Politics news

Loughborough University partners with MPs to hold parliamentary conference on wrestling

In the wake of the WWE's first major event in the UK for 30 years, a group of MPs is announcing its intention to ensure the legacy of the event is a stronger and healthier wrestling industry this side of the Atlantic.

Cost of living report backed by former PM Gordon Brown

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined with 56 faith groups, charities and politicians to call on the government to take urgent action to bridge the cost of living gap faced by the lowest income families.

New leadership for internationally recognised social policy research centre at Loughborough

Two co-directors have been appointed to Loughborough’s Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) following the departure of Professor Donald Hirsch who stepped down after a decade at the helm.
Myanmar flag

Myanmar: death penalty the latest tactic for military junta’s murderous regime

Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s death penalty moratorium has been a myth. The junta has routinely targeted civilians for extra-judicial killing, including using army snipers to callously pick off peaceful protesters.
Landing of Italian Troops in Tripoli, Libya in October 1911. (Image supplied by the Illustrations Bureau (Whitefriars, London)).

Photos of wartime Europe still shape views of conflict – here’s how we’re trying to right the record

A war in Europe instantly creates parallels with the world wars for people in the UK and other European countries. This connection represents what most people know and are taught about conflict on the continent. The media coverage and response to the war in Ukraine have also invoked familiar images of the second world war, in particular those of bombed buildings, armed soldiers and civilians, and children clinging to their parents.

Low-income families face cost of living crisis without the government support they had in the pandemic

Families faced with uncertainties about how they can make ends meet with soaring living costs are not getting the kind of backup from the government that helped them survive the pandemic, a study has found.

Political links with Putin have not harmed populist leaders’ election campaigns

Marine Le Pen’s ties to Vladimir Putin should have dented her French presidential campaign, but like other populist politicians who have aligned themselves with the Kremlin, she has managed to retain her popularity.

Important moment for UK Government to improve immigration policies

As thousands of displaced Ukrainian families arrive in Britain, the Government has an opportunity to improve the way it handles UK borders and refugee resettlement, says Dr Michelle Richey.

Ukraine war: Turkey’s unique role in peace negotiations

After more than a month of fighting, a fresh round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has begun in Istanbul in the hope that progress can be made. Following weeks of fruitless talks in Belarus, negotiations were hosted by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who made a short opening statement telling both sides: “The world is waiting for good news, and good news from you.”

University launches podcast about the impact of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

A new podcast has been launched which examines the impact the conflict in Ukraine is having on the world as well as assessing the future implications for the global economy and our everyday lives.

St. Basil's Cathedral, Russia. Image courtesy of Getty Images.

Vladimir Putin: risk-taker who is gambling his country’s future

In the early 1990s, when he was deputy mayor of St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin was known to a member of the city’s legislature, Viktor Talanov. A psychologist by profession, Talanov prepared a study of Putin in which he concluded that one of his subject’s fundamental psychological characteristics was a very high tolerance of risk.
red square, moscow

SWIFT: ejecting Russia is largely symbolic – here’s why

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is horrifying. Western leaders, fearing a broader war, are responding primarily with economic sanctions. A prominent economic sanction has been Russia’s exclusion from the international payments messaging system SWIFT, presented as a powerful means of undermining its economy.

Debt-ridden companies with political affiliations are first in line for Government bailouts – new research

Businesses that have politicians on their boards are more likely to get COVID-19 bailouts from the Government – according to a new study.

Online book launch: Charting the evolution of political communication over the last four decades

The eleventh instalment of the long-running Political Communications book series, co-authored by Loughborough’s Professor Dominic Wring, will be launched online on December 13.

Delegation from the Indonesian Parliament visit campus

The University was honoured to welcome a delegation from the Indonesian Parliament to campus last week.
the sports minister visits UKAD

Sports Minister visits UKAD’s new HQ at Loughborough University: a Midlands powerhouse for sport

With a week to go before the start of the Tokyo Olympics, Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston MP, visited the new HQ for UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) at Loughborough University.

Planned cuts to Universal Credit will hit incomes of millions of households unable to afford a minimum living standard

The planned £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit in October is set to leave out-of-work families with children receiving barely half of the income the public believes is required to achieve an acceptable standard of living, while adults without children will receive around a third, according to a new report.

One Britain One Nation Day is the perfect vehicle for the government’s values campaign

The UK government has officially endorsed the celebration of June 25 as One Britain, One Nation (OBON) Day.

Five questions that need answering in a COVID public inquiry

Where there is much to be positive about regarding the UK’s strong vaccine rollout, a public inquiry into how this pandemic has been handled in the country since the first signs of COVID emerged will be required, to ensure mistakes aren’t repeated in the future.
Woman holding 'we need a change' sign. Getty

Only 12% of sexual offence victims feel police investigations are fair and proportionate, new study reveals

Only one in five victims of sexual offences in England and Wales were satisfied with their criminal justice experience, a new Loughborough-led study has revealed.

Twitter analysis shows Trump on course to win US election – but is bot activity skewing results?

In depth analysis of US public emotion on twitter has revealed that Trump looks set to win the Presidential Election – but the impact of bot activity cannot be ignored.
US flag and the white house.

US election 2020: a toolkit for ‘democracy-worthy’ coverage for journalists

As election day approaches in the US, journalists around the world are working in the most challenging environment of their lifetimes.

Presidential podium in the White House.

New white paper published: Loughborough expert part of network working with journalists to improve the quality of US election coverage

The upcoming US Presidential election poses unprecedented challenges to journalists in the States and around the globe.

New data shows child poverty rates have risen sharpest in the Midlands and the North

Child poverty has risen most sharply in parts of the Midlands and in northern towns and cities over the past four years, according to new research published today (13/10).

Life beyond COVID-19: What are Loughborough’s experts concerned about?

Loughborough academics have voiced their concerns about the impact of coronavirus as part of a new UK Parliament report.