Democracy’s last stand

Leader: A failure of climate justice

The West’s broken promises to developing countries have hindered global action on climate change.

Letter of the Week: Johnson’s simulacrum of seriousness

A selection of the best letters received from our readers this week. Email [email protected] to have your thoughts voiced…

Tories fear the corruption scandal has cut through to voters. It’s worse than they think

The absence of any great political project might prove to be a bigger problem at the next election for…

As countries transition to green energy, a deadly race for global power begins

There will be winners and losers. But if states are driven by competition, we might start to see dramatic…

Boris Johnson’s leadership steered the Tories to power – but it will also be their undoing

The Owen Paterson fiasco is damaging because it speaks to the Prime Minister’s character. Slowly, the public is starting…

Malala Yousafzai is right to find feminism and integrity in the institution of marriage

If you don’t have children, a wedding could seem like an anachronism. But for mothers and would-be mothers, it…

The Yorkshire Cricket Club scandal shows that racism remains entrenched and insidious

Unless we are prepared to scrutinise racist behaviour beyond the superficial level of incidents and language, the case of…

Will Austria’s lockdown for the unvaccinated work?

The unprecedented move is a last-ditch attempt to prevent the country’s healthcare system from being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases.

Iain Dale’s Diary: Matt Hancock’s elusive memoirs, scrubbing up on the US presidents, and electric car anxiety

Given the history between Britain and the US in the 18th and 19th centuries, it is almost remarkable we…

“Capitalism’s over”: The man who made millions by betting the economy would never recover

Gary Stevenson, the Patriotic Millionaire and former trader, on predicting disaster – and why it can only be avoided…

Books of the year

New Statesman writers and guests choose their favourite reading of 2021.

How William Hodges captured Captain Cook’s adventures

The official artist attached to Cook’s second expedition was never meant to be on board.

King Richard is a feelgood rehearsal of the American dream

Will Smith stars as the father of Serena and Venus Williams in a performance tipped for an Oscar nod.

Amazon Prime fantasy series The Wheel of Time is a colossal waste of time and money

Can this derivative series really have cost $10m an episode to make? I went into a kind of death…

A new podcast claims to hold the mainstream media to account

Media Storm claims to provide the crucial balance the news lacks – yet it fails its own test.

We must learn from those who are closest to land and sea: indigenous people

At Cop26, delegates from these groups were frank and articulate – and shamefully overlooked.

How one recording studio embodies everything that went wrong in the Eighties

In a documentary on the Air studio, there is an absence of that ineffable vibe that turns some into…

My ailing box hedge has made me an unusual Brighton friend

Brighton is not too hard a city in which to make friends, especially if you widen your social orbit…

Email [email protected] if you would like to be the New Statesman’s Subscriber of the Week.

This England: What a stitch-up

This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain…

Caroline Lucas Q&A: “Even if you’re in a minority of one, the truth is still the truth”

The Green Party MP on Petra Kelly, Gandhi’s wisdom, and the benefits of a green economy.