UnHerd
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Challenging the herd with new and bold thinking in philosophy, politics and culture.
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Dare to think for yourself, subscribe to UnHerd here: http://unherd.com/join
Contrary to Kemi Badenoch’s reading of the Bible, it is quite clear that the welfare state grew out of the Christian tradition | Peter Franklin
Kemi Badenoch is wrong: Christianity created the welfare state
Kemi Badenoch has had a storming week — until, that is, she landed herself in a row over the Bible and what it supposedly says about the welfare state. According to The Times, she thinks welfare is…
unherd.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Contrary to Kemi Badenoch’s reading of the Bible, it is quite clear that the welfare state grew out of the Christian tradition | Peter Franklin
'The BBC continues to be really stupid, and there's no cure for stupidity,' Salman Rushdie has claimed in a new interview | Rob Lownie unherd.com/newsroom/sal...
Salman Rushdie: BBC censorship of Trump criticism was ‘cowardly’
Salman Rushdie has labelled the BBC “cowardly” for its removal of a line about Donald Trump from one of this year’s Reith Lectures. Speaking to The News Agents podcast, the Booker Prize-winning…
unherd.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:07 AM
'The BBC continues to be really stupid, and there's no cure for stupidity,' Salman Rushdie has claimed in a new interview | Rob Lownie unherd.com/newsroom/sal...
Drone incursions at airports in the UK and across Europe have been causing chaos since 2018. They could soon become deadly | Charlie Metcalfe
Is drone terrorism coming to Britain?
Nobody has claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Khor Mor gas field which cut power across most of Iraqi Kurdistan on Wednesday night. But whoever the perpetrator is, they have sent a clear…
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Drone incursions at airports in the UK and across Europe have been causing chaos since 2018. They could soon become deadly | Charlie Metcalfe
‘Those who seek to become good allies can learn a great deal from [Jessica],’ writes Carla Kaplan in the latest contribution to ‘the Mitford Industry’.
Read about this model radical, rebelling against her fascist origin story | Kathleen Stock
Read about this model radical, rebelling against her fascist origin story | Kathleen Stock
Jessica Mitford: faux-progressive troublemaker
Jessica Mitford, left, was one of seven children — but the only Communist in the brood. Photo: Estates of Jessica Mitford and Esmond Romilly.
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM
‘Those who seek to become good allies can learn a great deal from [Jessica],’ writes Carla Kaplan in the latest contribution to ‘the Mitford Industry’.
Read about this model radical, rebelling against her fascist origin story | Kathleen Stock
Read about this model radical, rebelling against her fascist origin story | Kathleen Stock
Proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group has backfired in several ways. It’s now even allowing Sally Rooney to pose as a persecuted freedom fighter | Julie Burchill
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group has backfired in several ways. It’s now even allowing Sally Rooney to pose as a persecuted freedom fighter | Julie Burchill
The Irish school teacher who was imprisoned for his refusal to use ‘preferred pronouns’ is lauded by some and loathed by others.
But did his school protests go too far? | Andrew Doyle
But did his school protests go too far? | Andrew Doyle
Would you go to prison for free speech?
Burke has again been sent to prison for contempt of court. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Images via Alamy.
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The Irish school teacher who was imprisoned for his refusal to use ‘preferred pronouns’ is lauded by some and loathed by others.
But did his school protests go too far? | Andrew Doyle
But did his school protests go too far? | Andrew Doyle
Killing is bad for business in the criminal world: it attracts reprisals, extra heat from the police, and impacts revenue.
But that doesn’t stop some quixotic hitmen from trying their luck | Max Daly
But that doesn’t stop some quixotic hitmen from trying their luck | Max Daly
The truth about hitmen
Vinnie Jones in ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’. Representative?
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Killing is bad for business in the criminal world: it attracts reprisals, extra heat from the police, and impacts revenue.
But that doesn’t stop some quixotic hitmen from trying their luck | Max Daly
But that doesn’t stop some quixotic hitmen from trying their luck | Max Daly
Shabana Mahood’s plans to implement ‘Denmark-style’ asylum reforms may be Labour’s only hope of avoiding electoral annihilation.
But is trust on immigration already lost? | David Littlefair
But is trust on immigration already lost? | David Littlefair
Blue Labour has come too late
She’s changed her tune on immigration. Jeff J Mitchell via Getty.
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Shabana Mahood’s plans to implement ‘Denmark-style’ asylum reforms may be Labour’s only hope of avoiding electoral annihilation.
But is trust on immigration already lost? | David Littlefair
But is trust on immigration already lost? | David Littlefair
Should Washington DC consider the deployment of National Guard troops following Wednesday's fatal shooting? | Tom Rogan unherd.com/newsroom/nat...
National Guard shooting raises risk of urban violence
The tragic shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC on Wednesday will have military and law enforcement officials concerned for what might happen next. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, has died…
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Should Washington DC consider the deployment of National Guard troops following Wednesday's fatal shooting? | Tom Rogan unherd.com/newsroom/nat...
'Cutting net immigration by itself will not, and should not, allay the concerns of voters concerned about integration' | Henry Hill
Britain’s falling migration is not a vindication of Labour
Net migration has fallen. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, there has been a 69% drop compared to June last year — from an eye-watering 649,000 to a lower, but…
unherd.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:00 AM
'Cutting net immigration by itself will not, and should not, allay the concerns of voters concerned about integration' | Henry Hill
Stigma is one of the cheapest, most decentralised ways a society can enforce rules short of formal punishment. Public disorder on planes should once again carry shame | Carolyn Gorman
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Stigma is one of the cheapest, most decentralised ways a society can enforce rules short of formal punishment. Public disorder on planes should once again carry shame | Carolyn Gorman
Why has Brighton and Hove Council removed an ‘anti-racist’ Union Jack from a library? | Ella Nixon
unherd.com/newsroom/bri...
unherd.com/newsroom/bri...
Brighton Council’s censorship targets progressive art
Earlier this year, there was a campaign across Britain called “Operation Raise the Colours”, where activists erected Union Jacks and the flag of St George in public places. Supporters claimed it was…
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Why has Brighton and Hove Council removed an ‘anti-racist’ Union Jack from a library? | Ella Nixon
unherd.com/newsroom/bri...
unherd.com/newsroom/bri...
Holyrood is considering a bill proposed by MSP Ash Regan which would criminalise the buying of sex and decriminalise its sale. But the BBC’s coverage sanitises prostitution | Julie Bindel
The BBC is pushing the ‘happy hooker’ myth
Scotland, a country increasingly seen as hostile to women’s rights, is currently debating whether men who pay for sex should be criminalised. Ash Regan MSP’s bill, proposed last year, also calls for…
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Holyrood is considering a bill proposed by MSP Ash Regan which would criminalise the buying of sex and decriminalise its sale. But the BBC’s coverage sanitises prostitution | Julie Bindel
‘They were graduates of a time when the cane was still used, and wore ill-fitting suits and corduroy slacks, and white shirts with the sleeves rolled up.’ | Joel Day
unherd.com/2025/11/well...
unherd.com/2025/11/well...
We'll miss the Eton of the Valleys
Did they have a Mr Oliver? Richards/Fox Photos via Getty.
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
‘They were graduates of a time when the cane was still used, and wore ill-fitting suits and corduroy slacks, and white shirts with the sleeves rolled up.’ | Joel Day
unherd.com/2025/11/well...
unherd.com/2025/11/well...
Jordan Bardella is less experienced than Marine Le Pen, but that also makes him less toxic. New polling suggests the presidency is his to lose | Francois Valentin
Has Jordan Bardella conquered the anti-RN alliance?
A seismic political shift is happening in France, where Jordan Bardella is on track to become the next president of the Fifth Republic. According to pollster Odoxa, as reported by Reuters, the leader…
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Jordan Bardella is less experienced than Marine Le Pen, but that also makes him less toxic. New polling suggests the presidency is his to lose | Francois Valentin
‘Increasingly Americans are rejecting towns that could be anywhere and so are nowhere.’ | Nicholas Boys Smith
unherd.com/2025/11/make...
unherd.com/2025/11/make...
Make America small again
‘The Arc de Trump’. (Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty)
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM
‘Increasingly Americans are rejecting towns that could be anywhere and so are nowhere.’ | Nicholas Boys Smith
unherd.com/2025/11/make...
unherd.com/2025/11/make...
‘The naive political philosophy of Millennials is perfectly mirrored in the dynamics of the simulated world.' | Poppy Sowerby
unherd.com/2025/11/the-...
unherd.com/2025/11/the-...
The Sims: home of Millennial delusion
The Sims offers its players the chance to create fantasy families. Photo: Reddit user dashingjumper
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM
‘The naive political philosophy of Millennials is perfectly mirrored in the dynamics of the simulated world.' | Poppy Sowerby
unherd.com/2025/11/the-...
unherd.com/2025/11/the-...
‘Would the Nixon administration have been able to end the Vietnam War if held to the trial-by-social-media standards of today?’ | Sohrab Ahmari
Steve Witkoff leaks spark a moral panic among DC hawks
President Trump is making an aggressive push to bring the almost-three-year-old Ukraine war to a negotiated settlement. And Atlanticist hawks on both sides of the pond are doing all they can to…
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:00 AM
‘Would the Nixon administration have been able to end the Vietnam War if held to the trial-by-social-media standards of today?’ | Sohrab Ahmari
‘Chat Control would do little to actually help victims of child sexual exploitation while harming everyone else.’ | Thomas Fazi
unherd.com/2025/11/euro...
unherd.com/2025/11/euro...
Europe's new war on privacy
The EU wants more power to access people’s messages. Image: Getty composite
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM
‘Chat Control would do little to actually help victims of child sexual exploitation while harming everyone else.’ | Thomas Fazi
unherd.com/2025/11/euro...
unherd.com/2025/11/euro...
The humdrum Budget was designed to placate the Labour Left and keep investors onside. But it still leaves the country wondering about so-called national renewal | John Rapley
unherd.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:00 AM
The humdrum Budget was designed to placate the Labour Left and keep investors onside. But it still leaves the country wondering about so-called national renewal | John Rapley
NYC schools cannot afford another failed experiment.
The mayor-elect’s choices will have lasting consequences, writes Meagan O'Rourke 👇
buff.ly/ocO8JoL
The mayor-elect’s choices will have lasting consequences, writes Meagan O'Rourke 👇
buff.ly/ocO8JoL
Will Mamdani bow to activists on school policy?
This week, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani released his list of the more than 400 people who will serve on his transition team. Already, Mamdani’s critics and supporters have begun to…
buff.ly
November 26, 2025 at 9:05 PM
NYC schools cannot afford another failed experiment.
The mayor-elect’s choices will have lasting consequences, writes Meagan O'Rourke 👇
buff.ly/ocO8JoL
The mayor-elect’s choices will have lasting consequences, writes Meagan O'Rourke 👇
buff.ly/ocO8JoL
'Over decades, this country has become reliant on a powerful legion of amateur private landlords.' | Peter Apps
unherd.com/2025/11/can-...
unherd.com/2025/11/can-...
Can Britain escape its housing trap?
We’re not building enough. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.
unherd.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM
'Over decades, this country has become reliant on a powerful legion of amateur private landlords.' | Peter Apps
unherd.com/2025/11/can-...
unherd.com/2025/11/can-...
Today’s Budget has created many losers and few winners. It will only make Labour more vulnerable on both sides | John Oxley
unherd.com/newsroom/bud...
unherd.com/newsroom/bud...
Budget puts Labour under pressure from Left and Right
Today’s Budget was perhaps the last big set piece for Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer to shore themselves up before the local and devolved elections in May next year. Despite the OBR’s leak, it…
unherd.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Today’s Budget has created many losers and few winners. It will only make Labour more vulnerable on both sides | John Oxley
unherd.com/newsroom/bud...
unherd.com/newsroom/bud...
'The Europeans constantly forget, just as the Americans constantly remember, that the world does not start or end in Europe.' | Edward Luttwak
unherd.com/2025/11/why-...
unherd.com/2025/11/why-...
Why Trump is pandering to Putin
‘Trump wanted to shock European allies into finally taking the conflict seriously.’ Genya Savilov/AFP.
unherd.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM
'The Europeans constantly forget, just as the Americans constantly remember, that the world does not start or end in Europe.' | Edward Luttwak
unherd.com/2025/11/why-...
unherd.com/2025/11/why-...
A wise man once said that ‘jury trials are a fundamental part of our democratic settlement’. That man was David Lammy. Why is the Justice Secretary now removing an ancient pillar of English common law? | Yuan Yi Zhu
Scrapping jury trials won’t solve Britain’s legal backlog
A wise man once said that “jury trials are a fundamental part of our democratic settlement. Criminal trials without juries are a bad idea.” High office has a habit of deadening such wisdom, and now…
unherd.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:01 PM
A wise man once said that ‘jury trials are a fundamental part of our democratic settlement’. That man was David Lammy. Why is the Justice Secretary now removing an ancient pillar of English common law? | Yuan Yi Zhu