By Tristan Kovats Introduction In the world’s richest economies, a society should be measured not by the wealth hoarded at the top, but by the security afforded to those at the bottom. On that measure, Britain is failing its youth. Data shows that 1.23 million people now work on zero-hours contracts as their main job,...
Author: Insidewestminsterblog
Who are we planning for?
The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street is another part of a worrying pattern By Remington Keckler Oxford Street was pedestrianised this month. After years of talks and debates, finally a win for us urbanists… right? Don’t get me wrong, I fully support the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street — though it was a little eerie when I...
To be a monster
A beautiful love… lost to normalcy. A queer story reduced to nothing more than a “sin.” By Arika Heaven I wonder when it was first taught that we should be ashamed of the things we love. Perhaps it begins with a warning. A verse recited by someone who loves you. A look that lasts a...
The American Perspective
A recount and review of going to hear Cuban MPs speak By Remington Keckler I have always found myself an avid learner. I always wanted to know how things tick, what made cars go, but my biggest — and most frequently asked question was why. Much to my parents’ annoyance, I would ask it over...
Different Shades, One Beautiful Painting: The Spirit of DEN
By Ribana Cristescu Last Wednesday, on my way home from another meeting with the DEN community, I found myself reflecting on something that is difficult to explain in words, yet so easy to feel when you are there. What is it that brings us together, week after week, at the end of a full day?...
Europe’s Protests: Young People Are Speaking!
By Abdullahi Mahi I’ve watched young people across Europe, mostly my own generation, Gen Z, take to the streets, and I understand why. They are protesting against rising living costs and poor school conditions. I believe protests work when they have two things: a human face and a clear demand. Looking at Italy, France and...
You’ve got to be in it to win it
By Emre Alex Aslan I was watching a TikTok video, a person doing a funny skit, when halfway through he pulled out his phone, opened Rainbet (a gambling app), bet $200, and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He had doubled his money in a few seconds. When did gambling become this easy? And...
The Nation of a Million Martyrs
By Najia Benhamza During the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony, the Algerian national team were seen throwing roses into the River Seine. And every year, around 17 October, roses are thrown into the Seine once again. Both gestures are acts of remembrance for the 1961 massacre of Algerians in France, many of whom were murdered and...
I save thousands on rent. I pay for it in hours.
Amira Ahmed This is the first of four blogs I am writing for my module, Democratic Engagement in an International Context, at the University of Westminster. The module asks us to find a problem in our own community and follow it across the whole year: what the problem is, why it exists, how to...
The boulders arrived before the consultation did
Huray Demirci This is the first of four blogs I am writing for my module, Democratic Engagement in an International Context, at the University of Westminster. The module asks us to find a problem in our own community and follow it across the whole year: what the problem is, why it exists, how to investigate...
How our environment shapes who we become
By Fatima Mamadu Five years ago, I found myself in an unfamiliar environment: an Islamic school where Arabic was taught. Learning Arabic was my main reason for attending, but the experience became far more than an opportunity to learn a language. It challenged everything I thought I understood about education, womanhood, culture, and the choices...
How being Black shaped my identity
By Anaiya Tyson-Cox Growing up in the British school system, I often found it difficult to see history as something that directly affected me. History could feel distant, disconnected from my own experiences and identity. It was often through media, particularly music and film, that I found a more personal connection to the past. For...
