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The UK’s decision to leave the European Union in 2016 set in motion a huge amount of change, as we all know. But so often we focus on the big picture issues such as the economic implications or the future of international trade. For thousands of European citizens who made the UK home before the referendum, Brexit has had far more personal and practical repercussions.
Interviews with people who felt forced to leave after the vote for various reasons highlight this side of the story in at-times very emotional terms. A family of mixed origin struggles to decide where to live, and a woman faces the sad fact that her UK-born children may never follow her to France. These accounts from Nando Sigona’s research are a much-needed reminder that the consequences of high-level political decisions are always felt most acutely by ordinary people.
Ukraine’s National Union of Journalists has accused Russia of deliberately targeting media professionals in attacks, which is a war crime. A look at how the Kremlin has treated reporters over recent decades only adds to the suspicion that this is what has been going on during the war.
On a brighter note, we’ve been looking at the history of the rhododendron, a beautiful flower with a surprisingly outsized place in ancient legend and modern cultural imagination.
And we've partnered with HowTheLightGetsIn, the world’s largest philosophy and music festival, this Saturday and Sunday 23-24th September at London's Kenwood House. Join investigations editor Mike Herd talking to special guests about a radical new approach to structuring society. The full festival programme is headlined by Rory Stewart, Alastair Campbell, Carol Gilligan, David Baddiel and more. And there's still time to get 20% off tickets using code CONVO23.
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Laura Hood
Senior Politics Editor, Assistant Editor
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Shutterstock/NicoElNino
Nando Sigona, University of Birmingham
The plight of those who felt compelled to leave when that reality ended is often overlooked.
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Shot while reporting from Ukraine: Swiss photojournalist Guillaume Briquet.
Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM
Kelly Bjorklund, Staffordshire University; Simon J Smith, Staffordshire University
Journalists and media workers are being deliberately targeted by Russian forces in Ukraine.
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Rhododendrons look pretty but there is so much more to them.
Richard Milne
Richard Milne, The University of Edinburgh
Some rhododendron fossils are 60 million years old, showing they were around before the Himalayas were formed.
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Politics + Society
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Thomas Gift, UCL; Julie M Norman, UCL
Running a campaign or serving as president from jail would pose untold challenges, but it’s not prohibited.
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Kara Ng, University of Manchester; Sheena Johnson, University of Manchester
Employees revealed a constant ‘drip’ of verbal abuse could be even more harmful than physical violence.
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Jiaying Zhao, University of British Columbia; Anita Palepu, University of British Columbia; Daniel Daly-Grafstein, University of British Columbia
Researchers found that most homeless people spent the money they received on rent, food and other living costs.
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Leland Lazarus, Florida International University
US foreign policy initiatives in the Indo-Pacific seem focused on containing China and its influence.
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Arts + Culture
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Caron Gentry, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Dark academia novels romanticise student life, but their stories of friendship are inspiring.
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Jamie Bernthal-Hooker, University of Suffolk
The most recent instalment in Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot franchise is not faithful to Agatha Christie’s work, but it is entertaining all the same.
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Anne Bailey, University of Oxford
Modern pilgrims are increasingly turning to the waves in search of more creative and contemporary ways to explore their faith and its history.
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Business + Economy
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Niall Anselm Cunningham, Newcastle University
To really understand social interactions, researchers need to look beyond figures like mobile phone location data.
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Environment
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Ariane Millot, Imperial College London; Steve Pye, UCL
To overcome last winter’s energy crunch, France successfully introduced a 15-point ‘energy sobriety’ plan to cut gas and electricity use and reduce emissions.
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Health
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Michael Mantzios, Birmingham City University; Kyriaki Giannou, Birmingham City University
Combining the practice with mindfulness is key.
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Caitjan Gainty, King's College London
More often than not, it is women who have been gaslighted by medical professionals.
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Science + Technology
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Julian Koplin, Monash University
Pigs with human kidneys? Brain-powered computer chips? Science is creating new kinds of living things – and our moral understanding needs to catch up fast.
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