Ode to PSI
In the brave new world—excuse the pun—of the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies (PPL) it can be easy sometimes to lose a sense of what Politics at UEA is all about and the great academic traditions of Political, Social and International Studies (PSI). In this posting I…
Climate Change: Crisis or Opportunity?
Protesters like Greta Thunberg and the Extinction Rebellion group have changed the debate around climate change in the last year but how much impact can they have to really change public policy? As the United Nations announces country level climate targets we hear from UEA climate scientist Professor Corinne Le…
Iceland is mourning a dead glacier – how grieving over ecological destruction can help us face the climate crisis
Death certificates and commemorative plaques aren’t something you’d normally associate with a glacier. But that is exactly how Iceland recently mourned the loss of 700-year-old Okjökull, the first of its major glaciers to die. This is just one early example of events we will encounter more and more often as the hot new…
Is the UK ready for an election? Inside a system straining at the seams
Speculation has it that an early general election is around the corner for the UK. If it does come, it won’t be the country’s first unexpected election this year. The European parliamentary elections were not supposed to happen. But happen they did. And they didn’t go to plan. There were angry scenes…
Political Hegemony and Social Complexity Mechanisms of Power After Gramsci: An Interview with Alex Williams
Alex Williams is Lecturer in Politics at the University of East Anglia. He very kindly found some time in his diary to talk to us about his new book - Political Hegemony and Social Complexity: Mechanisms of Power After Gramsci. The book has just been published by Palgrave Macmillan. Q…
Labour must walk the tightrope on Brexit
Despite numerous calls for a ‘People’s vote’ on Brexit, Labour should persevere in resisting another referendum, if it is to win a majority at the next general election. There has been significant pressure in the last few months for Labour to fully back the ‘People’s vote’ campaign for a ‘final…
My experience working with Clive Lewis
It is more than fair to say that working in Westminster has been an invaluable experience that I will treasure greatly. I was warmly greeted by the lovely staff of Clive Lewis in Westminster which quickly calmed my nerves, as this is my first experience of Politics on the ground.…
To Backstop, or not to Backstop… That is the ‘Irish question’
What was a neglected issue during the referendum campaigns has now become the main sticking point in Brexit negotiations, and there exists no possible answer unless someone crosses a red line. In macroeconomics, there is a concept known as the impossible trinity or the ‘trilemma’. It’s a hypothesis which says…
Remainers may not be the only ‘animals’ offended by Brexit
Animal welfare legislation and regulations could potentially decline following the UK’s exit from the European Union. Activists argue that new trade deals will trade off animal rights for cheaper produce from countries such as the USA. Despite reassurances from certain MPs, there is pressure in Westminster for relaxing standards to…
Interview with Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba: “I learned to suffer but to do it with a degree of dignity”
Interview with Mr Alfredo Pérez-Rubalcaba a key figure in Spanish politics. The former Interior Minister, Minister of Education, Deputy PM and leader of the Spanish socialist party was interviewed by one of our students in Madrid last autumn. He unfortunately passed away in May. With his loss we say goodbye to…