Hugh Muir

Hugh Muir argues that the racist and far-right campaign targeting Jason Arday must be distinguished from legitimate journalism that examined unresolved questions about his academic work and public claims. He condemns the media frenzy and recognizes the damage caused to Arday, while defending journalists—especially Black journalists—who investigated matters of public interest rather than acting as activists. Muir says questions remain about Cambridge University, Arday’s claims, the tone and scale of coverage, and the institutions’ failure to account for his vulnerability, but warns against blaming journalists who professionally pursued those questions.

A visit to the V&A East’s exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story prompts Hugh Muir to reflect on how reggae, lovers rock, 2 Tone, Britfunk, Afrobeat and trip-hop shaped his Black British identity and the wider culture of Britain. He argues that Black music is central—not peripheral—to British popular culture and deserves recognition as elite art within taxpayer-funded institutions. Memories of racism, the National Front and police harassment at Black music venues underscore the social significance of these musical scenes. The exhibition, and the legacy of MOBO founder Kanya King, are presented as affirmations of cultural belonging and public recognition.

The phrase “two-tier policing,” once confined largely to the far right, has spread through Parliament, social media, talk radio and anti-police protests. The case of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, who was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa after police failed to respond adequately to his pleas for help, has been reframed as evidence that white people are treated unfairly because Nowak was white and Digwa was Asian. The UK government, including Keir Starmer, has tried to rebut that interpretation, but commentators Joe Mulhall and Hugh Muir argue that the narrative has gained substantial momentum, partly by exploiting legitimate concerns about police failures while undermining evidence of discrimination against Black and minority communities.

A firsthand account of a violent struggle at Gatwick airport during an attempted deportation argues that forced removals expose passengers and flight attendants to unsafe, distressing situations. The incident prompts comparisons with the 2010 death of asylum seeker Jimmy Mubenga and challenges politicians and supporters of tougher immigration enforcement to confront the practical consequences of policies usually carried out at arm’s length. The episode, the column argues, may deepen rather than strengthen public support for deportation practices that appear inconsistent with human dignity.

As the United States prepares to commemorate Jesse Jackson’s death and hold a final farewell in Chicago, former press secretary Delmarie Cobb and campaign manager Jerry Austin recall his groundbreaking 1988 presidential campaign. The program examines Jackson’s rise from poverty in South Carolina to national political prominence and argues that his campaigns helped lay the groundwork for Barack Obama’s presidency, while also assessing his enduring influence on the US civil rights movement and 20th-century politics.

A panel of British writers and politicians commemorates Rev Jesse Jackson as a transformative civil-rights leader, preacher, organiser and international campaigner. They highlight his 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, voter-registration work, advocacy for racial and economic justice, and influence on later figures including Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders. Personal reflections emphasize Jackson's charisma, courage, ability to make marginalized people feel valued, and his role as a link between the civil-rights era and contemporary struggles for equality. His death is portrayed as the loss of a global political giant whose message to maintain hope remains relevant.

Hugh Muir argues that racist demands for people such as David Lammy to “go home” expose the irrationality of narrow, nativist ideas about British belonging. Drawing on the Windrush experience, citizenship insecurity and his own Ancestry DNA results linking him to numerous countries, he contends that identity is shaped by migration, history and circumstance rather than a single place of origin. He condemns the normalization of racist rhetoric and intimidation in British politics and calls for a more inclusive conversation about home, citizenship and national identity.

Transport for London plans to install signs asking passengers not to play audio from mobile phones without headphones on London buses and rail services. Hugh Muir welcomes the move, arguing that unsolicited music, football clips, TikTok videos and other phone audio impose a private experience on everyone sharing public space. He acknowledges that TfL may lack the resources to enforce the rule, but hopes social pressure and clearer standards will encourage passengers to act with greater consideration.

Hugh Muir ridicules Metropolitan Police commissioner Mark Rowley’s instruction that officers deployed to the Notting Hill Carnival must not dance, arguing that movement to music does not prevent officers from responding to violence. The carnival faces genuine security challenges, including overcrowding, murders and assaults on police, but Muir says the ban is chiefly driven by fear of rightwing accusations that friendly officers are “woke.” He argues that past moments of police participation, although sometimes staged or awkward, helped present the police as a service connected to the community rather than merely a force, and concludes that the new policy sacrifices that goodwill for political optics.

On the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings, Hugh Muir recalls the calm and solidarity shown by Londoners and highlights Ken Livingstone’s forceful statement that the attacks targeted ordinary people and sought to divide the city. Although Muir condemns Livingstone’s later antisemitic remarks and rejects any rehabilitation of him, he argues that Livingstone’s 2005 leadership embodied a diverse, confident London that resisted extremism. The piece contrasts that response with contemporary politics, which Muir says too often profits from division, and urges communities to reject extremists and defend social harmony.

Emma Raducanu defeated 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon third round, where she will face top seed Aryna Sabalenka. Taylor Fritz survived Gabriel Diallo in five sets, while Carlos Alcaraz, Naomi Osaka, Sonay Kartal, Amanda Anisimova and Elina Svitolina also advanced. The women’s draw suffered another major upset as fourth seed Jasmine Paolini lost to Kamilla Rakhimova, following Katie Boulter’s defeat by lucky loser Solana Sierra. By the end of the day, 28 seeds had been eliminated, including four of the top five women’s seeds, matching a historic Open-era Wimbledon record.

Wimbledon has replaced its human line judges with electronic line calling, joining most major tennis tournaments in prioritizing technological accuracy. The change may reduce obvious errors, but it also removes a longstanding ritual and weakens the connection between elite tennis and grassroots clubs. Comparing the decision with football’s VAR system, Hugh Muir argues that the pursuit of perfect decisions can diminish spontaneity, atmosphere and human involvement, and warns that society should not leave such choices entirely to technology and commercial interests.

Hugh Muir argues humorously that cyberattacks, geopolitical tensions, wildfires and fragile just-in-time supply chains make household emergency preparation increasingly necessary. Using empty Co-op shelves after a cyberattack as a warning, he contrasts Sweden’s detailed advice to stock water and non-perishable food with the UK’s quieter guidance. He supports keeping an emergency bag but notes that preparedness supplies often fail to reflect culturally diverse food preferences, ending with a bleak but comic warning about shortages and disruption.

Prince Harry’s unsuccessful Court of Appeal challenge over his UK security arrangements was followed by an emotional BBC interview in which he said he was devastated, wanted reconciliation with his family and feared he might not see his father again. The column questions whether the interview reflected genuine anguish, a calculated attempt to redirect attention from the legal defeat, or both. It argues that the royal family’s continuing public drama remains compelling because audiences, despite finding the spectacle uncomfortable, continue to watch and sustain it.

Liz Truss has sent Keir Starmer a cease-and-desist letter demanding that he stop saying she crashed the UK economy. Her lawyers argue that the 2022 mini-budget did not technically cause a fall in GDP or a rise in unemployment, but the commentary argues that this narrow definition ignores soaring mortgage costs and the severe market turmoil that followed. Starmer’s office says he will not withdraw the characterization, while Truss’s video campaign blaming Labour and the Bank of England is portrayed as an ineffective attempt to repair her reputation.

Hugh Muir argues that Sadiq Khan deserves his knighthood despite Conservative and Reform outrage. He portrays the criticism as politically motivated, driven partly by opposition to Ulez and hostility toward Khan’s Muslim identity, and contrasts it with the lack of comparable outrage over honours awarded to politically congenial figures. The article acknowledges shortcomings in Khan’s mayoralty but credits him with improving air quality, expanding free school meals and supporting the Elizabeth line, while arguing that his public service and the threats he faces make the honour particularly justified.

King Charles III is reportedly open to replacing the “Empire” in honours such as the OBE, MBE and CBE with a less exclusionary meaning, potentially “excellence.” The proposal would address the principled objections of figures including Benjamin Zephaniah, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and Howard Gayle, while preserving recognition for recipients who value their existing honours. The article argues that empire-linked titles have deterred some people of colour and caused conflict for others who accepted them to honor their achievements and migrant parents. Hugh Muir notes that Parliament considered the same reform in 2004 but abandoned it, and concludes that Britain needs a democratic honours system accessible to diverse citizens rather than one burdened by imperial symbolism.

An exit poll projects a historic Labour landslide under Keir Starmer, with about 410 seats and a 170-seat majority, while the Conservatives are reduced to roughly 131 seats after 14 years in government. The piece presents the result as a deserved rejection of a tired and divisive Conservative government, while urging Starmer to use his large mandate wisely and magnanimously. The Liberal Democrats are projected to make major gains, Reform UK to win seats, the Greens and Plaid Cymru to increase their representation, and the SNP to suffer a major collapse that could reshape Scottish politics and weaken the independence movement for years.

The 2024 UK general election campaign exposed deep political cynicism, voter disappointment and a lack of substantive proposals from the Conservatives after 14 years in power. Labour's cautious, low-key strategy maintained its polling lead but revealed how Britain's first-past-the-post system and right-leaning media environment constrain progressive parties. Voters showed anger over issues including Gaza, migration and economic insecurity, with some turning to smaller parties, independents or Reform UK. The incoming government faces the larger task of reconnecting dysfunctional Westminster politics with communities whose frustrations could produce more disruptive electoral outcomes.

The column argues that Rishi Sunak’s struggling Conservative campaign is turning to Boris Johnson for an emergency appeal to Tory voters. It portrays both former prime ministers as failed and discredited leaders, mocks their claims on Brexit, the pandemic and levelling up, and suggests that Johnson’s endorsement will reinforce rather than repair the Conservatives’ reputation. The piece concludes that electoral defeat and political oblivion are looming for the party on 4 July.