• Jimmy Lai and the umbrellas of Hong Kong

    First published on 4th January 2024 The umbrellas have been put away for the time being, but the arguments of where Hong Kong stands still have to be navigated. Jimmy Lai, the editor, founder and owner of Apple Daily is being charged under Hong Kong’s legislature with a whole plethora of charges, that range from…

  • Is it time to get tougher with Russia….

    With the end of Navalny, Russians seem to have lost the one voice that could be heard by millions who were either gasping at the audacity of his latest prank or just finding an understanding of what an extraordinary man he was. But Russia has never been short of these kind of characters until now,…

  • Populism, US and Europe

    This is the republication of an article that I think is necessary after the US election.

  • Germany and the question of moving into the 21st Century

    The rules based order is moving into an uncertain period. The ideas of liberal democracy is also under threat with the movement of the US towards the unpredictability of its presidency, but the ideas and arguments that have kept the western world above the political machinations of the authoritarians has led to states that have…

  • Its all in the air now the US election is over

    It is all in the air with the US elective electing Trump to the presidency. Countries in Europe, China and right across the Middle East are wondering what his presidency will bring. For Europe it is about trade, for China it is about tariffs and for the Middle East it is about stability, all arguments…

  • There are options

    The Arab people are seething about the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza, they want more than their autocratic governments are willing to give. But there is also a realisation that the peace treaties that were set are keeping. The idea that Jordan, Egypt, Syria or the Gulf states would willingly join the war that Iran…