Ellen Halliday

Acclaimed journalist Philip Collins to become editor of Prospect Alan Rusbridger steps down following record circulation growth

@arusbridger.bsky.social will step down as Prospect's editor at the end of 2025. Our print & digital circulation grew 30% last year & he’s transformed Prospect into a flourishing multi-media company. Excited that acclaimed journalist Philip Collins will be our new editor.

Epstein’s birthday book and the girls with no names On the central cruelty of the ‘The First Fifty Years’ albums

When Epstein’s birthday book was revealed, people could only talk about the men who contributed to it. But the book was filled with women, and with girls. What about them?

Thanks to @diane2v.bsky.social for writing this for @prospectmagazine.co.uk

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/united...

Hidden council tax debt is eroding trust in local politics An exclusive FOI investigation reveals the extent of indebted councillors in England—a trend that could fuel populist narratives that politicians are ...

Our Covert Councillor is back, with an exclusive investigation on the hidden debt eroding trust in local politics (and a h/t to the vital reporting on this by @liverpoolecho.co.uk's @liamthorp.bsky.social & @theleaduk.bsky.social's @leighsus.bsky.social)

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/dem...

The hypocrisy of our hard-right ‘protectors’ Anti-immigrant rioters and vigilante groups say they want to defend women, children and British communities—while attacking these very things

I don't often write opinion, but I got fed up seeing examples of men claiming to be the "protectors" of the very people they (sometimes literally) attack.

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/710...

I'm so sad to hear this! I only got to know him recently, but he was so kind, and thoughtful, and generous with this time

I hope you don't mind me sharing it—I find it a helpful framing of the political culture, the forms of violence we now see within it, and what can be done to avoid more of the same. "The solution requires civility"

The law is powerless against stochastic political violence The misuse of media power to promote harm needs a cultural, not a legal, solution

”The recent spate of political violence in the United States, as well as elsewhere, is...not a novelty. Indeed, the only mild surprise is perhaps that there has not been more of it.“

From June, by @davidallengreen.bsky.social in @prospectmagazine.co.uk

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

A moment for some good news, via @billmckibben.bsky.social

With Rayner gone, a proxy battle for Labour’s soul begins The scrap over the deputy leadership will be seismic

“The coming battle for the powerless deputy leadership could easily become a proxy war over the party’s whole purpose and nature,” writes @tom-clark.bsky.social in @prospectmagazine.co.uk today.

p.s our paywall is down til 4pm

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/lab...

Our latest issue has just hit newsstands! Here’s a peek at what’s inside... 🧵

In our cover essay, @benansell.bsky.social surveys the resurgence of left populism, from Zohran Mamdani to Zarah Sultana. Should Keir Starmer take notes?
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/709...

Alaska was a Russian colony. Would Trump trade it for Crimea? If Ukraine is forcibly partitioned, other Crimeas will follow

When @okhromeychuk.bsky.social heard Trump speak of swapping territories, she couldn’t help but wonder: could the Hutsul’s prayer be answered at last?

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/europe... in @prospectmagazine.co.uk

Ukraine isn’t just ’territory’ but the people who live there. This shouldn’t be news. Lately I’ve been reading Looking at Women, Looking at War by Victoria Amelina, a writer killed while investigating Russian war crimes. The immediate cost of any land deal would be the horrors Ukrainians would bear.

How privatisation led to the sewage scandal Leaky pipes, sewage spills and filthy rivers—Oliver Bullough explains how we got here

It's @prospectmagazine.co.uk pod day, and this week @ellenhalliday.bsky.social and I speak with @oliverbullough.bsky.social about how privatisation ruined our water, the cover of our latest mag

PLUS: The easiest banger or dud we've ever done on the pod

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/podcasts/pro...

How our water went to shit Privatisation was meant to revitalise a public good. Instead, it left us with leaky pipes, sewage spills and rivers not fit to swim in

“For decades, water company owners have extracted billions of pounds that should have been invested in plugging leaks and treating sewage, and sent the proceeds to parent firms overseas,” writes @oliverbullough.bsky.social.
www.prospectmagazine...

thank you!

@paddycarter.bsky.social this sounds interesting—can you point me to some of the research you mention? Thanks v much in advance!

Woohoo! When @benjamin-clark.bsky.social joined the team last year, he had about 1000 ideas of things we could do to connect more with our readers. The newsletter that became Lightbulb was one of them. Congrats to Ben on making the shortlist! And if you aren't signed up, then do it now!

I’m hiring a reporter for London Centric, looking for someone smart who can use a phone, knock on doors and wants to cause trouble. Don’t care if you’ve got qualifications, just want evidence of caring about news. Initial six month contract, pay above national rates. www.londoncentric.media/p/jobs

James Bloodworth: Into the manosphere James discusses the evolution of online misogyny—and why so many young men are drawn into it

It's @prospectmagazine.co.uk pod day and this week @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social joins me and @ellenhalliday.bsky.social to talk misogyny, masculinity and his new book on the manosphere

Plus a listener-suggested banger or dud: should you split the bill?

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/podcasts/pro...

Assisted dying: MPs prepare to vote Some opponents of the bill are arguing that they are against Kim Leadbeater’s bill, not the principle of assisted dying

If you're following the assisted dying debate in parliament today, do follow @prospectmagazine.co.uk's rolling updates. Written by @markmardell.bsky.social and edited by @emilylawford.bsky.social

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/a-good...

In Switzerland today, part of a glacier collapsed, and most of a town was buried

SPEECHLESS BEFORE / AFTER #BLATTEN

The magnitude of destruction after the 3:24 pm collapse of Birch Glacier is immense! 😱

All the forest has been razed and the ice/wood/debris dammed the Lonza river 🌊

Some buildings of Blatten are buried 🏠

📷 Pomona

Starmer’s immigration gamble The Prospect Podcast · Episode

🎧Great to be this week's guest on @prospectmagazine.co.uk's podcast discussing my book, the immigration white paper, UK-EU reset talks and why I left the Home Office to report on it.

Thanks to @aloner.bsky.social and @ellenhalliday.bsky.social for having me on.

open.spotify.com/episode/5iWL...

In short, unis: "did exactly what the government asked of them: first accepting more home students, then recruiting abroad to make up the fees shortfall and boost the sector. When that turned out, entirely predictably, to have increased net migration, they took fright."

How universities were sent over the edge UK higher education institutions did as the government asked and took on more students. Now many face collapse

If you want a researched account of how universities became so dependent on the international students that could now be squeezed, read @rostaylor.bsky.social

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol...

Crash course The UK’s universities are among the best in the world. So why do many appear close to collapse?

"In the end, of course, one or more universities will spectacularly fall apart. It’s hard to say where that will happen, exactly, but how it could happen is fairly clear." @gsoh31.bsky.social

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol...

The Prospect Podcast: Robert Macfarlane: Is a River Alive? This week, poet and nature writer Robert Macfarlane joins Prospect’s Ellen Halliday and Imaan Irfan to explore the ideas in his new book Is a River Alive? They each share what ‘their rivers are...

This was one of my favourite @prospectmagazine.co.uk podcasts so far. @robgmacfarlane.bsky.social spoke to me and @imaanirfan.bsky.social about his beautiful book, Is a River Alive? It was lovely, and moving, and I highly recommend tuning in.

podfollow.com/the-prospect...

The latest issue of Prospect is out now—with an essay by Philip Collins on whether Reform has a Project 2025-like plan for power (and ideas about what such a plan might contain).

Also, @samfr.bsky.social's last monthly politics column for us. And @emilylawford.bsky.social meets "Dr Death"

The Prospect Podcast: Does Reform have a plan for power? Could a populist right-wing party take power in the UK? And if one did, what would it do?This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by Prospect’s contributing editor Philip Collins who analyses Reform...

Does Reform have a plan for power? It's a good day to remind you that Philip Collins has investigated this question for @prospectmagazine.co.uk.

We will publish his piece on Wednesday (follow me to catch it) but he gave us a teaser on the podcast too...

podfollow.com/the-prospect...