Miliband reclaims social patriotism
Much of the discussion of Ed Miliband’s Labour Party conference speech has rightly focused on his audacious appropriation of Disraeli and the rhetoric of ‘One Nation’ Conservatism. But Miliband’s...
View ArticleIntegration policy needs an ‘everyday’ outlook
As a newly crowned Nobel Peace Prize winner, the EU has a lot to celebrate, not least the role it has played in ensuring peace between the countries of Europe for the past 60 years. But over the same...
View ArticleOne Nation: Olympics opening ceremony revisited
I had just finished my last (official) shift at the Paralympics. Sitting down alone with my last plate of food from the wonderful staff at the Copper Box canteen, I got talking to another volunteer who...
View ArticleThe new Archbishop takes up fight on social issues
An announcement from Downing Street on Friday confirmed Justin Welby, an oil executive turned bishop, to be the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Bishop...
View ArticleScottish independence: asking the wrong question?
Following last month’s agreement between David Cameron and Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, the Scottish Government has now rubber-stamped the SNP’s proposed question for the 2014 referendum on...
View ArticleFrom Monday – Women’s Week on Shifting Grounds
Blogging, even compared to other forms of media, remains a very male dominated activity. It was our intention when Shifting Grounds was launched earlier this year to feature at least one women...
View ArticleAt last, Labour understands voters’ concerns on immigration
Ed Miliband is not someone who shies away from a challenge. He has demonstrated this admirably since becoming Labour leader. Getting to grips with the thorny issue of immigration is one thing. Getting...
View ArticleNorthern Ireland – the perils of inaction
My first visit to Belfast was a revelation. I was young, I had never been anywhere even remotely dangerous, and Belfast at that time was very dangerous indeed. We stayed at the Europa, which was where...
View ArticleStop and search damages the police
StopWatch is a coalition dedicated to promoting a fair, accountable and effective police service, and to raising public awareness about stop and search. In the week it was announced that criminal...
View ArticleReconnecting with voters on immigration
Immigration has been the elephant in the room of Labour politics for many years. Even when Ed Miliband pointed out that it was there, sitting right next to us, many Labour activists chose not to see...
View ArticleThe State Of Immigration Today
That distant growling you can hear is the revving of engines. The main political parties are gearing up for a long General Election campaign, and immigration policy enjoys a prime spot. The Tories are...
View Article‘Go Home’ Vans Are A Cause For National Shame
It is remarkable the depths to which the government have stooped in the execution of their immigration policies. The so called ‘go home’ vans and text messages from the home office have been getting...
View ArticleFolk Economics Are Obscuring The Immigration Debate
It’s Saturday morning, and I am flipping through the pages of a tired copy of the Guardian I found on a table. As I skim through it, I end up in the letters section, which today bears the title...
View ArticleThe Dehumanising Impact Of Immigration Policy
In an interview with the Guardian, the home secretary Theresa May defines an ‘illegal’ immigrant as someone that has ‘no right to be in the UK’. Denying someone the ‘right to be in the UK’ may mean two...
View ArticleThe Financialisation Of Human Dignity
The new family migration rules enacted by the Coalition government have become infamous for curtailing the right of British passport holders (let’s treat this designation for what it is: one based on...
View ArticleGovernment Must Promote Social Unity
According to a study by Ipsos Mori, the British people seem to believe themselves to be surrounded by foreigners and scroungers. People perceive that there are nearly five times as many Muslims as...
View ArticleU KIP if you want to: It’s time to wake up
So we’re supposed to take UKIP seriously, are we? Accept that they represent some legitimate and long-established current of opinion in British politics? Let’s take those questions in turn. First of...
View ArticleThe Immigration Debate Is Not New
To be modern is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world – and, at the same time, that threatens to destroy...
View ArticleHow To Tackle UKIP’s ‘Seam Of Despair’
Those who are arguing that Labour should respond to the UKIP vote in Heywood and Middleton by talking tough on immigration have clearly learnt nothing from the last four years. David Cameron has spent...
View ArticleIs the UK really experiencing a brain drain?
Immigration continues to be one of the key issues in the build-up to the general election. The latest figures show a net flow of 298,000 into the UK. This is higher than when David Cameron’s government...
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