Alastair Campbell’s diary: Who’s really to blame for populism?
In pinning the blame for Trump, Brexit and the world’s woes on voters, we give politicians a free pass
Highlights
We need to talk about immigration
Progressives’ cowed silence has let the toxic talk of Farage and Jenrick take hold. Now we must respond – and taking action on integration should be the start
The agony of self-hating liberals
Just because Trump won and populism is surging doesn’t mean the Labour party should give up its election promises
The plot against Britannia
Our elected government is facing an assault on its very legitimacy from right wing politicians and their media toadies. So what are we on the left going to do about it?
In this edition
Everyday philosophy: What would George Orwell think of Facebook?
On the 75th anniversary of the author’s death, some of his most famous words read as a warning
Critical mass: Do we trust algorithms too much?
As they can only take into account what they are given, they are fallible
The drive for renewal must go far beyond AI
The nation’s problems are so deeply ingrained that no single technology could ever sweep them all away
Now Britain must play its part in stabilising Gaza
This brutal, bloody conflict shows the dangers of our new, multipolar world
Germansplaining: What our language says about us
This year’s non-word of the year, ‘Bio-deutsch’ (biological German) has caused much controversy
The rise of Alice Weidel, a German extremist
Could the sleeping giant of Germany’s silent majority mobilise against the AfD?
A walk through Brussels’s vanishing neighbourhood
The Marolles, the city’s popular cultural heart, has been changed by tourism
What does Musk want with Italy?
Elon Musk and Giorgia Meloni seem to have a harmonious friendship – at least in front of the cameras
Zoran Milanović’s landslide in the Balkans
Over the past five years, the president has been acting as the Flavor Flav of the Croatian political establishment
What would EU membership mean for Iceland?
The EU has been a long-running topic of debate and now Icelanders want their say
Alastair Campbell’s diary: Who’s really to blame for populism?
In pinning the blame for Trump, Brexit and the world’s woes on voters, we give politicians a free pass
We need to talk about immigration
Progressives’ cowed silence has let the toxic talk of Farage and Jenrick take hold. Now we must respond – and taking action on integration should be the start
The agony of self-hating liberals
Just because Trump won and populism is surging doesn’t mean the Labour party should give up its election promises
The plot against Britannia
Our elected government is facing an assault on its very legitimacy from right wing politicians and their media toadies. So what are we on the left going to do about it?
Johnson’s turn at Trump’s top table no surprise to Rats readers
We told you last week of Tory beliefs the former prime minister, not Nigel Farage, was the Brit with the ear of Trump's first buddy Elon Musk
Tories put Suella Braverman back on defection watch
The former home secretary’s visit to Washington DC has sparked fears among Conservatives she might be about to make the jump to Reform
GB News finds supporters thirsting for Trump
The right wing channel went vox popping for Trump fans but at least one refreshed cheerleader had to be cut off in his pomp
No, Starmer not attending Trump’s inauguration is not a stain on history
The right are fuming that Keir Starmer won’t be in Washington for the president’s swearing-in. But no prime minister ever has
Is former Welsh Tory leader set to defect to Reform?
Sources say the recently ousted Andrew RT Davies is actively seeking an ‘off-ramp’ to justify a move to Nigel Farage’s party
Under-fire Will Lewis faces an uncomfortable few weeks
As hacking claims finally reach court, the Washington Post's newsroom spies an opportunity to rid themselves of their unloved publisher
Lie of the week: Kemi Badenoch on rebuilding trust
Letters: Alienation is driving populism in the north
We need government to lead, to inspire and to give people hope. Talk in language that ordinary folk use, and actually go and listen and learn
Cartoon: Are Reform MPs working hard for their constituencies?
What the EU fears from Trump’s return
On defence, trade and tech, Europe is bracing itself for four years of threats and chaos
The power of resistance
The Democrats are in shock and disarray. But someone will need to stand up to Donald Trump
Chris Barker poster: The World According to Donald J Trump
Download the poster here
The shock and awe of Mr Benetton
With his work for the fashion brand, the late photographer and art director Oliviero Toscani took the trangressive mainstream
Starmer’s small goals
The prime minister’s limited Brexit reset means the best UK FC can hope for is avoiding relegation, not shooting for glory
Ace of Base and the darkness behind the light
From catchy pop hits to far right death threats and knife attacks – the shocking story of the Swedish pop group
AI is doing wrong by writers
A proposal to make authors opt out of having their work harvested by tech giants is akin to asking shopkeepers to opt out of shoplifters
A Real Pain is a trauma tour de force
Jesse Eisenberg’s film turns the darkest material into a deftly funny Oscar contender
Bound together, pulled apart: Catalan artists in Paris
At the start of the 20th century, Paris and Barcelona were united by modernist art. Then came a shocking, public suicide
The hate for ham and pineapple pizza is pure snobbery
No, the Hawaiian has nothing to do with Italy. But yes, it is delicious
Matthew d’Ancona’s culture: A Complete Unknown is the real deal
In this audacious biopic, Timothée Chalamet brilliantly captures the spirit of the original disruptor, Bob Dylan
What a mist opportunity
English spelling is notoriously difficult to learn; how might we benefit by reforming it – and what would we lose?
André the Giant: The perpetual outsider who was always the centre of attention
Little blame can be attached to André Roussimoff for exaggerating the truth of his stories because everything about the wrestler and actor was already exaggerated
Dilettante: My cinema choices are a sign that both I and the times have changed
Everyone loves cheeseburgers but, as it turns out, really nice greens can also make you feel like life is truly worth living