When he was invited to debate David Starkey on the subject of Britishness, Musa Okwonga looked forward to the opportunity to challenge the historian's controversial views on race and multiculturalism. But a clash between Starkey and the columnist Laurie Penny saw the event quickly descend into farce
We all think it's a good idea to keep religion away from politics, don't we? Richard Smyth begs to differ
Francis Beckett savours a new edition of a classic
Mark Henderson’s new book calls for the pro-science lobby to get political. Adam Smith meets him
Political differences have their origin in the way we are wired, according to research in cognitive neuroscience. It’s offering a whole new perspective on politics that we ignore at our peril, argues Chris Mooney
Who is America's leading secularist? Thats right, there isn't one. And if someone effective doesn't start speaking up for the seperation of church and state soon, it could be lost for good, argues Jacques Berlinerblau
Helen Bamber has been listening to the victims of torture, cruelty and genocide for more than 60 years, but she retains her faith in humanity. Caspar Melville meets her
The front runners are men, but could a woman born more than half a millennium ago hold the key to the French elections? asks Sally Feldman
The MP for West Bromwich East and Deputy Chair of the Labour Party Tom Watson has made his name as the relentless pursuer of tabloid hackers as a member of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, even comparing James Murdoch to a mafia boss. We hacked into his private thoughts to find out what makes him tick
Amid the research targets and funding reforms our once world-leading centres for higher learning have lost their way. Laurie Taylor meets Stefan Collini, the Cambridge don mounting a fight back