News

On Monday 23rd September, British Future took part in an event at the Labour Party conference entitled What’s the answer to populism? Chaired by British Future director Sunder Katwala, guest speakers Zoe Williams from the Guardian, Sadiq Khan MP, David Lammy MP and Dr Evan Harris presented a plethora of views on the question.

As a practising Muslim I don’t believe that covering a woman’s face is something that Islam requires of her. I also don’t believe it’s fair to say that people who find the face veil threatening or intimidating are simply being racist or Islamophobic I don’t even believe that covering the face is particularly conducive to the country we live in. But then neither is the idea of banning it! writes Rabiha Hannan

The populist challenge comes in response to a political elite that is seen as out of touch and refuses to do what common sense demands. It is an argument about “them and us”. And it demands a response which neither changes nor concedes the argument. That was the message of the ‘Populism: have the politicians got the message?’ fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrat conference earlier this week, writes Steve Ballinger

Since the age of 15, Bernard Keightley, now 71, has worked in shipyards all over the north of England. Life at the docks was hard, mostly because of lack of health and safety measures at the time, and subsequently Keightley’s memories are infused with tales of death.

Retired Wimbledon footballer Vinnie Jones, star of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, has spoken out about England being “past its sell-by date.” In a Radio Times interview, Vinnie says that he would not return to Britain from his current home in Los Angeles as immigration has made the country “unrecognisable”. Steve Ballinger sends him a postcard from England.

Immigration is often among the most heated of public debates. Lord Ashcroft’s new report captures why immigration is such a challenging public issue, for governments of any party, and offers clues too as to how to engage the public constructively in the choices Britain makes about immigration, writes Sunder Katwala.

One positive story to come out of the tragedy of Woolwich in May took place at the East London mosque, in Tower Hamlets, when leaders of the Christian, Jewish and Buddhist faiths joined approximately 6,000 Muslims for Friday prayers. It was a shining example of interfaith, but it was not unique. Rather examples of interfaith have been becoming more visible and frequent in the UK over the past decade. Will they foster genuine dialogue and counter prejudice, asks Jemimah Steinfeld.

As the first world war centenary approaches, how should we commemorate those who lost their lives in service of this country? It’s a question that has attracted some controversy of late, amid claims that recipients of the Victoria Cross from Commonwealth countries are not being recognised, writes Steve Ballinger.

Modern Britain has provided a vibrant canvas for young British Chinese to explore their identity. This can be seen through their leisure pursuits, which present an interesting hybrid. While Hong Kong culture remains important, due to the migration history of the majority of British Chinese families, living and growing up in the UK has more than made its mark, and the importance of media from mainland China, Korea and Japan is growing, writes Dr Alex Tan .