Analysis

The fall of Boris Johnson: Any democracy should look to his case and ask if it is enabling machiavellian leaders.

— Boris Johnson is not the first world leader to prioritise his own ambitions over meaningful governance. But his fall is a good moment for reflection on how far a democracy is prepared to tolerate, and even reward Machiavellian tendencies.

Conservative Leadership Contest

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss head-to-head to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister – How their prospects compare.

— As Conservative party members choose between the former chancellor and the foreign secretary, the real question for them now isn’t who would be the better leader but who could win against Labour?

UK Politics

Boris Johnson’s ignominious end: The difference between ‘big tent’ politics and personalised populism.

— What exactly was “Johnsonism” beyond a few slogans such as “levelling up” and the scandals that attracted the attention? Behind Boris Johnson’s buffoonish exterior, the quick wit and wearisome repartee, lay very little.

Fact-Check

Boris Johnson’s claim of a ‘mandate’ from the people isn’t accurate.

— Fact-check: The ministers’ revolt against Boris Johnson wasn’t anti-democratic – it’s representative democracy in action. As for his claim to have a mandate from the people, it is misguided.

The Uber Files

The Uber Files: Leaked documents reveal a strategy of chaos – has anything changed?

— Uber has managed to change some of its practices, but it is still butting heads with regulators and governments to push existing rules closer to its preferences, fighting regulations as its survival strategy.

Analysis

Boris Johnson’s messy political legacy of lies, scandals and delivering Brexit to his base.

— The scandal that brought his downfall wasn’t Boris Johnson’s first. Witty and charming to some, but dishonest and untrustworthy to others, he leaves his country and party very divided, as well as the legacy of his scandals.

COVID-19

Stronger democracies have seen fewer excess deaths during COVID.

— The way societies are governed seems to have influenced how they’ve fared in terms of excess deaths during the pandemic. For pandemic preparedness, the public must be able to trust authorities and institutions.

Conservative Leadership Contest

What happens – and when – in the race to replace Boris Johnson.

— Conservative MPs vote in the first round and members in the second.

Refugees

Survey shows British people, and especially Tory voters, feel very differently about some refugees than others.

— A heartening 70% of British voters want to allow Ukrainians into the UK but only 50% feel the same way about Afghans. And the difference is even starker among those who vote Conservative.

Analysis

What Boris Johnson said in his bitter resignation speech and what he really meant.

— Boris Johnson breaks from his party in a bitter resignation speech in which there is no sense of taking responsibility and no sense of apology.

Analysis

Boris Johnson’s nightmare day: How to read between the lines in resignation letters from government ministers.

— There was a sense of self-aggrandisement about the resignation letters sent by Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak that led to Boris Johnson eventually resigning. Overall, there is so much material in all the letters sent to the PM that we could analyse them for years to come.

UK Politics

Boris Johnson: Four key insights from recent polls can help us see where the crisis is heading.

— The prime minister’s personal popularity has plummeted but the people who decide how to replace him still can’t agree on a successor.

Analysis

Boris Johnson: A terminal case of hubris syndrome.

— He hardly has any government ministers and his own cabinet tried to force him to resign. What is going on?

Indyref2

Scottish independence: What has changed since the last referendum.

— If the UK continues down paths that further isolate it from the EU and the wider world stage, Scottish attitudes to the Union may harden. Especially because Boris Johnson is personally very unpopular in Scotland.

Analysis

We shouldn’t be complacent to the potential threat of this, or subsequent COVID waves.

— Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 are behind an increasing wave of infections in the UK. The wall of immunity put up by vaccinations and previous infections is not as strong as it once was. So, what happens next?

Climate Change

Human disruption to Earth’s freshwater cycle has exceeded the safe limit, our research shows.

— Humanity is no longer in the safe zone. ‘Green water’ is essential for healthy soils and a benign climate, but it’s under threat. Immediate action is needed to maintain a resilient and nourishing freshwater cycle.