By Fraser McMillan, Lecturer in Scottish Electoral Politics, University of Edinburgh
Barring a last-minute surprise, the Holyrood election will probably return the Scottish National Party (SNP) to government for the fifth time in a row. The nationalists have been in office for so long that thousands of Scots who weren’t even born when the party entered office in 2007 are now going to the polls for the first time.
But just 23% of respondents think the Scottish government is doing a good job, according to the Scottish Election Study’s final pre-election…
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By Hannah Bunting, Senior Lecturer in Quantitative British Politics and Co-director of The Elections Centre, University of Exeter
Voters are casting their ballots in elections to 136 English local authorities, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd. For most, it’s the first opportunity to cast a ballot since the 2024 general election. This set of elections is complex, taking place in multiple locations with ballots being counted over several days and across three electoral systems.
In England, local elections run on a four-year cycle, which means different sets of seats in various locations are contested in any given year. This is a bumper year, with around…
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By Barry Langford, Professor of Film Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London
In its rapid pacing, brief runtime and propulsive, hard-boiled action, Normal positions itself as a latter-day B-movie and mostly delivers.
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By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University
Whooping cough, medically known as pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the airways. It gets its common name from the “whoop” sound that some infected children make when they take a deep, gasping breath after a severe coughing fit.
The infection is caused by the bacterium bordetella pertussis, with research suggesting that as few as 140 bacterial cells may be enough to cause infection. The bacterium spreads through infected…
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By Anna Turns, Senior Environment Editor, The Conversation
Anna Walker, Senior Arts + Culture Editor, The Conversation
We’re launching a new poetry award to bring science and creativity closer together. Too often, research can stay locked in academic language – but poetry offers a powerful way to make ideas felt, not just understood. This prize is for UK-based researchers who want to explore the climate crisis through a different lens, blending insight with imagination to reach wider audiences and spark new conversations.
For this competition – the first of its kind for The Conversation – we are inviting academics to…
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By Anna Turns, Senior Environment Editor, The Conversation
Anna Walker, Senior Arts + Culture Editor, The Conversation
The Promoter
The promoter of this competition is The Conversation Trust (UK), a non-profit company limited by guarantee (number 08158264), with its registered office at Shropshire House (4th Floor), 11-20 Capper Street, London, WC1E 6JA. For queries about this competition, please contact climatepoetry@theconversation.com.
1. How to enter
1.1. The competition will close on September 1 at 11.59pm BST (the “Closing Date”).
1.2. All submissions to be made via the entry form and must be received no later than the Closing…
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By Erhan Kilincarslan, Reader in Accounting and Finance, University of Huddersfield
The standoff in the Strait of Hormuz has already made fuel and energy noticeably more expensive. But energy prices are only part of the story.
While tensions continue between Iran and the US over that vital stretch of water, another, more subtle economic effect could come into play. “Skimpflation” is the name for a phenomenon that involves a gradual decline in the quality, quantity or service associated with everyday goods.
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By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London
Due to its position of influence over Iran, China will be a leading factor in whether the war ends or spills back into open conflict.
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By Amy Wilcockson, Research Fellow, English Literature, Queen Mary University of London
A recent trip to Haworth, in West Yorkshire, got me thinking about Anne Brontë, who died 177 years ago this month. Stepping into St Michael and All Angels’ Church, a carved stone pillar prominently declares the location of the Brontë family vault. All members of the Brontë family – parents Patrick and Maria, sisters Elizabeth and Maria who died young, the rebellious brother Branwell, and Emily and Charlotte – are all listed. Yet, not mentioned is Anne Brontë, who is buried in Scarborough, almost 100 miles away.
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane…
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By Rhys Dafydd Jones, Senior Lecturer, Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University
Immigration is receiving much attention in the run-up to the Welsh election. This might seem odd at first because the Welsh parliament (the Senedd) has no power over immigration. It can’t make laws on who enters the country, how asylum claims are handled or who gets citizenship. All of that is controlled by the UK government in Westminster.
But since 2019, Wales has considered itself a “nation of sanctuary”. This means the Welsh government…
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