Extending human and civic rights
Multiculturalism shouldn’t be treated as a dirty word
British politicians once frequently used the term ‘multiculturalism’ in speeches about immigration, integration or extremism. Yet now the term is noticeable through its absence. Varun Uberoi shows why different understandings of multiculturalism are uncontroversial and why the term need not be avoided by British politicians. Similar PostsThe demonisation of immigration and multiculturalism can only limit Britain’s […]
Citizenship ceremonies reveal the ignorance of real experiences of migration to the UK
Drawing on research for her book Making Citizens, Bridget Byrne explores how citizenship ceremonies often hear claims that the UK is a welcoming place, in contrast to new citizens’ actual experiences, which are often coloured by difficult experiences at the hands of the authorities. Similar PostsHow Covid-19 is altering our conception of citizenshipBook Review | […]
Praying for both teams: How religion both facilitates and dampens anti-immigration sentiment
The majority of the populations of many countries, the US included, identify with some kind of religion. At the same time, anti-immigrant sentiments are on the rise in many countries. Does religion foster intolerance towards migrants or encourage greater acceptance of them? In new research which uses experiments conducted with a variety of religious groups, […]
Charging the likes of Anjem Choudary for what he says should concern all of us who want to win the battle of ideas
The radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary is facing charges following his arrest for comments made in support of the Islamic State. Here, Bill Durodié argues that arresting people for the things that they say is probably, in the long-term, counter-productive, as it will not help win the battle of ideas against Islamism. Furthermore, he argues that causing […]
The conflict between politics and technology is disorienting, but we need a way to understand the changes it creates
The relationship between technology and conflict has been brought up frequently for many years, with recent innovations leading some to suggest that we could be on the cusp of seeing a new kind of politics and democracy emerge thanks to the rate of digital change. Lawrence Quill argues that the conflict and tension between the two […]
It remains unclear how much leeway member states have to restrict EU migrants’ access to benefits
The issue of ‘benefit tourism’ has become a hot topic in several EU states, with a number of countries calling for tighter restrictions on the access of EU citizens to certain social benefits. Michael Blauberger and Susanne K. Schmidt write on reforms pursued in Austria, Germany and the UK. They note that while the legal […]
Michael Gove’s evidence to the Commons’ Justice Committee gives a preview of the Government’s case to repeal the Human Rights Act
Earlier this week Michael Gove, now the Justice Secretary (and Lord Chancellor) recently gave evidence to the House of Commons Justice Committee regarding the Government’s policy on the future of the Human Rights Act. Mark Elliott looks at Gove’s evidence, and finds within it a preview of the case that will be made if and […]
The decision to filter or censor online pornography should be taken by parents and children rather than the state
Societies have been dealing for hundreds of years with the issue of the regulation and accessibility of pornography. But the internet has made it more available and widespread than ever before. The previous and current government make periodic noises about more intrusive web filters and increasing the scope of ‘opt-out’ filters, but Victoria Nash argues, […]
The Government’s case against the European Court of Human Rights is a smokescreen
The government has proposed the abolition of the Human Rights Act, and as part of this has – according to Merris Amos – launched a campaign against the European Court of Human Rights. She argues that this is a smokescreen designed to divert attention from the real agenda: escaping the supervision of a supranational court which cannot […]
The legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ireland was a triumph for deliberative democracy, as well as equality
Ireland recently became a world leader in being not only the first country to legalise same-sex marriage via the route of a referendum, but also by incorporating the change into its constitution. The scene for the changes were set by the Irish constitutional referendum, which Clodagh Harris argues means that these developments are a triumph […]
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