Opinion

The skeletons of Britain’s past reared their ugly head this week following a series of race-related smears that smack of our dark colonial history. It was a cruelly timed twist of fate that saw Commonwealth leaders meet at the same time as the Windrush fiasco played out, but as British politicians back-pedalled over immigration policies reminiscent of Nazi Germany the dominions gathered to once again pledge their allegiance to an outdated regime in spite of all its shortcomings. Prince Charles,...

Are Arsenal fans the worst in the Premier League? Robert Owen questions if the fickle and expectant fans ruined Arsene Wenger's legacy. Whether you played Sunday league, or you've graced the top echelons of football, you will know that positivity and confidence is a precursor to success. It may well be a virtuous circle, but at the top level, having the fans behind you can be the difference between winning and losing. The extra spring in a player’s step. The...

  This week the Undercover Policing Inquiry finally releases the cover name used by the most notorious of the police spies that infiltrated anti-racist organisations during the explosion of anger sparked by the murder of Stephen Lawrence, and at the time of the subsequent Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. This officer, referred to as N81 and part of the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) operated under the name of 'Dave Hagan.' Movement for Justice (MFJ) was one of the organisations he was sent to...

  Last night a general debate on anti-Semitism took place in the House of Commons. A debate which really ought not be necessary in 2018. Anti-semitism should have been consigned to the dustbin of history a long time ago. But sadly, it was necessary. Anti-Semitism is a problem across British society. According to data from Campaign Against Anti-Semitism 2016 saw the highest number of anti-Semitic crimes ever recorded, a 45% increase since 2014. Much of today’s debate focused on anti-Semitism...

As Western leaders clash heads with Russia over the escalating Middle Eastern crisis the conversation dominating public discourse once again seems to revolve around everyone but the Syrian people. This morning our national newspapers ran with a series of bloodthirsty headlines stating the recent strike by the US, UK and France on Damascus and Homs a success, with the Daily Mail, The Sun, The Star and The Express all leading with triumphant declarations of military prowess. Only the Sunday Times made a...

Few people would deem a tough stance against racism to be a political own goal, but when your career is propped up by hard-line right-wingers that is precisely what it seems to be. At least, that is how Jacob Rees-Mogg might feel after he was lambasted for posting a Times column written by his father criticising Enoch Powell's infamous Rivers of Blood speech. Powell's Birmingham speech made predictions of societal collapse on the back of open immigration policies, even going...

  To read some of the coverage of the limited air and missile strikes against Syrian military targets on Friday April 13 2018 one might have deduced that this was Iraq War II the sequel. On the one hand May and Trump were busy congratulating themselves on their “tough” military response to the Syrian regime’s murderous use of chemical weapons against civilian targets in Douma. On the other, elements of a Stalinized Left who are reluctant to recognise the threat...

  Chris Hobbs is a former officer of the Metropolitan Police who served for 32 years   Well Home Secretary, you certainly stirred up a hornet’s nest with your carefully timed statement over the weekend that spiralling violent crime involving shootings and stabbings is not as a result of reductions in police numbers. This of course, was paving the way for your pre-violent crime strategy launch on the Monday. I could almost see those cops on the front line sitting in their canteens...

The Grenfell Tower tragedy shocked the nation, and a full enquiry is underway. But, if lessons from the Lakanal Tower block fire in Camberwell in 2009 didn’t effect change, what hope can we have that Grenfell will? Are the lessons from social housing tower block fire tragedies being ignored? Many aren’t convinced that lessons have been learned, and confidence in the Grenfell Inquiry amongst the surviving local community is at an all-time low. Musician, and Grime star, Stormzy brought renewed...