By Alan Renwick, Professor of Democratic Politics, UCL
Public support for reforming the UK’s first past the post electoral system has risen markedly of late. So is there any serious chance that such reform could actually happen?
The annual British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) has been tracking public attitudes to electoral reform (and other issues) since 1983. It found consistent majorities for the status quo up to 2017, but charts a dramatic shift since then. In the latest BSA, support for reform has risen to 60%, with just 36% backing the current…
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By Paul Whiteley, Professor, Department of Government, University of Essex
Political scientists first identified a phenomenon known as the “rally round the flag” effect in the 1970s . This refers to the tendency for the US public to increase their support for a president when the county becomes involved in conflicts abroad. After the massive air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, the question is whether the US bombing missions will boost support for Donald Trump.
An Economist/YouGov…
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By Edward Beamer, Lecturer, Pharmacology, Sheffield Hallam University
A federal vaccine panel, recently reshaped by US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has voted to discourage the use of flu vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. The decision marks a dramatic shift in vaccine policy, as thimerosal has long been considered safe by health agencies worldwide, with its use already limited to a few multi-dose flu shots.
RFK Jr. has long linked thimerosal to autism – a connection that extensive scientific research has thoroughly debunked.
Thimerosal is an organic chemical containing mercury, used as a preservative…
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By Rebecca Earle, Professor of History, University of Warwick
Wimbledon is all about strawberries and cream (and of course tennis). The club itself describes strawberries and cream as “a true icon of The Championships”.
While a meal at one of the club’s restaurants can set you back £130 or more, a bowl of the iconic dish is a modest £2.70 (up from £2.50 in 2024 – the first price…
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By Penny Roberts, Professor of Early Modern European History, University of Warwick
In 1570, a Frenchman was arrested for smuggling clandestine correspondence between France and England. A passing comment in his interrogation document reveals that he also happened to be carrying a leather bag “in which there were three or four dozen balls of wool for playing tennis”.
The French term used was jeu de paume. This sport was played with the hand (palm), often gloved, rather than a racquet. This developed into the game that in English we usually refer to as “real tennis” (a different…
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By Amnesty International
In response to today’s execution in Japan of a man convicted of the murder of nine people, Chiara Sangiorgio, Death Penalty Advisor at Amnesty International, said: “The execution of Takahiro Shiraishi – the first in Japan in nearly three years – is the latest callous attack on the right to life in Japan and a […] The post Japan: Cruel execution a stain on country’s human rights record appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Amnesty International
Authorities must ensure people’s right to protest is protected, as is their ability to take part safely in Saturday’s Budapest Pride, free from intimidation, harassment or violence, said Amnesty International ahead of tomorrow’s 30th anniversary Budapest Pride March, which has been banned by the police. More than 200 Amnesty International delegates from 17 of the […] The post Hungary: “World is watching” as tens of thousands prepare to march in defiance of attempted ban on Budapest Pride appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney
Matthew Walsh, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
Those who murdered the 15 year-old have received life sentences, but the ruling on racially motivated crime isn’t so definitive.
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By Jacques Rupnik, Directeur de recherche émérite, Centre de recherches internationales (CERI), Sciences Po
With the new Polish president, nationalist Karol Nawrocki, European Trump supporters, led by Viktor Orbán, have gained an additional ally.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image The parliament (Supreme Council) of the Kyrgyz Republic. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. © Mariusz Prusaczyk via Getty Images (Bishkek, June 27, 2025) – Kyrgyzstan’s parliament on June 25, 2025, passed two draft laws that threaten to significantly weaken media freedom and protection against torture in the country, Human Rights Watch said today.The draft Law on the Ombudsman effectively dismantles the independent National Center for the Prevention of Torture by merging it with the office of the Ombudsman. The draft Law on Mass Media grants authorities wide powers to…
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