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Category: Society and politics
Rethinking our national and international issues
The fourth series of the BBC/Open University radio show Rethink has begun which discusses issues from politics to technology, economics and beyond and poses how we might approach them differently in the future. This latest series, airs at 4pm on Thursdays, beginning 4 September, on Radio 4 and runs for five episodes, and is available […]
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Family farmers say their way of life is an impossible dream when ‘the bread of life is worth less than rusty metal’
The Pearces have been farming the Fens of eastern England for generations – a region where more than a third of the country’s vegetables are grown, packed and processed. Andy and Rebecca Pearce lease a small family farm in south Lincolnshire with Andy’s parents and brother, on which they grow potatoes, wheat, pulses and sugar beet. […]
Speculation of state-pension retirement at 74? OU expert gives us the truth
With recent reports suggesting that the state-pension age could be raised to 74 for future generations we asked Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Personal Finance at The Open University, to tell us how this news came about and where the truth lies. “Alarmist headline-grabbing” is the verdict from Jonquil as she says the press zoned […]
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The Israel/Iran 12-day war – what comes next
In the aftermath of the ‘12-day war’ between Israel and Iran, Open University academic Dr Edward Wastnidge, a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies, lays out the underlying recent historical causes and talks about what comes next. While the war might have been brought to a halt via the ceasefire, both sides will be […]
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Ukraine’s air strikes on Russian air fields “strategically important”: academic opinion
As Russia has been left counting the cost of multiple Ukrainian drone strikes on its air fields over the weekend, Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at The Open University, focuses on three key factors in this latest stage of the war. The first key point is that these were the […]
The UK might have accepted the idea of youth mobility with the EU, but it’s not happening any time soon
The language might be dry, but the political shift is significant says Simon Usherwood, Professor of Politics & International Studies, The Open University. Monday’s summit between the UK and EU leaders in London resulted in an acknowledgement of the “mutual interest to deepen our people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation”. This announcement is an important […]
OU tackles workplace barriers to support mothers’ career re-entry
New evidence review from The Open University highlights 10 key barriers that hinder working mothers, spotlighting the ongoing ‘motherhood penalty’ Practical toolkits for employers and mothers are launched at an event with opening remarks delivered by Minister for Employment, Alison McGovern MP to support mothers and primary care givers returning to work Partnership with the […]
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‘The OU allowed me to fit my studies in a schedule that worked for me,’ says busy working mum
Rebecca, 37, from the Isle of Ulva in Scotland, always had an interest in higher education but didn’t want to leave the beloved island she calls home. It wasn’t until she was 27 and a busy working mum of two children that she discovered The Open University (OU). Through her BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and […]
Spring statement: defence spending boosted as further disability benefit cuts announced
Not even six months on from Labour’s first budget, and the world is a much-changed place. Geopolitical tensions and uncertainties, already high last year, have risen further, and with them the cost of the UK’s debt, while economic growth has stalled. As such, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confronted an array of unpalatable choices – notably […]
Why the social pain of welfare reform overshadows any economic gain
The UK government is calling it the “biggest shakeup to the welfare system in a generation” – prompted by what the Prime Minister described as the “devastating” cost of sickness and disability benefits. Alan Shipman, Senior Lecturer in Economics, writing in The Conversation, says planned reforms to cut those costs are designed to save £5 […]
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