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Levelling up has been a total failure – here’s the evidence

In the UK’s 2019 general election, regional inequality took centre stage. Conservative candidate Boris Johnson harnessed the widespread pro-Brexit sentiment and capitalised on how the Labour Party had been weakened under Jeremy Corbyn to storm to victory.

The Conversation · Jun 10, 2024

Northern Ireland: the three electoral threats keeping the DUP awake at night

“Get Brexit done” was the slogan that carried then prime minister Boris Johnson to an 80-seat majority in the 2019 general election. And sure enough, his government did indeed go on to secure the UK’s exit from the European Union.

The Conversation · Jun 10, 2024

Does magic really exist? The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast

Seven-year-old Julia in London thinks that rainbows and the Northern Lights are magical. But if a scientist tells her how they work, will she still believe they are? Join us to find out on The Conversation’s Curious Kids podcast!

The Conversation · Jun 9, 2024

Neuroscience can explain why voting is so often driven by emotion

The British electorate has been more volatile than ever in recent years. The elections of 2015 and 2017 saw the highest number of voters switching parties in modern history. And current polling suggests we’re about to see more of the same.

The Conversation · Jun 7, 2024

Why doesn’t economic good news shift the polls for Rishi Sunak? An analysis of 27 past elections explains the problem

One of the few success stories of the Conservative government is the fall in inflation, which is now close to the target rate set by the Bank of England. In April 2024, the consumer price index, the most common measure of inflation, increased by 3% over the previous year compared…

The Conversation · Jun 7, 2024

Election 2024: why it’s still worth watching the multi-party debate

The fallout from the first general election debate has left viewers and voters with a bad taste in their mouths. The Conservatives’ disputed claim about Labour’s tax plans shows precisely the problems of adversarial debate formats: they favour soundbites, attack politics and rhetorical tactics that can be misleading.

The Conversation · Jun 7, 2024

Business basics: what’s an initial public offering?

This article is part of The Conversation’s “Business Basics” series where we ask leading experts to discuss key concepts in business, economics and finance.

The Conversation · Jun 6, 2024

Victoria is raising minimum rental standards – it’s good news for tenants and the environment

Following the lead of countries like New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Australian states and territories are moving slowly towards improving the basic quality and performance of rental housing.

The Conversation · Jun 6, 2024

Ukraine recap: western aid now boosting defensive morale as battle for Kharkiv continues

The latest reports emerging from the frontlines in Ukraine are that the artillery ammunition the defending troops have been waiting for all these months is finally beginning to filter through to them. But it’s not enough, says the authoritative US thinktank, the Institute for the Study of War. The ISW…

The Conversation · Jun 6, 2024

COVID vaccines saved millions of lives – linking them to excess deaths is a mistake

A recent study has sparked another round of headlines claiming that COVID vaccines caused excess deaths. This was accompanied by a predictable outpouring of I-told-you-sos on social media.

The Conversation · Jun 6, 2024