Author: Tony O’Donnell
Les enfants de la patrie – but the enduring trap of populism is not unique to France
Trump has seized on opportunities Macron and Starmer have created. Macron and Starmer. alike in their determination to ignore politicians of the left, have allowed Farage and Le Pen to set the agenda, writes Tony O’Donnell
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Who owns the news?
“We pay a licence fee and in return deserve a fearless and objective public broadcaster. That may at last change the gloomy media weather forecast. It will require the departure of a number of staff – some on-screen, some not – whose grip on democracy, the public mood and decent journalism has been irretrievably damaged…
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Is the BBC helping British democracy?
The BBC was once among the UK’s most respected institutions but no more – and it faces fresh competition from new upstarts like Andrew Neil’s GB News and Murdoch’s UK News. Break-up or renewal ahead?
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Time to get real – or press the panic button?
‘… it’s time to stop feebly blaming an unacceptable status quo for Scotland’s poor economic and social progress. And, instead of excusing that under-performance via the stock promise that independence will remedy current woes, the SNP must get real and begin serious preparations for the break-up of the UK.’
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A leur façon: the French and pop music
‘This further reinforces a sense of opposition to the system, yet while French rap artists address burning social issues, they incorporate French regard for poetry and philosophy to achieve music more lyrical and subtle than that of their American counterparts.’
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