• Parallel thinking — Failed State by Sam Freedman, review and analysis

    If future governments fail in the way that recent ones have, we will hit a point where the public’s patience snaps altogether and they try more radical alternatives on offer from extremists and charlatans. […] And when it does, politicians will find themselves asking: why didn’t we do things differently when we had the chance?…

  • The Myth of the Strong Leader by Archie Brown, review and analysis

    A recent poll from Ipsos sheds some light on the attitudes that underpin the rise of the far right. It found that across 31 countries surveyed, respondents by a 47%-27% margin were more likely to agree that their country needs “a strong leader willing to break the rules”. This included a 53%-22% margin here in…