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Bishop of Durham: ‘We must act urgently to abolish cruel two-child benefit cap’

Unlike policies, a childhood cannot be reversed, nor revised at a later date. Each of us only have one childhood, and the experiences we have in these formative years shape the rest of our lives. Every child matters equally whether they are the first, or the third or later born in a family.  » Read More

Abandoning climate aid would torpedo Global Britain ambitions

A leaked civil service briefing has warned that the government could break its pledge to spend £11.6bn over five years on sustainable development, climate action and nature protection overseas. It follows Zac Goldsmith’s warning that the promise would be broken as he resigned as International Environment Minister with a broadside against Rishi Sunak for being

Surrey oil drilling case reflects growing impact of climate litigation

Standing outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday 21st June, Sarah Finch discussed the beginning of a hearing that could have profound consequences for fossil fuel extraction in the UK. Leading Weald Action Group, Finch has challenged Surrey County Council’s decision to grant planning permission on an oil drilling project that could see up to 3

The ban on animal testing for cosmetics hangs in the balance

Over two decades ago, the UK became the first country to introduce a ban on animal testing for finished cosmetics products. Then in 2013, the ban was expanded to cosmetics ingredients and a sales ban passed in alignment with EU legislation at that time, meaning that companies wishing to bring any new cosmetics products or ingredients

Putin’s plan A is nuclear war. Only the West can stop him. 

Having once boasted the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world in 1991, Ukraine is the only country to have voluntarily given up its nuclear weapons. Ukraine’s decision was based on the Budapest Memorandum which gave Ukraine formal security guarantees from the USA, the UK and Russia. After Russia’s violation of every possible international treaty,  » Read More

The dangers of jumping the gun on AI regulation

Artificial intelligence is the topic on everyone’s lips. Safety risks are increasing as we approach truly transformative “strong” AI systems, models that could outperform humans in nearly every domain. These models could do tremendous good, like helping develop new cancer drugs or solving fusion, but they could also enable catastrophic harm if misdirected.  » Read More

It’s Time to Face the New Reality: Is Europe Ready for It?  

72 years ago, on April 18, 1951, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg signed the Schuman Declaration which marked the beginning of the European Coal and Steel Community, which later evolved into the European Union we know. In the aftermath of World War II, instead of continuing to be dissociated by political differences and

Does the cab-rank rule really facilitate access to justice?

The cab-rank rule – the principle that barristers cannot refuse instructions from a client they find unpalatable – is held close to the hearts of most barristers. For many, it represents an important pillar of the justice system in England and Wales. However, a recent pledge by over 120 lawyers not to prosecute climate activists

Religious freedom for all, religious privilege for none

Robust legal protections for religious freedom are essential in a liberal society. However, this does not mean religious activity is exempt from liberal, secular laws or ring-fenced from robust public criticism. By privileging religious sensibilities in secular institutions while simultaneously censoring peaceful religious speech, the UK has betrayed this principle.  » Read More

Criminalising Nitrous Oxide Will Do Nothing To Address Anti-Social Behaviour

On Sunday, the Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove announced that the government would ban the possession, use and sale of nitrous oxide – otherwise known as laughing gas or “nos”. A day later, Number 10 went full throttle on its assault against laughing gas. This bred confusion, given that nitrous oxide for recreational purposes was already

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