Rishi Sunak

• This, he has argued, is needed because “our democracy itself is a target” of antisemitic and Islamophobic extremists.
• However, the reality is that no measures do more damage to democracy than policy proposals like the one Sunak is promoting.
• The UK already has a definition for extremism, which is used in efforts to tackle terrorism.
• A key reason why this definition is not contained in legislation is because it is so vague and unclear.

Vague to vaguer

• What does it mean to undermine or overturn the rights or freedoms of others?
• Would arguing for the UK to leave the European convention on human rights count meet the bar?
• What about calling for restrictions on the right to free speech or the right to protest?

Existing laws are enough

• But the UK already has numerous laws in place to tackle what it considers to be unacceptable behaviour at protests.
• The Terrorism Act (which is also incredibly broad) can be used to prosecute people who damage property or create a serious risk to public safety during protests.
• Counter-terrorism laws can also capture forms of expression at public demonstrations or online.
• This can now be applied by he police to criminalise protests that are considered to be making too much noise.

The right to protest

• People may self-censor out of fear of being identified as extremist, not least when their employer has a duty under Prevent.
• There is a deep danger of conflating protest with extremism and terrorism, undermining the legitimacy of these protests.
• To stretch the concept of extremism to cover these views is what is actually undermining democracy and the rights and freedoms of others.

Alan Greene does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• The strikes have been in retaliation for Houthi attacks on shipping – both merchant and naval – in the Red Sea in recent months.
• UK government minister Huw Merriman claimed recently that these airstrikes are not just a “one off”.
• For almost a decade, the Houthis have been subject to airstrikes by their Sunni rivals in Saudi Arabia and they have proved resilient.
• Western foreign policy in the Middle East has historically been tainted by what some call “mission creep”.

Clarity of purpose

• There are three main conditions governing how we come to regard a military engagement as constituting mission-creep.
• These are: the scope of conflict, as well as the temporal parameters and spatial limits.
• Sunak must emphasise that any military action taken will be limited to naval and aerial assaults.

Past successes and failures

• The then defence secretary, Michael Portillo, similarly received questions on the potential dangers of mission creep.
• He made a statement in the House of Commons in which he stated:
  I am determined that the Nato operation will be limited in scope.
• In part, this was shaped by its failures to withdraw in a timely manner.
• The current government needs to do the same when making tough foreign policy decisions about the Middle East.

Ben Soodavar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• Elections in Europe and the US in 2024 seem set to be dominated by divisive, self-styled anti-establishment candidates.
• And that has worrying implications not only for the UK, but also for the west’s shared interests in an increasingly unstable world.
• But as his electoral fortunes continued to wane, Sunak has reverted to a sort of Johnson-lite culture war approach to politics, unconvincing but just as divisive.
• Poll after poll shows the Conservatives terminally lagging the opposition – with some indicating near wipeout for the governing party.

Greeting the neighbours

• Were he to win the keys to Downing Street, this would be a major strategic challenge for Starmer’s new government.
• But so much for the hope London could normalise its relations with Brussels for the first time in a decade when one looks at the buildup to the European parliamentary elections.
• In the nations of Europe there are nine parliamentary elections this year and populists are gaining ground across the continent.
• Even those not holding elections in 2024, such as France and Germany, are enduring internal challenge.

Stephen Barber does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• The proposal was outlined in the 2023 king’s speech to parliament, where he set out the government’s priorities ahead of the next general election.
• Sunak has justified his watered-down climate policy by saying it will protect British jobs in the oil and gas industry and make the UK more energy independent.
• Recent polling also suggests that swing voters now view the Conservatives less favourably because of their focus on oil and gas.

Taking leadership

• Our findings are unambiguous: nearly eight out of ten UK workers expressed that they were either very or fairly concerned about climate change.
• Every second UK worker believes that the UK is already witnessing the effects of climate change and urgently requires climate action.
• Most workers expect the government to show leadership and act, with 63% identifying the government as having the greatest responsibility for addressing climate change.

• Seven in ten workers expect cleaner air and enhanced soil and water quality.
• Six in ten workers feel that increased health and wellbeing would accompany this transition.

Finding green jobs

• Most of these workers said they would consider switching to a green job because they find the prospect of working in the green economy both interesting and meaningful.
• The prospect of lower pay, the time needed to retrain, and the cost of retraining are all seen as significant barriers for workers considering a move into green jobs.
• The foundation estimates that workers need between six and 18 months of additional training, on average, to access green jobs.

• Many workers are willing to retrain and switch to doing a green job.
• Some say they already possess a good skills base for employment in the green economy, and are willing to spend more time on training.

Vera Trappmann receives funding from Research England and Hans-Böckler Foundation. The study upon which this article is based was done in collaboration with Dr. Felix Schulz and Dr. Ursula Balderson, both colleagues at the Centre for Employment Relations Innovation and Change (CERIC), Leeds University Business School. Jo Cutter receives funding from Reseach England