Opinion Articles

H&P encourages historians to use their expertise to shed light on issues of the day. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece for publication, please see our editorial guidelines. We currently have 342 Opinion Articles listed by date and they are all freely searchable by theme, author or keyword.


‘Boring’? Transformative leaders and government: the perspective of modern British history

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has regularly been labelled 'boring' by satirists and by more flamboyant political opponents. As the 2024 general election campaign begins in earnest, we can expect to hear more of this. But, Professor Simon Szreter argues,genuinely transformative British politicians have been distinguished by their capacity to master the tough challenges of government rather than by their personal charisma.

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Historical messages emerging from Ukraine: autocrats, information, and the cost of freedom

Although the invasion of Ukraine will evoke memories of the suffering imposed on its people by the regime of Joseph Stalin, in an age of smartphones Vladimir Putin lacks Stalin's ability to control the flow of information. Members of the Russian military know they are likely to be held to account, and that their actions in Ukraine will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

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When affirmative action was white: the work of Ira Katznelson

Simon Szreter revisits a classic paper from 2005 authored by Professor Ira Katznelson, which set out a history of the public policy that fostered black economic disadvantage in the United States.

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Covid-19 is not a Black Swan: predictable shocks need fully-funded, resilient public services

In a globalised world, new pathogens made their way to Britain and killed thousands, while a social security system depleted for ideological motives failed to cope. Not today, but the 1830s and 1840s, says Simon Szreter.

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The 2019 Election and the Media – a different kind of campaign

The December 2019 general election campaign has been like no other - partly due to the lack of scrutiny.

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‘Incentivising an ethical economics’. Winning Entry for the IPPR Economics Prize 2019

Read more about H&P co-founder Prof Simon Szreter's team's prize-winning plan for a step change in the UK's economic growth

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The EU Referendum result in historical perspective: the need for reform of Westminster

Professor Simon Szreter looks at the EU referendum in the context of our voting system and its historical trends

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In Memoriam Jo Cox 1974-2016: attending to the well of public discourse

Professor Simon Szreter, Managing Editor History & Policy reflects on the life of Jo Cox and the democratic principles of freedom of speech.

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Personal reflections on new book, Sex before the Sexual Revolution

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Proportional Representation: historical destiny beckons?

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About Us


H&P is based at the Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, University of London.

We are the only project in the UK providing access to an international network of more than 500 historians with a broad range of expertise. H&P offers a range of resources for historians, policy makers and journalists.

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