Lipstick and Politics

Admittedly, even those who constantly keep up with the political landscape were not entirely familiar with Andrea Leadsom, who has recently catapulted to fame after choosing to stand for Tory party leader and, more frighteningly, our next Prime Minister. In a system where Prime Ministerial dominance is almost inevitable, we must assess our options carefully and be very clear on what elections will actually mean. Especially in the post-Brexit scenario, where many of our voters did not actually realise the depth of their decision we must actually recognise  that our next PM will be responsible for implementing the changes and triggering Article 50. At first glance, Leadsom seems to be a breath of fresh air, insisting that immigrants should not be used as a bargaining chip in EU negotiations . A new face, it is also easy to mistake her for a revolutionary woman who would change the face of politics and take us away from the right-wing politics that are damaging our current politics....

The murder of Alton Sterling today has once again stirred up the anger of a whole community, and the depth of feeling is clear even over social media. 558 murders in police custody in the past year, with black lives being on the line at an alarming rate. As a Catholic-raised Nationalist growing up in Northern Ireland, I am no stranger to police brutality aimed at one group and empathise with the cause. More importantly, as a decent human being, my heart breaks for the families of the victims whose death penalty was determined by their race. "I want my daddy:" #AltonSterling ’s 15-year-old son breaks down in tears https://t.co/vowfaY9Qll pic.twitter.com/qK2uvGTqxI — NewsOne (@newsone) July 6, 2016 For me, it is slightly different - where I live, it was religion that divided us and stopped my community from advancing adequately. For white Americans, you must recognise that it is race that is the kicker and you must not be part of the problem. The "race card" ...