Microplastics are defined by the NOAA as fragments of any type of plastic less than 5mm in length. While the size of microplastics may make them seem insignificant, they can have a huge impact on human health and the environment.
In 1922, Ireland, which was once part of the UK, became Ireland Free State under the Anglo-Irish treaty signed in December 1921. This treaty gave a dominion status to 26 out of 32 counties in Ireland, the remaining 6 counties being named Northern Ireland and remaining in the UK. This treaty brought an end to the War of Independence, which began in 1919 and consisted of guerrilla war fighting against the British army. After the treaty was signed, there was a civil war between the loyalists and the radicals (those who wanted to remain in UK and those who didn’t) which lasted until May 1923, and caused a huge divide within the country. This also led to socio-economic problems and had political impacts. There was another group formed called the anti-treaty faction, who opposed the treaty as it did not grant full Irish independence. Therefore, they felt that it was not good enough and the treaty should be renegotiated. However, this was not a popular opinion and the biggest divide lay between the loyalists and radicals.
The year is 1997. After 18 years of unchallenged Conservative dominance, New Labour is taking Britain by storm. Dynamic and modern, New Labour thrust a new kind of politics into the public sphere; one that was cool. Long gone were boring, stale Conservative politics. This excitement for a new kind of Labour party, one that was modern, business friendly and centre-left, was only heightened by the lore and drama surrounding Tony Blair (and Gordon Brown). Subsequently, on the 1st of May 1997, Labour would go on to win a huge 179-seat majority in parliament. Blair, coining the term ‘New Labour’ in 1994, certainly sought to set his party apart from previous Labour governments. But in reality, how revolutionary, how ‘new’, was his New Labour?
Those who have the app TikTok may have, unfortunately, come across the ‘super straight’ movement, a recently established sexual identity which can be defined as ‘a person who will not date a trans person under any circumstances’. However, looking beyond the blatantly transphobic connotations behind this ‘sexual orientation’, research into the origins of ‘super straight’ indicates clear connections to neo-Nazism and how the people supporting this movement have fallen into the trap of promoting Nazi propaganda.
The appalling story of Sarah Everard’s murder has touched us all, both men and women. Sarah was last seen alive leaving her friend’s house on the 3rd of March and is thought to have been abducted whilst walking across Clapham Common on her way home. Seven days later, her remains were found in a builder’s bag forty miles away in Kent. The irony is not lost on me that her alleged killer, Wayne Cozens, is a Metropolitan Police constable.
Content warning: discussion of the societal impact of sexual violence
