The Conversation UK

To stay in the top job, a British prime minister has to try and keep certain groups happy. MPs, party members and donors do not like to be ignored. Nor do the bond markets. And often it feels like they matter the most. That’s because those markets are what make it possible for governments to spend money. Each of the bonds is essentially a loa

For someone waiting for a hip replacement, the NHS waiting list is not an abstract policy problem. It is the difference between walking to the shops or staying indoors, sleeping through the night or waking in pain, returning to work or putting life on hold. Across Wales, there are signs that some long waits are finally beginning to move in th

Ferrari’s new sportscar, the Luce (pronounced Loo-che), raises some interesting questions about the future of hi-tech, high-cost supercars in the electric era. The Italian sportscar maker’s first move into the electric vehicle (EV) segment – with an eye on the Chinese luxury market – signals strategic pragmatism rather than ideological contin

You come home after a stressful day and reach out to your cat for a bit of comfort. It hisses. Maybe takes a swipe. Or simply flicks its tail and saunters off without so much as a meow. A dog, by contrast, greets you as though they’ve just won the lottery. Of course, some owners will argue their cats are very loving, but is it a cat or dog th

Every year, more people in England and Wales are involved in disputes before the civil courts in England and Wales than in the criminal courts. Over 1 million claims a year – for personal injury, debt, housing disrepair, faulty consumer goods or breach of contract, for example – are dealt with in the county court. Hidden beneath this are at l

Most of my ecology and evolution undergraduates have never held a pair of binoculars or looked at a bug through a magnifying glass. They don’t know how to use a key to identify a plant or insect, let alone why they should bother. They struggle to name common garden birds. They expect to learn about biodiversity from behind the safety of a com

The UK government’s decision to introduce restrictions on children’s access to social media marks a significant moment in the evolution of online safety policy. For supporters, it represents a long-overdue response to growing concerns about children’s wellbeing. For critics, it raises questions about effectiveness, enforcement and unintended

David Hockney, who died on June 11, was perhaps the most successful and well-known British artist of his lifetime. His exhibitions, from career-spanning shows like David Hockney 25 at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (2025) to his groundbreaking touring immersive exhibition David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) (2025), d