Tag Archives: far-right

The National interview on anti-far-right summit in Scotland

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I was quoted in an article by The National’s Steph Brawn on the anti-far right summit in Scotland.

I argued that there was too much focus on the spectacle of the rise of Reform. The Scottish political mainstream needs to test their policies on issues like immigration and offer viable alternatives. The rise of parties like Reform is due to a breakdown in trust in political institutions, which will take a long time to recover from. However the first step must be to inject facts into debates over immigration and to avoid leaning into emotional narratives that inflame tensions further.

Many thanks to Steph for the opportunity and Charlotte Morris for arranging it.

The article can be read in full here

Op-ed published in Scotsman on the Rise of Far-Right Extremism in Scotland

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Yesterday I had an op-ed published in The Scotsman. In ‘Social media isn’t solely to blame for rise of far-right’, I argue for a holistic approach. It’s too easy to pin the blame solely on online platforms that amplify hate and misinformation. Politicians need to dial down the rhetoric on issues like immigration. It’s time to focus on why right-wing extremism resonates with young people rather than solely blame social media algorithms.

Many thanks to Charlotte Morris for helping arrange this. It can be read in full here.

Interviewed for The National on social media and protests in Glasgow

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Article in The National, 8 August 2024

On Wednesday I spoke to Hamish Morrison from The National about the list of far-right protests in Scotland circulated on social media. We discussed how far-right groups used apps like Telegram to organise, the threat of misinformation during the recent riots in England, and how best to respond to false information circulating online.

Thanks to Hamish and Charlotte Morris for the invitation. The article can be read here.

Interviewed on LBC News about role of social media in riots in England

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Image of counter-demonstrator in Southport, via HopenotHate

On Saturday I spoke to Andrew Peach on LBC News about the role of social media during the riots in Southport, London, Hartlepool and Sunderland over the past week. We discussed issues like the role of conspiracy theories and misinformation in inflaming tensions, and whether platforms can do more to remove harmful content.

The interview can be listened to here

Thanks to Andrew, Elliot, Charlotte and Rachel for the invitation.