Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown portrays Nigel Farage as an attention-seeking and increasingly dangerous populist whose evasions have shielded questions about his conduct, finances and political associations. She highlights allegations concerning racism and antisemitism, Farage’s admiration for Enoch Powell, repeated controversies among UKIP candidates, alleged undeclared funding from Arron Banks, £5m from Christopher Harborne, delayed income declarations and his commercial promotion of gold bullion. The column also examines the support Farage received from George Cottrell, whose mother donated £500,000 to Reform amid a police investigation into whether donations concealed their true source. It concludes that Farage’s loyal supporters remain receptive to his anti-establishment and anti-immigration messaging, though the author expects growing public discomfort with his claims and evasions.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown praises David Olusoga’s historical work but condemns his justification for accepting an OBE as an immigrant and citizen. She argues that opposition to imperial honours is not inherently racial or anti-immigrant, citing Benjamin Zephaniah and George the Poet, and says the honours system reinforces monarchy, elite privilege and colonial symbolism. The column also attacks successive governments for distributing peerages and honours to donors and political allies, highlighting regional and class disparities in higher awards and the difficulty of removing titles from controversial figures.

The column argues that Britain’s armed forces and Ministry of Defence remain unusually insulated from public criticism despite waste, procurement failures and inadequate accountability. It challenges warnings that defence spending must rise to counter threats from Russia and China, points to the costs and consequences of interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, and highlights the revolving door between senior officials and private defence companies. The author concludes that successive governments prioritise warfare and arms manufacturing over welfare, employment and ethical governance.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that Christopher Nolan’s casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen and Elliot Page as a Greek warrior in The Odyssey has provoked an unsuccessful backlash from Elon Musk and conservative culture warriors. She presents the film’s strong ticket sales, critical reception and audience response as evidence that public judgment can overcome attempts to turn inclusive casting into a culture-war issue, while acknowledging that the setback may be temporary.

A long-time pro-EU commentator describes abandoning her support for the European project after concluding that the bloc has become increasingly xenophobic, illiberal and tolerant of far-right advances. She cites rising far-right electoral gains across Europe, EU migration policies she views as discriminatory and abusive, the treatment of pro-Palestinian voices, and continued EU support for Israel. Disillusioned by what she sees as moral decline and hypocrisy, she rejects her former pro-EU stance while maintaining her progressive, pro-migrant and anti-racist values.

The author argues that Gen Z and contemporary culture place too much emphasis on creating a spectacular, unforgettable wedding while paying insufficient attention to the realities of sustaining a marriage. Drawing on the breakdown of her first marriage and the 35 years of her second, she says trust, equality, effort and commitment matter more than passion, glamour or celebrity status. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s highly anticipated wedding is presented as an example of the gap between a dazzling ceremony and the long-term work required for a lasting relationship.

Andy Burnham is presented as a more promising, centre-left alternative to Keir Starmer, but his lack of a clear foreign-policy position could cost him support among Labour’s left-wing voters. The central test is whether he will oppose Donald Trump, remain strongly pro-European and challenge the UK’s support for Israel, including arms exports. The column argues that Labour lost voters over Gaza and that Burnham must respond to growing public and party-member opposition to Israel’s military campaign, alleged abuses in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank. Failure to do so, it warns, could destroy the confidence of left-wing voters and send them to other parties.

The column argues that hostility toward the United States predates Donald Trump and reflects longstanding American nationalism, inequality, interventionism and claims of exceptionalism. It condemns the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants, abortion restrictions, suppression of historical and LGBTQ+ content, opaque patriotic projects and withdrawal of aid. The author also criticizes US technology companies and military interventions, urging Americans to confront the gap between national myths and the country’s domestic and international conduct.

The column argues that Reform UK and allied media figures are falsely presenting white Britons as uniformly hostile to immigrants and diversity. It warns that racism and far-right politics are becoming more openly normalized, while highlighting opposition from anti-racist demonstrators, politicians and public figures. Personal encounters and cross-political friendships are offered as evidence that many people reject racial hatred. The piece concludes that Britain’s history and culture have been shaped by migration and that its diverse, multicultural identity cannot be erased.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that JD Vance’s claim linking a British murder to mass migration exposes the racial and exclusionary politics behind Donald Trump’s movement. She condemns the UK government’s deferential response, criticizes Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf’s support for tougher deportation policies, and welcomes polling showing that growing numbers of Britons view the United States negatively. The piece portrays the traditional UK-US alliance as politically expedient rather than special, citing America’s racial history, the Iraq War, the January 6 insurrection and declining European trust in Washington. It concludes that Britain should reject inherited loyalty to the United States and assert greater independence.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that aggressive masculinity and a reactionary political climate are eroding the gains made by feminism since the 1960s. Reflecting on her experiences of gender inequality in Uganda and her involvement in second-wave feminism, she recalls campaigns for reproductive rights, workplace equality, financial independence and protection from domestic violence. She criticises Labour’s male-dominated politics, Donald Trump’s influence on diversity policies, and Nigel Farage and Reform-linked figures who threaten equality legislation and express misogynistic views on abortion. Rising violence against women, online misogyny and attacks on women’s autonomy leave her pessimistic, though she concludes that abandoning the feminist struggle is not an option.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown welcomes safeguarding minister Natalie Fleet’s promised crackdown on grooming gangs and argues that perpetrators must be condemned and punished regardless of their race or religion. She acknowledges the abuse carried out by networks of predominantly British-Pakistani men in places including Rochdale, Telford and Rotherham, while rejecting the broader racist portrayal of Muslims and asylum seekers as the primary threat. Drawing on her reporting, personal experiences and criticism of communities and officials who protected abusers, she says Muslim silence enabled both victimization and the growth of anti-Muslim extremists such as Tommy Robinson. She calls on British Muslims to break with communal loyalties, expose abuse and support justice for victims and survivors.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that pensioners, particularly those who are financially secure and own substantial housing wealth, have a social duty to help younger people facing unaffordable rents, low-paid work and limited prospects. She proposes renting out spare rooms at fair or minimal rates, potentially in exchange for help with shopping and cleaning, offering accommodation to nurses and care workers, and working with charities to house homeless people. She acknowledges that safeguards such as references, DBS checks, professional oversight and clear tenancy-termination rules would be necessary. Drawing on her own long-term arrangement with a younger tenant, she concludes that affordable intergenerational housing can benefit both tenants and older homeowners.

Nigel Farage is portrayed as a wealthy political operator who has built popular support through nationalism, anti-immigrant rhetoric and claims that the political establishment is responsible for problems he helped create. The piece argues that mainstream parties and right-wing media have normalised xenophobia, while Farage’s alleged failure to disclose payments and the unresolved £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne raise questions about political accountability and outside influence. Despite investigations and public doubts, Reform UK voters are expected to remain loyal, leaving British politics increasingly disorderly and standards of probity at risk.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that proposed restrictions on pro-Palestinian marches threaten the democratic right to protest. She condemns antisemitism and attacks on Jewish people while accusing the UK government of exploiting antisemitism politically and maintaining uncritical support for Israel despite alleged abuses in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. The article highlights Jewish critics of Israel, including Na’amod and Rabbi Lev Taylor, and calls on readers to join a pro-Palestine march in defiance of authoritarian measures.

Genetic testing and family-reconnection stories reveal that identity is shaped by both heredity and lived experience, often producing unexpected and emotionally difficult discoveries. The same complexity undermines British ethno-nationalists’ demand for racial purity: Britain has never been ethnically homogeneous, having been shaped by successive waves of migration, settlement and intermarriage. The country’s continuing mixture is presented as a source of richness rather than a threat.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that King Charles’s state visit to the United States exposes the weakness and delusions of Britain’s royal soft power. She portrays Charles and Donald Trump as difficult, vainglorious leaders whose mutual need for validation risks embarrassing both countries, especially amid the Epstein scandal and declining support for the monarchy. The visit is characterized as an expensive political charade that could deepen British public disillusionment and create further problems for the future of the Royal Family.

At 76, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown says she has no intention of retiring because work gives her relevance, intellectual engagement, social connection and motivation to remain active. She acknowledges that many retirees enjoy fulfilling lives through travel, study, family and new interests, but argues that retirement can cause some people to withdraw from society and lose a sense of purpose. Her own financial security allows her to continue working by choice, while she and her part-time-working husband see ongoing employment as a way to stay engaged and connected.

The UK-US “special relationship” is portrayed as an unequal partnership in which Britain has subordinated its political voice, economic interests and cultural independence to American power. Donald Trump’s behavior is presented as exposing this imbalance, while the history of Britain’s support for US-led wars, including Iraq, is cited as evidence of political submissiveness. The column also criticizes the spread of American fast-food chains and the influence of US technology companies such as Amazon and Palantir. It argues that Britain should reassess its dependence on Washington, stand up for itself and consider cancelling King Charles III’s planned US visit as an initial signal of independence.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that Labour is abandoning its liberal and progressive traditions by embracing authoritarian policies, restricting jury trials, tightening immigration rules and failing to challenge Israel over alleged abuses and territorial expansion. She contrasts Labour's conduct with Hungary's rejection of Viktor Orbán and highlights the mass arrests of pro-Palestine protesters in London as evidence of Britain's democratic decline. The column concludes that Labour's attempt to outflank Reform UK from the right is alienating its traditional supporters and could damage the party in the forthcoming elections.

The column argues that the Conservative Party and Reform UK are seeking to revive a deregulation-focused model that would weaken workers’ rights, public safety and corporate accountability. It praises Keir Starmer’s government for expanding employment protections, while citing the Grenfell tragedy, sewage pollution, private-equity ownership and outdated furniture fire-safety rules as evidence of the damage caused by inadequate oversight. The author concludes that further deregulation would leave ordinary people less safe and less politically represented.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that many lifelong Labour supporters, including herself, will refuse to vote for the party in upcoming council elections because Keir Starmer has adopted divisive Reform-style rhetoric, pursued harsh policies towards migrants and refugees, and failed to condemn Israel's actions in Palestine and Lebanon. She accuses Starmer and Morgan McSweeney of undermining internal democracy, blocking candidates such as Faiza Shaheen, prioritising factional control over winnable candidates, and failing to address findings on racism, sexism and bullying. The article concludes that Starmer's appeals to Labour values sound hollow and that his pursuit of Reform voters is alienating traditional and progressive supporters.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that attacks on a Ramadan gathering in Trafalgar Square reflect a wider normalization of anti-Muslim racism in Britain. She highlights the long history of Muslim contributions to British life, including the establishment of mosques and Muslim military service, while contending that Muslims must also address misogyny, rigid cultural practices, clerical power, grooming gangs and hostility toward white Britons and Jewish citizens. She concludes that Muslims and anti-racists from all backgrounds must resist hatred and support modernization to protect a pluralistic society.

The abolition of the House of Lords’ 92 hereditary seats is presented as a necessary but inadequate reform. The column argues that Labour may be using the measure to showcase egalitarian credentials while diverting attention from deeper problems: patronage, cronyism, donations-for-peerages, paid parliamentary access and weak sanctions for misconduct. It acknowledges that many peers make valuable contributions but calls for a fair, transparent appointments process based on merit, an end to political favours and financial influence, and the expulsion and prosecution of peers who abuse their positions. A revived “People’s Peers” model is proposed as the sole route into the second chamber.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that Labour Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is adopting increasingly punitive, anti-immigrant policies in an attempt to appease white nationalist voters. She criticizes proposed visa restrictions affecting applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, as well as plans to delay settled status for people with indefinite leave to remain. The column argues that these measures threaten family unity, human rights and social cohesion, while warning of a possible new Windrush-style scandal. It contrasts politicians of colour who have embraced restrictive policies with figures such as Dawn Butler, Nus Ghani, Clive Lewis and Sadiq Khan, who are presented as retaining their principles.

Liberal democrats must defend human rights and equality without abandoning nuance or factual honesty, argues Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. She condemns Iran’s theocratic repression while rejecting the US and Israeli military campaign as a dangerous route to regime change, and warns against romanticizing the former Shah. In Britain, she criticizes Reform UK and Conservative rhetoric about family voting, Commonwealth citizens and multiculturalism, but acknowledges that coercive voting of women occurs in some South Asian communities and should be confronted consistently across ethnic groups. Rebuilding trust, she concludes, requires liberals to engage directly with difficult realities, resist racism and authoritarianism, and remain committed to democratic principles even when attacked by allies and opponents.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown reviews Naz Shah's memoir Honoured, which recounts a childhood shaped by domestic abuse, abandonment, sexual exploitation, forced marriage and her mother Zoora Shah's imprisonment for killing Mohamed Azam. The review highlights Shah's courage in exposing family trauma and oppressive interpretations of honour, as well as her later transformation of anger into political activism. Alibhai-Brown finds the memoir's first half devastating and its second half uplifting, while criticizing Shah for not condemning abusive men forcefully enough and for sometimes presenting Islam in a proselytizing manner.

Britain’s reputation as a rules-based, corruption-free country is increasingly contradicted by political donations, lobbying, royal protection and repeated failures to hold powerful figures accountable. The column argues that Peter Mandelson’s career, allegations involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the Post Office scandal, polluted waterways and Covid procurement controversies all demonstrate a system in which inquiries replace consequences. It calls for an independent authority with investigative and legal powers covering public life and the royal family, transparent appointments, rigorous vetting and meaningful penalties for wrongdoing to restore democratic trust.

Grandparents can provide vital informal childcare, particularly for working-class families and parents unable to afford formal provision, but they should not be treated as having a duty to do so. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown draws on her mother Jena’s voluntary support after the birth of her son while arguing that older people deserve the freedom to pursue work, friendships and personal ambitions. She highlights the gendered and class-based pressure placed especially on working-class grandmothers and concludes that childcare assistance should be voluntary, negotiated and free from guilt or shame.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is mainstreaming a new form of white nationalism by exploiting fears about immigration, belonging and the loss of a supposedly white British homeland. She connects this rhetoric to earlier British figures and movements associated with racial exclusion, while criticizing Robert Jenrick, Suella Braverman, Danny Kruger and Matthew Goodwin for reinforcing it. Drawing on her experiences in Uganda and Britain, as well as the Windrush legacy, she warns that people of migrant heritage are again facing hostility and fears that a Reform government would destroy Britain's progress toward diversity and equality.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown argues that recent statements by the Prince and Princess of Wales expressing concern for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims are insincere attempts to manage public anger over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein. She calls for the Royal Family to disclose what senior royals knew, when they knew it, and how Andrew was protected, including details of financial contributions to the settlement with Virginia Giuffre. The renewed heckling of King Charles III and Prince William is presented as evidence of growing public discontent, which Alibhai-Brown believes could strengthen the republican cause.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown reviews Sajid Javid’s memoir, The Colour of Home, praising its vivid account of a Pakistani immigrant family, racism, hardship, ambition and Javid’s decision to marry outside his community. She argues that the book is moving but politically evasive, disconnecting Javid’s experiences of exclusion and poverty from his Thatcherite beliefs, anti-immigration stance and controversial record in government. Despite these contradictions, she says the memoir may help explain why some people from minority backgrounds support right-wing parties and could inspire other children of immigrants.

The column argues that the scale of Palestinian deaths, displacement and medical suffering in Gaza is being ignored or minimized by Israel and its Western allies. It describes continued violence in Gaza and the West Bank, including settler attacks, land seizures, alleged abuse of prisoners and the killing or detention of medical workers, while dismissing Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state as largely symbolic. Despite the devastation, Palestinian artists, healthcare workers and communities are portrayed as resilient and determined to preserve their rights, land and national identity.