A Downing Street rally against antisemitism asks the public to do something harder than disapprove privately. Britain is very good at quiet concern, folded neatly and kept indoors. Hatred tends to enjoy that arrangement. It leaves more room on the pavement.
PublicLife
-
-
Harman Gets the Equality Brief
Harriet Harman being put in charge of women and girls policy is the sort of appointment that sounds serious until everyone asks the same dull question: will the brief come with power, money and teeth, or just another taskforce with a very determined chair?
-
Millions Vote in High-Stakes Local Elections
Local elections are being asked to carry the weight of national mood, devolved pressure, voter ID and everyone’s private fury about bills. Quite a lot for a Thursday in a school hall with a trestle table and a pencil on a string.
-
Faith and Belief Forum Hate Consultation
A consultation on faith-based hate crime is the kind of exercise nobody wants to need, which is rather the point. Town halls, surveys and recommendations may sound dry, but behind them sit people who don't want to be targeted for worshipping in public.
-
Captive Elephants Rehomed in Europe
Europe has given former captive elephants a sanctuary large enough to behave a little more like elephants, which feels like progress and an apology in the same field. The collars and cameras remain, because even freedom now arrives with monitoring.
-
Renters’ Rights Act Takes Full Effect (Update)
England’s private renters have moved from fixed-term uncertainty to rolling tenancies, which sounds almost gentle until everyone starts reading the guidance. Section 21 is gone for existing contracts too, leaving landlords, tenants and property managers to figure out what security looks like in the paperwork.
-
Etihad Stadium Renamed for Charity
A football stadium being renamed for charity is a strange sight in the modern game: a place usually wrapped in sponsorship pausing to remember the city outside the turnstiles. For one match, the branding machine appears to have noticed the community. Steady on.
-
UK Local Elections Proceed
Local elections are where national anger goes to wear a waterproof coat and queue at a school hall. Councillors will be chosen, parties will pretend not to panic, and voter ID will add another small test of patience to the democratic experience.