logo
Under CTRL, the Epping migrant protests & why is ‘romantasy' so popular?

Under CTRL, the Epping migrant protests & why is ‘romantasy' so popular?

Spectator19 hours ago
First: the new era of censorship
A year ago, John Power notes, the UK was consumed by race riots precipitated by online rumours about the perpetrator of the Southport atrocity. This summer, there have been protests, but 'something is different'. With the introduction of the Online Safety Act, 'the government is exerting far greater control over what can and can't be viewed online'. While the act 'promises to protect minors from harmful material', he argues that it is 'the most sweeping attempt by any liberal democracy to bring the online world under the control of the state'.
Implemented and defended by the current Labour government, it is actually the result of legislation passed by the Conservatives in 2023 – which Labour did not support at the time, arguing it didn't go far enough. So how much of a danger is the Act to free speech in Britain?
John joined the podcast to discuss further alongside former Conservative minister Steve Baker, MP from 2010-24, and who was one of the biggest critics of the bill within the Conservative Party at the time.
Next: should we be worried about protests against migrants?
This week, outside a hotel in Epping, groups amassed to protest against the migrants housed there, with counter-protestors appearing in turn. Tommy Robinson might not have appeared in the end, but the Spectator's Max Jeffery did, concluding that the protests were ultimately 'anticlimactic'.
Nevertheless, the protests have sparked debate about the motivations of those speaking out against the migrants – are there legitimate concerns voiced by locals, or are the protests being manipulated by figures on the political fringes? And what do the protests tell us about community tensions in the UK? Max joined the podcast to discuss alongside the editor of Spiked Tom Slater.
And finally: why are 'romantasy' novels so popular?
Lara Brown writes in the magazine this week about the phenomenon of the genre 'romantasy', which mixes romance with fantasy. While 'chick-lit' is nothing new, Lara argues that this is 'literature taken to its lowest form', emblematic of the terminally online young people who consume it. Nevertheless, it is incredibly popular and is credited by publishers as boosting the British fiction industry to over £1 billion. To unpack the genre's popularity, Lara joined the podcast, alongside Sarah Maxwell, the founder of London's first romance-only bookshop Saucy Books, based in Notting Hill.
Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kemi Badenoch says she met 'soft bigotry' but no 'meaningful' prejudice moving to UK
Kemi Badenoch says she met 'soft bigotry' but no 'meaningful' prejudice moving to UK

Daily Mirror

time37 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Kemi Badenoch says she met 'soft bigotry' but no 'meaningful' prejudice moving to UK

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said people didn't treat her differently when she moved to the UK from Nigeria but she feared such acceptance was in danger of being eroded Kemi Badenoch has said she experienced "soft bigotry" rather than "meaningful" prejudice after moving from Nigeria to the UK. ‌ The Conservative leader was born in Britain but raised mostly in Nigeria until 1996, when she moved permanently to the UK aged 16. In an interview with the Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth podcast, she said people didn't treat her differently but she feared such acceptance was in danger of being eroded. ‌ Asked if she was made conscious of her "blackness" after coming to Britain, she said: "Never. And I think that this is one of the things that probably made me an outlier. I knew I was going to a place where I would look different from everybody and I didn't think that that was odd." It comes after Nigel Farage unveiled an ex-Tory who made racist remark on WhatsApp as its newest defector. ‌ Ms Badenoch said: "What I found actually quite interesting was that people didn't treat me differently. It's why I am so quick to defend the UK whenever there are accusations of racism. "I did not experience prejudice in any meaningful form. That doesn't mean that prejudice doesn't exist or that it doesn't happen. Many people do (experience it), but I didn't, not seriously. ‌ "I had a couple of instances at school which now I look back and I think, 'Well, that might have been prejudice" but even then, when I talk about the soft bigotry of lower expectations, teachers saying, 'You don't need to go to all these fancy universities, just to to this Poly or this former Poly'. "Some of it was just coming from what they thought was a good place, they thought they were being helpful or they were well-meaning. I don't think they were trying to disadvantage me. So I didn't feel that way." Asked what she would like to see to make the world better for her three children, she said: "I think that I was so lucky and it would be a dereliction of duty to leave a worse world to them. I have mixed race children. ‌ "Making sure that we keep a socially cohesive society, one where the colour of your skin doesn't matter any more than the colour of your eyes or your hair is quite important. "I think we've done such a brilliant job in the UK and that's in danger of turning because of people on both extremes. ‌ "Those who want to pretend that this is the most awful place in the world to live if you're an ethnic minority, they've created a lot of damage, especially since 2020, but now we're also seeing a rise in ethno-nationalism, of people who are trying to pretend that those of us who are different skin colours are not meant to be here. "They are two sides of the same coin. Both need to be dealt with. I don't want them (my children) to grow up in a society that is like South Africa was, where people were segregated or where the colour of their skin is something to be noted. "But even more than that, I want them to grow up in an economically successful country. It's all about making sure people can have a good quality of life."

'Our society accepts others, but that is now at risk': Kemi Badenoch fears that divisions will lead to South-African style apartheid
'Our society accepts others, but that is now at risk': Kemi Badenoch fears that divisions will lead to South-African style apartheid

Daily Mail​

time37 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

'Our society accepts others, but that is now at risk': Kemi Badenoch fears that divisions will lead to South-African style apartheid

Britain's acceptance of others is at risk of being eroded by people on 'both extremes', Kemi Badenoch has warned. The Conservative leader said those who 'pretend' the UK is an awful place for ethnic minorities, and those who promote ethno-nationalism, are damaging society. She said both groups 'need to be dealt with' so children do not grow up in a segregated society akin to apartheid South Africa. Speaking to the Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth podcast, Mrs Badenoch also said she did not experience 'meaningful' prejudice after moving from Nigeria to the UK permanently. Born in Wimbledon, south London, to her Nigerian parents, mother a professor and father a doctor, she was raised in Lagos before coming back as a teen. Asked if she was made conscious of her 'blackness' after coming to Britain, she said: 'Never. And I think that this is one of the things that probably made me an outlier. 'I knew I was going to a place where I would look different from everybody and I didn't think that was odd. 'What I found actually quite interesting was that people didn't treat me differently. It's why I am so quick to defend the UK whenever there are accusations of racism. 'I did not experience prejudice in any meaningful form. That doesn't mean prejudice doesn't exist or that it doesn't happen. Many people do [experience it], but I didn't, not seriously. 'I had a couple of instances at school which now I look back and I think "Well, that might have been prejudice" but even then, when I talk about the soft bigotry of lower expectations, teachers saying "You don't need to go to all these fancy universities, just to this poly or this former poly". 'Some of it was just coming from what they thought was a good place, they thought they were being helpful or they were well-meaning. 'I don't think they were trying to disadvantage me. So I didn't feel that way.' But Mrs Badenoch, who moved permanently to the UK when she was 16 in 1996 because of economic turmoil in Nigeria, warned that things could get worse. The mother-of-three said it would be a 'dereliction of duty' to leave a worse world to her children. She added: 'I have mixed race children. Making sure we keep a socially cohesive society, one where the colour of your skin doesn't matter any more than the colour of your eyes or your hair, is quite important. I think we've done such a brilliant job in the UK and that's in danger of turning because of people on both extremes. 'Those who want to pretend this is the most awful place in the world to live if you're an ethnic minority, they've created a lot of damage, but now we're also seeing a rise in ethno-nationalism, of people who are trying to pretend that those of us who are different skin colours are not meant to be here. I don't want [my children] to grow up in a society that is like South Africa was, where people were segregated or where the colour of their skin is something to be noted.' The Tory leader also revealed she still bears the marks of a tough upbringing in Nigeria. 'I think my worst experience would have been being sent away from home, having to live in what was quite a brutal boarding school. 'I had to fetch water from a borehole. My soft baby hands were calloused. I think they are still calloused actually 35 years later from doing that.'

Fury as number of foreign sex offenders & violent criminals jailed in England and Wales hits record high
Fury as number of foreign sex offenders & violent criminals jailed in England and Wales hits record high

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Fury as number of foreign sex offenders & violent criminals jailed in England and Wales hits record high

Foreign nationals also make up a staggering percentage of those charged with sex attacks in London over the last seven years FOREIGN CONS UP Fury as number of foreign sex offenders & violent criminals jailed in England and Wales hits record high Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE NUMBER of foreign sex and violent offenders locked up in England and Wales has soared to record highs, damning new data reveals. Official figures show 1,731 foreign-national sex offenders were in prison in June - up nearly 10 per cent in a year and almost three times the rate of British offenders. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 'They need to be kicked out of the country immediately. Starmer must suspend visas and aid until countries take back their nationals', says Robert Jenrick Credit: PA Violent foreign inmates hit 3,250 - the highest since records began - with an 8.8 per cent annual rise, nearly double the 4.8 per cent for UK nationals. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'Instead of releasing criminals early to free up prison space, the Government must deport every single one of these foreign offenders. "They need to be kicked out of the country immediately. Starmer must suspend visas and aid until countries take back their nationals.' Albanians remain the largest foreign nationality in UK prisons, with 1,193 behind bars - many for drug offences. Poles, Romanians and Irish make up the next biggest groups, followed by Lithuanians and Jamaicans. Foreign nationals now account for more than one in 10 sex offenders and violent criminals in custody, and one in five drug offenders. The new figures, published by the Ministry of Justice, follow months of pressure for greater transparency on the nationality of offenders. Some of the protests at asylum hotels have been sparked by alleged sex attacks by migrants. The Sun also recently revealed that four in ten people charged over sex attacks in London in the last seven years were foreign nationals. Police figures showed these migrants were behind 2,809 of the 7,798 alleged crimes recorded in the capital since 2018 - despite making up less than a quarter of the city's population. Manchester Police Raids smash down doors in early morning raids on postal drug dealers

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store