Category: English

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Bradley Ward, Teaching Fellow, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Southampton

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was forced to make changes to his top team by Angela Rayner’s resignation amid a stamp duty scandal, but has ended up using the opportunity to implement a major reshuffle at No 10 too. Key roles have been handed out to ministers on Labour’s right flank, who have been tasked with implementing phase two of the Labour government’s “plan for change”: “delivery, delivery, delivery”.

According to No 10, phase one – fixing the foundations – is complete. It can now move beyond repairing the wreckage left by the Conservatives and onto delivering core policy goals. In shifting focus, Starmer’s hope is that the government can convincingly demonstrate “real change” to the electorate in time for the next election. But he is also aiming to consolidate his team’s grip over the government machine.

A low-profile but highly significant decision has been taken to move Darren Jones from his role in the Treasury to become the chief secretary to the prime minister. In the first cabinet meeting since the reshuffle, Jones sat two seats down from Starmer.

In this newly created role, Jones has been handed “operational oversight” of the government’s programme and will lead a new No.10 delivery unit. The unit replaces the short-lived Mission Delivery Unit, which was created when Labour first entered office. Other notable appointments to Starmer’s top office reflect his push for a more assertive approach to economic policy and a sharper communications strategy.

The reshuffle is a response to a longstanding problem facing British prime ministers: having power over decision-making with limited capacity to deliver policy. From Boris Johnson’s attack on the courts to Liz Truss’s rows with the Office for Budget Responsibility, prime ministers have long lamented the weakness of the levers available to them to execute their agenda.

In line with this, Starmer is reported to have become frustrated at how slowly decisions are implemented. He has moved forward with plans to transform the “overcautious and flabby state” by recouping powers transferred to quangos.

The latest No 10 reshuffle is largely consistent with this trajectory. The UK’s system of governance and democracy is widely regarded as one of the most centralised in the western world. And yet, in managing a wider political system characterised by incoherence, prime ministers have generally responded by hoarding power through mechanisms of internal centralisation.

Starmer’s government, for example, is planning to give the justice secretary the power to veto decisions made by the sentencing council. Similarly, new housing secretary Steve Reed promises to “build, baby, build” – seeing through on Conservative efforts to weaken challenges to the government through the courts by diluting planning regulations.

And as former policymaker Sam Freedman illustrates in his recent book Failed State, cabinet and personnel changes have become increasingly centred around loyalty to the prime minister’s agenda.

Have the foundations been fixed?

Some of Labour’s proposals to fix the foundations seek to address this problem of power without capacity. Transferring hundreds of digital services onto a single platform should make it easier for citizens to navigate public services, for example.

The creation of a delivery unit should give the centre stronger strategic infrastructure. And abolishing some quangos, such as NHS England, will reduce unnecessary administrative duplication and simplify the centre’s capacity to direct policy.

Jones’s move to No 10, as well as the hiring of several economic advisers, appears to be a welcome attempt to reassert the prime minister’s authority over the Treasury, which is widely regarded as having become too powerful.

However, despite Starmer’s claim to have successfully completed phase one, the hyper-centralised yet highly fragmented system behind the quandary of power without capacity remains firmly in tact. Central government continues to hold a monopoly over executive and legislative power, while frontline provision remains gutted by cuts to public services, a toxic dependency on outsourcing and weak local government.

In the absence of more foundational reforms to the UK’s system of governance, executive centralisation only serves to burden central government with more responsibilities which it lacks the resources to handle.

What can be done?

Many options are available to improve the capacity of the government to “deliver, deliver, deliver”. For example, Treasury monopoly power over fiscal policy might be broken up via a department for growth responsible for macroeconomic policy.

A new department for the civil service, overseen by a revamped civil service board, would bolster accountability for implementation across central government.

Policy delivery could also be boosted by strengthening local government. The 2022 Brown report, commissioned by the Labour party in opposition but ignored since entering government, provides many useful proposals along these lines. These include replacing the House of Lords with an elected chamber of nations and regions, and a transfer of greater fiscal powers to local governments to allow them to be more responsive to local needs.

In lieu of a more urgent and transformational programme to rebuild state capacity at both the central and local levels, however, the prospects for delivery during the Starmer government’s second phase look bleak.

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Bradley Ward receives funding from Leverhulme Trust.

Joseph Ward has received funding from the ESRC.

– ref. Starmer’s Downing Street reshuffle: why he’s brought in Darren Jones for ‘phase two’ of his government – https://theconversation.com/starmers-downing-street-reshuffle-why-hes-brought-in-darren-jones-for-phase-two-of-his-government-264550

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Petra Alderman, Manager of the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science

In the space of just three weeks, the Shinawatra family has suffered a succession of blows that threaten to undo its more than two decades at the top of Thai politics. The first blow came in late August when the constitutional court removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from premiership for ethical misconduct.

The Pheu Thai party, whose de facto leader is Paetongtarn’s father and former Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, lost its bid to lead the next government one week later. Then, on September 9, the supreme court sentenced Thaksin to one year in prison for past convictions of corruption and abuse of power.

All of this comes just two years after Pheu Thai struck a deal with the country’s conservative royalist-military establishment that paved the way for Thaksin to return to Thailand after more than 15 years in exile. The reformist Move Forward party had won the 2023 general election that year, but was blocked from taking office and dissolved by the constitutional court.

The deal allowed Thaksin, who had been ousted from power by a military coup in 2006 and subsequently fled the country, to return on preferential terms. It also enabled Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial nominee, Srettha Thavisin, to lead a coalition government.

For a family that has survived two military – and countless judicial – coups, the speed and scale of the recent blows are remarkable. Could this be the end of the Shinawatra family’s influence over Thai politics?

Read more:
Thailand has another new prime minister and an opening for progress. But will anything change?

The Shinawatra family’s position at the top of Thai politics has always been precarious. While parties aligned with Thaksin continued to win elections after the 2006 coup, their terms were always cut short by judicial interventions.

Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck, was ousted from power by another military coup in 2014. And after winning the 2019 election, Pheu Thai’s then-leader Sudarat Keyuraphan was prevented from taking power as the military sought to retain control after five years of rule.

The 2023 deal did not improve the Shinawatras’ political fortunes for long. The constitutional court removed Srettha Thavisin from his post in August 2024 in an ethics case for appointing a cabinet minister who was once jailed.

Paetongtarn subsequently took office. But less than a year later, a flare-up in a historical border conflict with Cambodia escalated into a full-blown political crisis on the Thai side.

Read more:
Thailand and Cambodia’s escalating conflict has roots in century-old border dispute

A private phone call with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, in which Paetongtarn criticised the Thai military general overseeing the border region, was leaked. At a time of heightened nationalism and the military’s increased popularity, Paetongtarn was painted as unpatriotic and weak.

While Paetongtarn weathered the initial fallout, legal challenges began to mount and on July 1 she was suspended from premiership pending an ethical misconduct investigation. Paetongtarn’s duties were handed over to the deputy prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, in a caretaker capacity.

Read more:
A border conflict may cost the Thai prime minister her job

The timing of Paetongtarn’s suspension could not have come at a worse time for the Shinawatras. A historical legal case against Thaksin over accusations that he insulted the monarchy was scheduled to resume after a year-long adjournment. And the supreme court’s investigation into Thaksin’s hospital stay that helped him avoid serving time in prison upon his return to Thailand in August 2023 was also ongoing.

Loss of power

Paetongtarn’s removal from office was widely anticipated, but Pheu Thai’s subsequent loss of government was not. The Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate, Chaikasem Nitisiri, was by no means an ideal nominee due to his low public profile and fragile health. But many political observers still saw him as a plausible replacement for Paetongtarn in the weeks leading to her dismissal.

However, the momentum shifted away from Pheu Thai and the Shinawatras following the constitutional court’s ruling in early September. The conservative Bhumjaithai party swiftly proposed an alternative governing coalition and struck an agreement with the progressive People’s party – the direct successor of Move Forward – to form a government.

Pheu Thai’s loss of power is more than a short-term setback. It indicates a shift in conservative support away from Thaksin and the Shinawatras.

Thaksin’s 2023 deal rested on two premises: his continuous ability to win elections and revive Thailand’s economy. Pheu Thai has failed to deliver on both. Given the party’s declining popularity, the country’s conservative establishment may no longer see it as a useful ally in its fight against the rising progressive challenge.

In the aftermath of the 2014 coup, younger generations of Thais became more politically engaged. Disillusioned with the “old” pattern of politics that pitted the Shinawatras against the establishment, they supported newly created reformist parties. This support has continued to grow, culminating in protests between 2020 and 2022 that challenged the previously sacrosanct monarchy.

The supreme court’s decision to send Thaksin to prison presents another clear blow to the Shinawatras. However, it does not represent a complete political annihilation. There are ways in which Thaksin’s time in jail could be cut short, including by applying for a royal pardon.

Days before the supreme court ruling, Thaksin abruptly left Thailand. He was thought to be attending a medical check-up in Singapore but instead landed in Dubai, his long-term home in exile. This raised suspicions that he was fleeing Thailand ahead of an unfavourable verdict.

But, to the surprise of many, he returned in time for the ruling and displayed an uncharacteristic degree of deference. He accepted the ruling without defiance or vindictiveness and promised to devote the rest of his life to serving the monarchy, the nation and the Thai people.

Thaksin’s return suggests that, despite all the challenges, he calculates that there is still some space for him and his family in Thai politics. As a seasoned political operator, he will do anything to stage a comeback.

Yet if Bhumjaithai, now leading a minority government, proves itself a more reliable partner for the conservative establishment, the Shinawatras could find themselves permanently sidelined.

With or without them, Thailand’s prospects for true democracy remain limited. The Bhumjaithai-led government does not represent a change in political direction, but more of a conservative elite pivot.

Petra Alderman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Thailand’s politically influential Shinawatra family is fading from centre stage – for now – https://theconversation.com/thailands-politically-influential-shinawatra-family-is-fading-from-centre-stage-for-now-265217

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Whyte, Associate Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Surrey

A higher dose of the weight loss drug semaglutide (better known by its brand name Wegovy) may help people lose up to 25% of their body weight – without the risk of severe side-effects. These findings are based on the results of two recently published clinical trials.

Semaglutide has proven to be effective in helping people lose weight. But weight loss tends to plateau after about one year of use – even when taking the highest approved dose of the drug. This means patients may not reach their weight loss goals.

So researchers set out to understand whether a higher dose can be effective without the risk of severe side-effects.

In the first trial, researchers studied the effect of a 7.2mg dose of semaglutide in adults with obesity. This is three times the currently approved 2.4mg dose found in Wegovy. Participants were randomly assigned to either receive the higher dose, the standard dose or a placebo drug once a week for a period of 72 weeks.

Read more:
Semaglutide: beware of buying the weight-loss drug online

Participants were also told to reduce their daily calorie intake by around 500 calories per day and increase the amount of physical activity they did each week (aiming for around 150 minutes).

The participants who received the 7.2mg dose lost an average of nearly 21% of their body weight – compared with 17.5% for those on the standard dose. Participants who took the placebo only lost 2.4% of their body weight. These figures are based on those who fully adhered to the treatment regimen.

Around 33% of the participants on the higher dose also experienced very high levels of weight loss – losing 25% or more of their total body weight. This is roughly double the proportion seen in the standard-dose group, where just under 17% achieved this degree of weight loss.

The participants who used semaglutide also saw greater improvements in their cardiometabolic health compared to those who only received the placebo.

As might be anticipated, side-effects were more common in people taking the higher dose of semaglutide than those taking the lower dose. The most common side-effects were gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea or diarrhoea. Around 3% of participants using the higher dose and 2% of participants using the standard dose stopped using the drug because of these gastrointestinal issues.

A second trial then investigated what effect a higher dose of semaglutide would have in people with type 2 diabetes.

It’s well established that people with type 2 diabetes tend to lose less weight on semaglutide compared to those without diabetes. It’s not currently known why this is. So the second trial sought to understand whether a higher dose of semaglutide would also have a significant effect on weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes.

This time they recruited 512 participants with obesity who also had type 2 diabetes. They used the exact same study design as they did in the previous study.

Those treated with 7.2mg of semaglutide lost just over 13% of their body weight. The standard dose group lost around 10% of their body weight, while the placebo group lost just under 4% of their total body weight.

Beyond weight loss, the 7.2mg dose of semaglutide brought measurable improvements in metabolic health. On average, waist circumference decreased by 6.5cm compared to the placebo group. Blood glucose levels (HbA1c, a measure of diabetes control) also fell by nearly 2% in those taking the higher dose.

Gastroinstestinal problems were again the most commonly experienced side-effects in those taking semaglutide – with around 6% of the study’s participants stopping the trial because of these side-effects.

Patient benefit

Semaglutide promotes weight loss by mimicking the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone, which helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. These drugs act on brain pathways that control energy balance and food intake, leading to reduced hunger and an earlier sense of fullness (satiety) after eating. This can help people to eat less, leading to weight loss.

Read more:
Eight conditions weight-loss jabs might be beneficial for

Higher doses of semaglutide lead to greater weight loss by more strongly activating the brain regions that control appetite, resulting in reduced hunger and increased feelings of fullness. They also slow stomach emptying more effectively, helping to decrease overall food intake.

The results from these two trials show that a higher dose of semaglutide is both safe to use and very effective. Being able to use a higher dose of semaglutide offers more options for patients when it comes to managing their weight and controlling their blood sugar. It also gives an option to people who may not respond to the standard 2.4mg dose or whose weight loss may plateau.

These findings also show that semaglutide can compete against other weight loss drugs, such as tirzepatide (Mounjaro). In an earlier head-to-head trial, a 10gm-15mg dose of tirzepatide resulted in a 20% loss of body weight in participants – while a standard dose of semaglutide only resulted in an approximately 14% loss in body weight. But these recent studies now show that a higher dose of semaglutide can lead to comparable levels of weight loss.

These results may also raise questions about whether dose escalation may become a future standard of care in obesity treatment.

Martin Whyte does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Weight loss drug semaglutide shown to be safe and potentialy more effective at higher dose – new findings – https://theconversation.com/weight-loss-drug-semaglutide-shown-to-be-safe-and-potentialy-more-effective-at-higher-dose-new-findings-265312

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jennifer Donnelly, Doctoral Researcher, Meditation-based Interventions in Clinical Settings, Centre of Positive Health Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

“Be kind to yourself” is a piece of advice that’s often given to people during difficult times or moments of stress. But for someone who is driven, a perfectionist or facing pressure, the idea of self-compassion can feel uncomfortable. To them, kindness might feel like letting themselves off the hook.

But research actually shows that consistently feeling shame and self-judgment can activate the body’s stress response just as strongly as physical danger. This increases cortisol and inflammation, both of which are linked to long-term health problems.

On the contrary, research suggests that being kind to yourself – known in psychology as “self-compassion” – can actually support motivation, accountability and resilience without the cost of burnout.

Self-compassion can be defined as the ability to view yourself with kindness and a mindful or balanced perspective on what’s happening to you – as opposed to viewing yourself with judgment, focusing on your mistakes or feeling like you’re alone in your experience.

The key components of self-compassion include mindful awareness (noticing your pain or struggle without denial or exaggeration), self-kindness (offering support rather than criticism) and shared humanity (remembering that everyone struggles sometimes and that imperfection is part of being human).

Self-compassion doesn’t mean letting yourself off the hook. It means staying connected to yourself in a way that supports real, healthy change.

But practising self-compassion is often easier said than done. If you’re someone who finds it difficult to be kind to yourself, here are three ways having more self-compassion can be beneficial for you – and how to increase self-compassion in your everyday life.

1. Reduces your body’s stress response

Stress is a natural part of life that our bodies are well-adapted to cope with. It allows us to perform daily tasks and be more engaged. However, consistent exposure to stress without relief may result in chronic stress. This can lead to both mental and physical health problems including cardiovascular disorders, decreased immunity and mental health challenges such as depression.

To reduce exposure to chronic stress, we need to be able to engage our brain’s parasympathetic system – the part of the nervous system that helps the body relax and also controls functions such as digestion and breathing. The parasympathetic system is often stimulated by relaxation and feelings of safety, security and comfort.

Self-compassion may be a powerful tool in helping create the feeling of security and comfort within ourselves that’s needed to stimulate this internal system. Research suggests self-compassionate thoughts can result in physiological changes such as improved heart rate variability – a marker of emotional regulation and resilience.

2. Helps you respond and adapt to feedback

Many people fear that too much self-compassion could mean they become self-centred or avoid responsibility. But when we practise self-compassion, we often become more available to others.

We model healthier coping strategies, respond better to feedback and recover faster from setbacks.

The reason this happens is because self-compassion teaches us to respond to ourselves with the same care we would offer others. Instead of saying: “I’m not good enough,” a self-compassionate person might say: “This was hard, what can I learn for next time?”

Better yet, as we begin to show empathy towards our own imperfections and mistakes, we are better able to extend that empathy towards others.

3. Makes you more likely to succeed

Another common fear is that self-compassion will make us lazy or unambitious. But studies show the opposite to be true.

People who practise self-compassion are more likely to take responsibility for their actions, try again after failure and stay engaged with long-term goals. They procrastinate less and take more conscientious, less impulsive decisions.

By contrast, shame and negative self-esteem may drive short-term performance, but we’re less likely to maintain this motivation over time.

How to practise self-compassion

If you’d like to give self-compassion a go, the next time you catch yourself in a loop of harsh self-talk, pause and ask: if someone I loved were in this situation, what would I say to them? Then try offering yourself the same words.

And use neutral, non-judgmental language. Instead of “I shouldn’t feel this way” or “I’ve failed again,” try to make your thinking less personal. You could tell yourself instead: “This is hard” or “I’m not the only one who feels this way.” You could even try to be more forward thinking, asking yourself: “This is my situation right now, what can I do next?” These small shifts reduce emotional reactivity and help support clearer thinking under pressure.

Finally, look at the bigger picture. It’s easy to feel alone in our struggles. But everyone, regardless of culture, background or personality, experiences doubt, regret or imperfection. Remind yourself that no one is perfect and everyone has hard days. You’re not alone.

Practices such as loving-kindness meditation can also help with developing self-compassion. During this form of meditation, the focus is on sending good wishes or kind thoughts to yourself and others.

Whether you’re navigating illness, chronic stress or the pressures of daily life, being kind to yourself isn’t indulgence – it’s a skill that protects your health, your mind and your future self.

Jennifer Donnelly does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Three ways your mental and physical health will benefit from being kinder to yourself – https://theconversation.com/three-ways-your-mental-and-physical-health-will-benefit-from-being-kinder-to-yourself-263569

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sarah Price, Research Fellow at the Leeds Sustainability Institute, Leeds Beckett University

Insulation is designed to make heating our homes more efficient, but if it isn’t installed properly it can sometimes lead to condensation, damp and mould. Recently UK government ministers revealed the scale of the issue and reported that thousands of homes may have had botched insulation fitted since 2022 under a government scheme called the Energy Company Obligation.

Many people have also told journalists they were hoping the insulation would make their homes warmer in cold weather, and were confused and alarmed to find sub-standard installation made mould and damp worse.

To understand why, we first need to think about where moisture in our homes comes from.

There’s rain and ground water, of course, but we often forget about moisture in the air. Air is great at holding moisture. Every time we breathe, we give off carbon dioxide and water vapour. Bathing, cooking, washing-up and drying clothes indoors add even more moisture to the air.

Normally, ventilation – the flow of fresh air in and stale air out – helps carry some of this moisture away. Some people open their windows regularly and some homes are naturally “leaky”, with gaps in walls, roofs and floors that let air in and out.

Now imagine a home that was once well ventilated because it’s leaky, which then has
insulation fitted to the walls. It’s going to get more sealed up, and this can upset the balance of moisture in the air inside the home, making it more humid.

And if the occupant isn’t good at opening windows enough, particularly in the colder months, (which most of us aren’t!), this can lead to condensation, damp and mould, especially in colder corners of rooms where insulation is often missing. It takes more skill and can cost more to install insulation in corners.

Moisture is more likely to condense when there are cold surfaces inside – like a pint of beer in a pub, or a pair of glasses steaming up when you come in from outside. These cold spots, where insulation is missing, are called thermal bridges, and they stay cold while the rest of the wall warms up.

This is unfortunately a common theme in retrofitting insulation to homes. Insulation is installed, gaps in the material are left, and ventilation is forgotten about. This is why housing experts now say “no insulation without ventilation”.

Walls and moisture

There are other ways in which insulation can lead to damp and mould. These usually relate to moisture being trapped inside the building fabric. For example, if external wall insulation is not properly sealed at the top, rainwater can be absorbed into the bricks behind the external wall insulation.

The wall has a hard time releasing moisture because the external wall insulation slows down drying to the outside. The wall tries to release moisture to the inside instead, which means that the ventilation system needs to work extra hard and may get overloaded – if there even is one installed.

This is what led to the mushrooms growing in people’s homes in the 2013 Preston external wall insulation debacle. It involved a botched external wall insulation retrofit of properties with many vulnerable residents.

Moisture can also get trapped behind internal wall insulation on solid masonry walls. It makes the existing solid brick wall colder because it’s being insulated from the inside warmth of your home. Tiny gaps in the insulation system can allow warm moist air from inside the house to get to the back of the internal wall insulation and to reach the colder external brick wall. If that happens, condensation, and therefore mould, could form inside the wall.

The solution is to make sure there are no gaps in the insulation, and to use the right kind of insulation. Some types of insulation such as wood fibre or calcium silicate board are better at managing moisture. It’s also important to make sure the wall is in good condition to start with, with no cracks and to install an internal air barrier to stop any of the warm moist air getting in behind the internal insulation in the first place.

This all might sound a bit alarming, but the good news is that we’ve learned a lot about moisture in retrofit.

If you’re thinking about retrofitting your home with insulation, ask the contractor if they’ve considered the things listed in the infographic below:

A ventilation system can be easily retrofitted to any home. It can be done before, during or after installation of the insulation. It should include extraction fans in kitchens and bathrooms to extract moisture at source, combined with supply vents or trickle vents in all the other rooms.

Research from the Leeds Sustainability Institute has shown that taking a whole-house approach to installing insulation can reduce the risk of condensation. The whole-house approach is something experts have been talking about for a while and just means thinking of the house as a system including ventilation and cold spots, and not just focusing on the bit being insulated.

Sarah Price works for Leeds Beckett University

– ref. When insulation goes wrong – the science behind why botched retrofits can be so damaging – https://theconversation.com/when-insulation-goes-wrong-the-science-behind-why-botched-retrofits-can-be-so-damaging-264916