On 7 May 2026, voters across England went to the polls to elect more than 5,000 local councillors and six directly elected mayors. [A note for American readers: think of these as something like county and city government races, spread across a dizzying patchwork of metropolitan boroughs, unitary authorities, county councils, and district councils — … Continue reading Democracy is Alive and Well in Britain
politics
Get Me to My Bubble
We might all know by now that in these hyper-political times of polarization and toxic communication that people often live in their own hermetically sealed thought ‘bubbles’ or ‘echo chambers’. This is a problem because if we often only hear and listen to people who share our views and fail to communicate with people outside … Continue reading Get Me to My Bubble
The Bright Side of the News
I have been a proverbial news enthusiast – maybe even a news junkie – for decades. I roll out of bed to read a couple of morning papers everyday (real newspapers delivered to my door) and subscribe to more online. I’ve always enjoyed humour and cartoons accompanying the news, but never have I appreciated humour … Continue reading The Bright Side of the News
Reputational Crash: The Return of the Ugly Americans
As an American living in Europe, I have been surprised by the number of friends and acquaintances in the US who are angry at democratic nations across NATO, Europe, and the world for not agreeing to calls from President Trump to support his military operations against Iran. Their frustration is not simply because the US … Continue reading Reputational Crash: The Return of the Ugly Americans
Supporting Ukraine’s Science Diaspora
I had the privilege of attending a two-day event (23-24 March 2026) at the University of Liverpool entitled ‘The UK-Ukraine Research Twinning Showcase and Networking 2026’. It was organized by Dr. Igor Potapov and held at Liverpool’s School of Law and Social Justice. I was impressed by the number of initiatives between the UK and … Continue reading Supporting Ukraine’s Science Diaspora
Distrust in the US
Distrust in the US: Collapsing Foundations of the Trump Administration Trust in the United States has been sinking – collapsing. The foundations of this distrust are two interrelated aspects of the Trump administration: the decline in Presidential authority and the failure of checks and balances, broadly defined. By checks and balances I mean more than … Continue reading Distrust in the US
Trump and the Evolution of Political Communication
All conventions on the norms and practices governing political communication, particularly around presidential communications, have been shattered by US President Donald J Trump. The Israel-US War on Iran provides a recent example. In the first 48 hours of the War on Iran, the US administration gave mixed messages over its rationale and aims, justifying the … Continue reading Trump and the Evolution of Political Communication
Very Effective Opposition to US Foreign Policy in Munich
Tradition has it that partisan politics and opposition stays in the US and the government speaks with one voice in international arenas on foreign policy. There have been many exceptions to this, and the 2026 Munich Security Conference is a major one. From my perspective, I was so pleased to see American opposition to the … Continue reading Very Effective Opposition to US Foreign Policy in Munich
Glory to Ukraine: The US Must Step Up
Ukraine Needs the US to Step Up It is blindingly obvious that the Ukraine-Russia negotiations are rigged against Ukraine. Russia has more cards to play in the negotiations: Donald Trump admires President Putin and resents President Zelenskyy; Trump has business deals in Russia; Trump is jealous of the sophistication of leaders of the NATO and … Continue reading Glory to Ukraine: The US Must Step Up
David versus Two Goliaths – and Winning
A photo of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin standing together at the Alaska ‘Summit’ in August 2025 is displayed in the Palm Room of Trump’s White House. It speaks volumes of Trump’s inexplicable admiration of Putin along with other autocrats and dictators, and what Volodymyr Zelenskyy is up against in negotiating with Russia while the … Continue reading David versus Two Goliaths – and Winning