increased Labour's vote share by more than any leader since Clement Attlee in '45. A remarkable turnaround, but how was it achieved?...