Refreshingly Independent Politics – smerconish.com is to create a clearinghouse for non-ideological thinking. We want to give people a chance to contribute to, and consume media that isn’t predicated on the usual, extreme talking points of the polarized media. Instead, we aim to promote independent thinking and diversity of thought.
Tag: politics
theintercept.com
The Intercept is an award-winning news organization dedicated to holding mainstream views and misinformation.
Honduras, 15 Years After the Coup: An Interview With Ousted President Manuel Zelaya
26 July 2024 @ 10:00 am
Fifteen years after the 2009 Honduran coup, Zelaya sits down for an exclusive interview with Deconstructed.
The post Honduras, 15 Years After the Coup: An Interview With Ousted President Manuel Zelaya appeared first on The Intercept.
Google Planned to Sponsor IDF Conference That Now Denies Google Was Sponsor
25 July 2024 @ 5:30 pm
Internal Google documents show the company planned to sponsor an Israel Defense Forces tech conference — but its name was erased at the last minute.
The post Google Planned to Sponsor IDF Conference That Now Denies Google Was Sponsor appeared first on The Intercept.
Deputy Accused of Killing Sonya Massey Was Discharged From Army for Serious Misconduct
25 July 2024 @ 4:43 pm
Sean Grayson, who is now charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, was previously discharged from the U.S. Army for serious misconduct — and still hired at six police departments in Central Illinois.
The post Deputy Accused of Killing Sonya Massey Was Discharged From Army for Serious Misconduct appeared first on The Intercept.
U.S. Has Never Apologized to Somali Drone Strike Victims — Even When It Admitted to Killing Civilians
25 July 2024 @ 1:45 pm
The families of civilians killed by the U.S. in Somalia share their ideas of justice in a new report. The Pentagon has no response.
The post U.S. Has Never Apologized to Somali Drone Strike Victims — Even When It Admitted to Killing Civilians appeared first on The Intercept.
Netanyahu Insulted and Smeared the Pro-Palestine Protest Movement. Congress Clapped.
24 July 2024 @ 11:19 pm
Organizers say attacks from the Israeli prime minister, who faces charges of war crimes, showed the strength of their movement.
The post Netanyahu Insulted and Smeared the Pro-Palestine Protest Movement. Congress Clapped. appeared first on The Intercept.
Rights Groups Demand Biden Give Answers on Israel’s Secret Influence Campaign on Congress
24 July 2024 @ 2:00 pm
Ahead of Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, rights groups decried the secret social media campaign to prop up support for Israel.
The post Rights Groups Demand Biden Give Answers on Israel’s Secret Influence Campaign on Congress appeared first on The Intercept.
This African Country Kicked Out the U.S. Military. Did the Pentagon Lie About It?
24 July 2024 @ 1:00 pm
Niger gave notice to U.S. troops in March. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Jimmy Panetta say the Pentagon lied about how it all went down.
The post This African Country Kicked Out the U.S. Military. Did the Pentagon Lie About It? appeared first on The Intercept.
Israel Falsely Warned It Would Bomb a Media Office. The Actual Airstrike Killed Journalists on a Nearby Street.
24 July 2024 @ 4:01 am
A monthslong investigation unpacks a false warning and an Israeli airstrike in the deadliest war for journalists on record.
The post Israel Falsely Warned It Would Bomb a Media Office. The Actual Airstrike Killed Journalists on a Nearby Street. appeared first on The Intercept.
Dozens of Lawmakers Are Protesting Netanyahu — but Have Little to Say About Israel’s Systemic Abuses of Palestinians
24 July 2024 @ 12:00 am
Most lawmakers explained their boycott by focusing on the Israeli prime minister himself as a bad actor, rather than the system he represents.
The post Dozens of Lawmakers Are Protesting Netanyahu — but Have Little to Say About Israel’s Systemic Abuses of Palestinians appeared first on The Intercept.
As Republicans’ 2024 Strategy Is Upended, Poll Shows Nebraska Senate Seat May Be Up for Grabs
23 July 2024 @ 5:55 pm
A recent poll shows Dan Osborn, a UAW-backed Nebraska independent underdog, tied with Republican incumbent Sen. Deb Fischer.
The post As Republicans’ 2024 Strategy Is Upended, Poll Shows Nebraska Senate Seat May Be Up for Grabs appeared first on The Intercept.
questioneverything.io
To critically evaluate the global response to COVID-19 and present a series of responsible pandemic exit strategies to help ensure that total harms are minimised.
thefreedomcycle.com/pub/
THE PEOPLE’S UNION OF BRITAIN
Taking back sovereignty through common law.
goodlawproject.org
The Good Law Project is a not-for-profit campaign organisation that uses the law to protect the interests of the public. The Good Law Project fight cases that defend, define or change the law and we use litigation to engage and educate. The Good Law Project challenge abuses of power, exploitation, inequality, and injustice.
whocanivotefor.co.uk
An updated list of candidates you can vote for the up and coming UK elections.
politics.co.uk
Politics news from the UK.
Conservative future: Mel Stride enters race after ‘leading the charge’ during election
26 July 2024 @ 7:17 am
Mel Stride has declared his candidacy to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader. The shadow work and pensions secretary is “fully nominated”, having insisted on Friday morning that his candidacy “has gone forward” to the initial rounds. Nominees must have 10 backers to submit their papers to enter the race. Stride is the fourth Conservative... Read more »
The post Conservative future: Mel Stride enters race after ‘leading the charge’ during election appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Tom Tugendhat’s path to the Conservative leadership
25 July 2024 @ 1:32 pm
One factor strengthening Tugendhat’s pitch is that he, unlike candidates such as Patel and Badenoch, is a relative unknown politician.
The post Tom Tugendhat’s path to the Conservative leadership appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Tom Tugendhat: I can replicate Starmer and lead Conservatives to power in one term
25 July 2024 @ 7:06 am
Tom Tugendhat has insisted he can replicate Labour's recent electoral feat and lead the Conservatives back to power in just five years.
The post Tom Tugendhat: I can replicate Starmer and lead Conservatives to power in one term appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Keir Starmer’s war on populism is just beginning
25 July 2024 @ 6:18 am
Keir Starmer views Reform as a symptom of Britain’s stagnant governance, delivered he contends by consecutive Conservative administrations.
The post Keir Starmer’s war on populism is just beginning appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
PMQs verdict: Keir Starmer is making the most of a meek Conservative Party
24 July 2024 @ 1:38 pm
The below content first appeared in Politics.co.uk’s Politics@Lunch newsletter, sign-up for free and never miss this essential briefing. Keir Starmer took the stand at his first-ever prime minister’s questions as PM this afternoon, in a seismic political role reversal. The new PM and new leader of the opposition have clashed several times over the despatch box... Read more »
The post PMQs verdict: Keir Starmer is making the most of a meek Conservative Party appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Priti Patel would end Conservative infighting as leader, says MP supporter
24 July 2024 @ 6:59 am
A Conservative MP has said he will nominate former home secretary Dame Priti Patel to be the next leader of his party.
The post Priti Patel would end Conservative infighting as leader, says MP supporter appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
King’s Speech: how every MP voted on the SNP’s two-child benefit cap amendment
23 July 2024 @ 6:46 pm
The House of Commons voted this evening by 363-103 to reject the SNP’s amendment to the King’s Speech, which called on the government to scrap the two-child benefit cap. The amendment, tabled in the name of SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, regretted that the King’s Speech “fails to include immediate measures to abolish the two-child... Read more »
The post King’s Speech: how every MP voted on the SNP’s two-child benefit cap amendment appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Can Keir Starmer’s position on the two-child benefit cap hold?
23 July 2024 @ 1:29 pm
Today’s vote on the SNP amendment will allow MPs unhappy with the policy an opportunity to rebel against the government line.
The post Can Keir Starmer’s position on the two-child benefit cap hold? appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
James Cleverly: ‘Reasonable chance’ I will run for Conservative leadership
23 July 2024 @ 7:46 am
James Cleverly has said there is a “reasonable chance” he will stand in the Conservative leadership contest.
The post James Cleverly: ‘Reasonable chance’ I will run for Conservative leadership appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
The Conservative leadership race will be crowded, protracted and likely bitter
22 July 2024 @ 1:18 pm
Mel Stride joins a crowded field of not-yet-declared leadership candidates, including but not limited to Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch
The post The Conservative leadership race will be crowded, protracted and likely bitter appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
artsparty.org.uk
Introducing arts thinking into politics and promoting creative, scientific and evidence based ideas that improve the lives of as many people as possible, while mindful of the few.
Arts Party Conference 2019
16 August 2019 @ 9:30 am
The Arts Party welcomes it’s first party conference from the heart of where water meets dirt, Brighton. We will be hosting debates for purposes of socialising, conversation and recreation. Located in Camelford Street, Brighton, BN2 1TQ, United Kingdom. All are welcome to attend, please use the contact form below to register your interest. [Fully booked]
The post Arts Party Conference 2019 appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Dinner for few
9 June 2019 @ 12:41 pm
A short and stark reminder of the state of play in politics today/yesterday. Thanks to a Dinner for a few, award winner from Nassos Vakalis. DINNER FOR FEW from Nassos Vakalis on Vimeo.
The post Dinner for few appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Scotland takes steps to put culture at the forefront of policy-making
6 July 2018 @ 9:31 am
A CULTURE STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND – reflecting the past, challenging the present, shaping the future . The strategy seeks to stimulate a step change that will bring about a shift in how society and government view and value culture. It aims to build collaborative alliances that will help to realise the full potential of culture …
Continue reading "Scotland takes steps to put culture at the forefront of policy-making"
The post Scotland takes steps to put culture at the forefront of policy-making appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Arts teachers in decline
5 July 2018 @ 9:35 am
As well as a fall in teaching hours, the arts has lost almost a quarter (9000) of teachers working in secondary schools in England since 2011. Sourced from https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/arts-teacher-numbers-plummet-almost-quarter
The post Arts teachers in decline appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Why the Arts Matter
12 May 2018 @ 7:11 am
We’ve come across a great graphic that really sums up why the Arts matter – enjoy!
The post Why the Arts Matter appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Creativity and politics
17 April 2018 @ 11:19 am
Heather McGhee talks about the influence that music, film, and other arts can have on social change. https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/heather-mcghee-on-creativity-and-politics/
The post Creativity and politics appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Why is creativity the most important political concept of the 21st century?
17 April 2018 @ 11:15 am
There is no concept more politically important today than creativity. I’ll give four reasons why but first a definition. ‘Creative’ has narrow, broader and even broader connotations in English. It’s the last of these we should be most interested in. The narrow meaning immediately leads one to think of activities directly associated with the arts. …
Continue reading "Why is creativity the most important political concept of the 21st century?"
The post Why is creativity the most important political concept of the 21st century? appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Arts can help children avoid a lifetime of gang crime
14 April 2018 @ 11:05 am
Andria Zafirakou, who won the $1million title in Dubai last month, said subjects such as art, music and drama can transform the lives of vulnerable young people and give them the confidence to walk away from gangs. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/arts-can-help-children-avoid-a-lifetime-of-gang-crime-says-1m-prizewinning-teacher-a3813071.html
The post Arts can help children avoid a lifetime of gang crime appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Creativity and the arts in decline
1 February 2018 @ 11:34 am
Creative arts subjects are being cut back in many secondary schools in England, a BBC survey suggests. More than 1,200 schools responded – over 40% of secondary schools. Of the schools that responded, nine in every 10 said they had cut back on lesson time, staff or facilities in at least one creative arts subject. …
Continue reading "Creativity and the arts in decline"
The post Creativity and the arts in decline appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
Drawing the Future
20 January 2018 @ 10:34 am
A report launched by Education and Employers and found that children’s career aspirations only marginally differ from age 7 to age 17. It also showed that some sectors vital for economic health look set to be badly under-resourced in future. In the biggest survey of its kind, primary school children aged seven to 11 were …
Continue reading "Drawing the Future"
The post Drawing the Future appeared first on ARTS PARTY.
theyworkforyou.com
Keeping tabs on the UK’s parliaments & assemblies
Scorecards volunteering increases climate skills, knowledge and confidence
24 July 2024 @ 8:05 am
The Council Climate Action Scorecards are compiled by a cohort of volunteers, trained up by Climate Emergency UK. They’re currently recruiting for the next round of marking, so if that sounds like something you’d like to be involved with, check out the details here. The knowledge that volunteers acquire isn’t just applicable to the Scorecards:…
Access to Information community of practice: an in-person gathering
23 July 2024 @ 8:40 am
mySociety is currently helping to support knowledge-sharing between organisations and individuals who run Access to Information projects around the world, in a community of practice. Several such folk were in London for our TICTeC conference last month, providing a perfect opportunity to come together in person and share insights. Matt Stempeck of the Civic Tech…
New in Alaveteli: request categories
22 July 2024 @ 1:43 pm
We've introduced FOI request categories on Alaveteli, to make it easier to curate and navigate topics you're interested in.
New in Alaveteli: explore CSVs in Datasette
16 July 2024 @ 8:11 am
We’ve recently added the ability to explore CSV files via a Datasette instance.
mySociety’s approach to AI
10 July 2024 @ 9:20 am
We’re making our internal AI Framework public as a way of being transparent about the kind of questions we’re asking ourselves about using AI in mySociety's tools and services.
New in Alaveteli: importing & presenting blog posts
9 July 2024 @ 8:53 am
New functionality on our Alaveteli FOI platform allows you to highlight blog posts and case studies on the homepage.
Updating TheyWorkForYou on election night
6 July 2024 @ 9:14 am
My colleague Alex has already written about looking forward from this election, so here I am going to look back at the technical work that was involved for the election, and in getting all the new MPs into TheyWorkForYou. Boundary changes This election was the first UK Parliament election with boundary changes since 2010. Due…
TheyWorkForYou – now with the new MPs
4 July 2024 @ 9:02 pm
Most seats have now declared a winner (with a few recounts ongoing) and the Labour Party has won a large majority in Parliament. That will mean a change in government and big changes to what happens in Parliament in the next few years. Understanding your new MP New MPs have been added to TheyWorkForYou –…
Dive back into TICTeC 2024
2 July 2024 @ 12:51 pm
Whether or not you were lucky enough to attend TICTeC in person earlier this month, you can now experience it all over again. Where there are videos and slides for a session, you can access them via the Schedule page. Just click on ‘see session detail’ to see which resources there are. Or discover all the videos via the…
Warm welcomes and fond farewells
28 June 2024 @ 10:34 am
We’re hugely excited to be warmly welcoming an incredible set of new trustees onto the mySociety Board. We’re delighted to have six new board members round our table: Alastair Tibbitt is a journalist and digital audience specialist with decades of experience in digital media and developing new models for public interest news. He currently works…