Burnham aide’s lobby firm met government 38 times – but who did it work for?

Labour

Burnham aide’s lobby firm met government 38 times – but who did it work for?

UK’s weak lobbying laws leave public in the dark about Flint Global’s vast access to government under James Purnell

By Ethan Shone

/ 3 Jul 2026

Why Israel fears a US-Iran rapprochement far more than conflict

Israel

Why Israel fears a US-Iran rapprochement far more than conflict

The same policies that sought to guarantee Israel’s survival may now be undermining its future

By Paul Rogers

/ 3 Jul 2026

Argentina

Indigenous women in Argentina win landmark victory against sexual violence

By Florencia Galarza

/ 2 Jul 2026

Indigenous women in Argentina win landmark victory against sexual violence

Latest

New PM, Old Lobbyist

Newsletter

New PM, Old Lobbyist

openDemocracy Weekly Newsletter 27 June 2026

By openDemocracy

/ 4 Jul 2026

Remembering David Potter: Industrialist, physicist, philanthropist

obituary

Remembering David Potter: Industrialist, physicist, philanthropist

How the Psion founder and tech titan combined scientific brilliance with fearless philanthropy to champion public good

By Anthony Barnett

/ 2 Jul 2026

Exclusive: Palantir’s massive tax break!

Newsletter

Exclusive: Palantir’s massive tax break!

openDemocracy Weekly Newsletter 27 June 2026

By openDemocracy

/ 27 Jun 2026

Is money laundering the issue that could reshape British politics?

Andy Burnham would be wise to turn attention to how the economy is being cheated of billions of pounds a year

By Paul Rogers

/ 26 Jun 2026

Is money laundering the issue that could reshape British politics?

Understanding China’s pragmatic AI optimism

While the US imagines AI through dystopia and lost human agency, China’s embrace of the technology is shaped by memories of poverty, national humiliation and the conviction that technological progress cannot be resisted

By Selina Xu

/ 26 Jun 2026

Understanding China’s pragmatic AI optimism

Exclusive: How Palantir harvested millions in UK tax breaks

In 2024, Palantir’s effective tax rate was just 8%, far less than the usual 25%, despite £25.3m of pre-tax profits

By Aman Sethi and Jade-Ruyu Yan

/ 26 Jun 2026

Exclusive: How Palantir harvested millions in UK tax breaks

Featured Podcast 🎧

This is the first episode of our new narrative non-fiction podcast, How to Find Queer Elders that follows the life-affirming journey of Awo Dufie, a 23 year-old trans woman from Ghana, in her quest to find queer elders at a time when LGBTQI lives across Africa are violently rendered invisible.

From the Archive

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Podcasts

You will die at 30

Podcast

You will die at 30

Interview

Dr Emma Yhnell on the challenge of changing science, changing our minds

Interview

Saumitra Jha on why he changed his mind about climate change, and unexpected tricks that work to reduce polarization

How the UK Establishment Normalised Reform

Nigel Farage

How the UK Establishment Normalised Reform

Featured topic

Labour Reset

In this ongoing series, experts weigh-in on how the government must reset after disastrous local election results

If he becomes PM, Andy Burnham must be honest about UK defence budget

A rational approach to security requires confronting two key factors. So far, no PM has been willing to do so

by Paul Rogers • 19 Jun 2026

If he becomes PM, Andy Burnham must be honest about UK defence budget

Andy Burnham’s promises of ‘growth’ rely on real investment in social care

Investing in care would produce 2.7 times as many jobs as an equivalent investment in construction, our research found

by Erin Mansell • 12 Jun 2026

Andy Burnham’s promises of ‘growth’ rely on real investment in social care

Government must defend free speech consistently or risk deepening division

As free speech becomes a culture war battleground, Labour must defend principles, not pick sides

by Akiko Hart • 4 Jun 2026

Government must defend free speech consistently or risk deepening division

One in four of us is Disabled. It’s time the UK government heard us

Labour needs a new direction. Its first step must be to stop treating Disabled people as a problem to be managed

by Fazilet Hadi • 2 Jun 2026

One in four of us is Disabled. It’s time the UK government heard us

On this day

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Our writers

openDemocracy Author

Aman Sethi

Interview

Oil, Inflation, Unrest: The Global Fallout of the US-Israeli War on Iran

Interview

What is the Danish immigration model, and does it work?

Angelina de los Santos

Angelina de los Santos

Investigation

A sexual predator used online games and ChatGPT to groom young boys

Analysis

What Latin America’s press misses about Venezuela

Diana Cariboni

Diana Cariboni

Analysis

Russia tried to discredit Milei in Argentina, but ended up damaging its media instead

Investigation

Fake authors, fake stories: Inside the Russian campaign to influence Argentina's election

openDemocracy Author

Ethan Shone

Lobbying

Labour-linked consultancy saw record UK growth after boss left to work in No 10

News

‘Labour-specialist’ lobbying firm with close ties to No10 revs up business

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