Reading

Created
Mon, 27/04/2026 - 19:35
Nigel Farage's Head of Policy endorsed extremist ‘Great Replacement’ theory, called for the reversal of a quarter-century of British migration, and named himself UK chair of a pan-European far-right alliance, in conversation with now deceased ‘MAGA’ activist Charlie Kirk.
Created
Mon, 27/04/2026 - 18:42
Adam Smith, like the other Scottish Enlightenment philosophers, was strongly influenced by natural rights philosophy. Locke — under the influence of Hugo Grotius and Samuel von Pufendorf — had emphasised people’s natural freedom and right against the state. For Smith, natural freedom meant, among other things, that the individual himself should have the right to […]
Created
Mon, 27/04/2026 - 04:12
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – April 26, 2026 by Tony Wikrent   War How Iran has been studying lessons from the war in Ukraine [FT Alphaville, via The Big Picture, April 20, 2026] Military journals provide tantalising glimpses into what Tehran’s military thinks and its priorities, including drones. Tehran’s military journals reveal how closely […]
Created
Sat, 25/04/2026 - 20:51

In torrid weeks like this, the benefits of being a Labour cabinet minister might seem few and far between. But all those at the government’s top table have an advantage not so readily available to politicians in rival parties: thanks to the Labour Party’s unique formal connection to the union movement, they have the perspectives […]

Created
Sat, 25/04/2026 - 20:47

As someone who has spent my entire adult life in the Labour Party, I have read countless column inches and watched endless hours of broadcasts about supposed Trotskyist takeovers. From Militant to Momentum, and everything in between, the shrieks of alarm have been a constant soundtrack. Yet none of these apocalyptic predictions ever came to […]

Created
Sat, 25/04/2026 - 04:00

“Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].”

Here, you will let out an extremely long, exasperated sigh. Really milk it, like you can’t even believe you have to make this call. Like, your reps should be doing something about stuff already, without you having to take time out of your busy day to tell them that you’re a voter who votes and will vote for somebody else if they don’t get off their ass already. You’ll vote for anybody, as long as it’s not them. Maybe you’ll even primary them yourself; that’s how deep and exasperated this sigh should be. You should sigh for about as long as it takes to read this entire paragraph. I should have warned you to take a really deep breath. If you’re light in the head or dizzy or your vision is going black or something, I’m sorry. If you’re done reading and also still conscious, you can move on to the next part of this script.

“I mean…”

Created
Sat, 25/04/2026 - 02:00

This is an excerpt from McSweeney’s contributor Hayley DeRoche’s new book, Dress Your Baby in Sage and Taupe: A Handbook for the Sad Beige Parent, available now!

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When planning a sad, beige child’s first birthday party, it’s important not to lose sight of what’s most important: love laughter aesthetics. Make sure your little one’s birthday is filled to the brim with ennui Instagram-worthy fun with this handy checklist. And remember, don’t fret if you don’t check off every item; your utter failure as a parent and person will be forgiven by your child in time.

Maybe.

You know, with many long years of therapy.

So get to work! The stakes have never been lower higher.

Invitations: This is your guest’s first taste of the party that awaits; make sure you let them know your finger is on the pulse of trends like nobody else with these tried-and-true themes.

Acceptable themes (PICK ONE):