Dr Uilleam Blacker, Lecturer in Comparative Culture of Eastern Europe at UCL, examines the historical precedents for toppling statues of controversial figures. Continue reading Echoes of the past: Toppling statues of Colston and Lenin
Michael Berkowitz reflects on the role of antisemitism and issues concerning Jews in the ongoing election, and on how the history of Jews in Britain might guide the perplexed. Continue reading Stray thoughts on British electoral politics and the Jews
Michael Berkowitz, Historian at UCL, argues that during Parliament’s No Deal Brexit debate this week, Jacob Rees-Mogg has used a little-noted but unequivocally antisemitic trope. Continue reading Jacob Rees-Mogg’s alarming cry of “Illuminati”
Helene von Bismarck warns Britons and Europeans against adopting the exceptionalist narrative of British history from the Brexiters. The assumption that the United Kingdom has always been too different from the rest of the EU to make a success of its membership is based on a superficial reading not just of British, but of European history. Continue reading British exceptionalism is an intellectual trap
Michael Berkowitz, Historian at UCL, questions whether the toxicity of the Brexit debate has not gone one step too far when it comes to the Speaker of the House John Bercow. With antisemitism resurging strongly in the politics in Europe, it is a question worth asking and a crucial problem to tackle. Continue reading Worth asking: Is there an antisemitic tinge to the attacks on Speaker John Bercow?
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