The chancellor’s praise for the economic policies of previous Conservative governments augurs badly for struggling familiesOne of the lessons that leading Brexiters learned from the 2016 referendum was that brazen opportunism can pay off handsomely. A …
The Guardian view on predatory marriage: new safeguards are needed | Editorial
The state has taken too casual an approach. Of course a person’s capacity to marry should be checkedA brave woman, Daphne Franks, wants to reform some of the laws connected with marriage. Since 2016, when her mother died and it emerged that she had sec…
The Guardian view on the Turner prize: too worthy for its own good? | Editorial
The competition was set up to be populist. In its current introspective mood, though, it risks pushing away the publicThe Turner prize this year is not about celebrating, or creating, big names in the British art scene. Instead, the shortlist exhibitio…
The Guardian view on the police and women: face up to the problems | Editorial
The murder of Sarah Everard has crystallised a crisis of faith in the service. It is time for a wider reckoningThe disappearance of Sarah Everard in London in March sparked a wave of outrage at the violence women face. Following the sentencing of her k…
The Guardian view on silence about Brexit: time to talk turkey | Editorial
Labour and the Conservatives have both been happy to stay quiet about Brexit during the pandemic. That has to stopSince the 2019 general election, there has been a mutually convenient conspiracy of silence between Britain’s two main parties about Brexi…
The Guardian view on fuel shortages: this crisis needs management | Editorial
Ministers were warned that Brexit would cause problems for hauliers. The chaos in forecourts is a mess of their makingQueues at the petrol pumps are never a good look for a government. They are especially bad in a pandemic, when so many people already …
The Guardian view on Afghanistan: the dilemma for donors | Editorial
The Taliban are showing their true colours. The people face a desperate struggle for basic rights – and for survivalEven as the Taliban swept into Kabul in August – and even given their record in other parts of Afghanistan – some clung to hope, suggest…
The Guardian view on Starmer’s Labour: time to take on the Tories | Editorial
The Labour leader must know his party faces existential implications if it suffers a historic fifth election defeatBritons usually eat more than 10m turkeys during the festive season. If the country were to run short of the yuletide bird then that may …
The Guardian view on contemplative silence: there’s a lot to be said for it | Editorial
English Heritage is trialling a daily hour of stillness and reflection at its monastic sites. It is a bold experiment that deserves to succeedIn The Cloud of Unknowing, one of the greatest works of Christian mysticism, the art of contemplation is espec…
The Guardian view on Europe after Merkel: problems managed, not solved | Editorial
The German chancellor has been an anchor of stability in turbulent times. Her departure raises big questions about the futureWhen Angela Merkel’s successor is identified in elections this Sunday, that person will be the first new holder of Europe’s mos…