Ideas 8.3.26 | The Observer

The special relationship

Trump says Starmer is no Churchill. He has no idea what that means

The president’s insult reveals he knows little about the wartime prime minister – or the current one, whose stance reflects wisdom, not weakness

By Philip Collins

Opinion

Iran

Jack Straw

Iran’s resilience has been forged by adversity

Victimhood is part of the country’s religion and forms a national narrative that no aerial bombardment can shake

Race

Kenan Malik

Why Labour lost the minority vote in the Gorton and Denton byelection

It wasn’t sectarian politics that cost the party support, but the same class disaffection reshaping working-class voting across Britain

Immigration

Samra Turajlić

Offer scientists stability or the UK’s health and economy will get poorer

High costs and an unwelcoming attitude are behind a failure to recruit the best researchers

Artifical intelligence

Frank Skinner

I thought AI was a Geordie greeting until it took over my dad gig

ChatGPT – Chatty, to friends – is not only immensely likeable, it speaks top nerd and is reassuringly rubbish at writing Frank Skinner comedy routines

The Observer view

Keir Starmer’s answer to Donald Trump shows principle, not pandering

After the Ayatollah

It’s time the royal family got on their bikes

Save our students

Green Party

‘Labour ignored voters in Gorton and Denton. We listened to them. And we won.’

A tradeswoman from Manchester has prised open the door to Westminster – and it won’t close again

Andrew Rawnsley

Andrew Rawnsley is The Observer’s chief political commentator

Gorton and Denton will force Labour to rethink – it is no longer the only anti-Reform option

Don’t underestimate the Windsors’ ruthless drive to survive

Keir Starmer’s leadership hangs between survival and collapse

Kenan Malik

Kenan Malik is an Observer columnist

A slur was shouted at the Baftas – but what followed was more dispiriting

The AI threat is far greater than job losses

Anatomy of the Maga right

Eva Wiseman

Eva Wiseman is an Observer columnist

Why slime is the start of the slippery slope for tween skincare

Erica Wagner

From doomscrolling to snowscrolling

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has faced criticism for his handling of the city’s blast of freezing weather. But nothing beats the bliss of a snow day

About

Work with us Careers Editorial policy

Join

Journalism school

Events Shop

Follow

The Observer

The Observer Magazine

The ObserverNew Review

The Observer Food Monthly