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The author on the break-up of Britain and why Burnham must embrace constitutional reform
In the final week of the Musk v. Altman trial, lawyers traded blows over Elon Musk’s and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s credibility. Altman was grilled on his alleged history of lying and self-dealing involving companies that do business with OpenAI. But he fired back, painting Musk as a power-seeker who wanted to control the development…
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How Chinese short dramas became AI content machines China’s short drama industry is fueled by bite-sized, melodramatic, and smutty shows built for smartphone scrolling. Now, many are being made entirely with…
Every year the World Health Organization publishes a global health statistics report. It features the numbers behind world health trends and, importantly, assesses whether we’re on track to reach ambitious goals set in 2015. It’s a bit like a health grade. The 2026 report was published on Wednesday. And the results aren’t looking brilliant. While…
Comfortable, leisurely, pleasant stagnation is just not good enough for the modern age
Is the UK ungovernable? melissa.ittoo Fri, 15/05/2026 - 15:58 Old problems and new challenges can be addressed by a government with the right ideas and commitment. 8 Comment Hannah White Institute for Government Yes The serious problems faced by government today cannot be solved by political leaders who are attempting to govern the country as it used to be rather than how it is now, and is going to be in the future. Parliament and the constitution Civil service Civil service reform Government...
Chaos returns to Westminster: What next for Keir Starmer and the government? zuzanna.juszkiewicz Fri, 15/05/2026 - 12:42 Starmer government Online event Number 10 Tuesday 19 May 2026, 11:00 Cabinet Leadership election Labour Prime minister Institute for Government Tuesday 19 May 2026, 10:00 BST Parliament and the constitution Civil service An expert IfG briefing on what an explosive week in Westminster means for the government. Register now Ministerial resignations, letters of no confidence, ...
Ten things we learned from the King’s Speech 2026 melissa.ittoo Fri, 15/05/2026 - 09:43 What did the King’s Speech tell us about the government’s priorities for the new session? 11 Comment Dr Rebecca McKee Catherine Haddon Jill Rutter Cassia Rowland Ben Paxton Amber Dellar Shaina Sangha Rosa Hodgkin Stuart Hoddinott Sophie Metcalfe Hannah Keenan Alex Thomas Institute for Government Yes Thirty-seven bills were announced in the 2026 King's Speech. Parliament and the constitution Public services...
The foundational texts of classical liberalism were written in Europe too