https://commentcentral.co.uken-ukCopyright 2023https://commentcentral.co.uk2026-10-08T17:48:25+01:00https://commentcentral.co.uk/dunkelflaute-why-energy-security-in-the-renewable-age-demands-long-duration-storagehttps://commentcentral.co.uk/dunkelflaute-why-energy-security-in-the-renewable-age-demands-long-duration-storagePoliticsJon Saltmarsh]]> Dunkelflaute is a once-obscure German word that’s appearing more and more in energy discussions. So much so that the Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee has launched an inquiry into the risks it poses to energy security. Thu, 8 Oct 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/andy-burnham-should-clean-up-britains-dirty-money-problemhttps://commentcentral.co.uk/andy-burnham-should-clean-up-britains-dirty-money-problemPoliticsEka Iakobishvili]]> September has been a defining month for Reform UK and perhaps an awakening call as to how Britain’s financial services infrastructure does not just launder money for kleptocrats abroad, but builds the pathways that channel dodgy money into its own politics. Tue, 6 Oct 2026 06:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/britains-defence-supply-chain-is-blinking-redhttps://commentcentral.co.uk/britains-defence-supply-chain-is-blinking-redDefenceNicholas Chkhaidze]]> Before an official trip to the Falkland Islands earlier this year, the Conservative peer Graham Evans was surprised to receive a Made in China military uniform. Tue, 6 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/the-board-of-peace-has-no-legal-foundation-nor-did-the-british-mandate-in-palestinehttps://commentcentral.co.uk/the-board-of-peace-has-no-legal-foundation-nor-did-the-british-mandate-in-palestineJohn Quigley]]> 35 states have joined the Board of Peace, chaired by President Donald Trump and charged with supervising the temporary governance of Gaza as the "most consequential international body in history.” Not one Palestinian sits on the board. Mon, 5 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/why-labour-must-take-this-opportunity-for-meaningful-reformhttps://commentcentral.co.uk/why-labour-must-take-this-opportunity-for-meaningful-reformPoliticsKim Johnson MP]]> When Andy Burnham opened No. 10 North in Manchester, it was more than a new government office. It was a statement about how Britain should change. Fri, 2 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/energy-empire-and-the-politics-of-life-and-deathhttps://commentcentral.co.uk/energy-empire-and-the-politics-of-life-and-deathForeign AffairsSpiegel and Le Billon]]> In this year of unhinged militarism, the US government has been bombing countries, blaming them for high oil prices, and remaking politics globally. In our recent article, “Oil blockades and the geopolitics of double standards: Energy imperialism, normalization of coercion and the hierarchy of suffering,” we argued that contemporary oil politics reveals a deeply unequal international order, shaped by changing power dynamics but also long standing forms of colonial relations. Fri, 2 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/andy-burnhams-north-sea-dilemmahttps://commentcentral.co.uk/andy-burnhams-north-sea-dilemmaEnvironmentSir Vince Cable]]> Now that the Prime Minister is back from his trip to see Donald Trump and has enjoyed the warm emotional bath of Labour conference, he rejoins the world of hard choices. Thu, 1 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/ending-the-triple-lock-was-the-rare-act-of-a-politician-levelling-with-the-public-now-he-needs-to-do-the-same-for-the-nhshttps://commentcentral.co.uk/ending-the-triple-lock-was-the-rare-act-of-a-politician-levelling-with-the-public-now-he-needs-to-do-the-same-for-the-nhsPoliticsJohn Higginson]]> There is a category of British political problem that everyone privately agrees on and no one dares say out loud. The pensions triple lock has sat at the top of that list for a decade. Thu, 1 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/britains-energy-policy-needs-more-market-freedom-together-with-a-resilience-fundhttps://commentcentral.co.uk/britains-energy-policy-needs-more-market-freedom-together-with-a-resilience-fundPoliticsNikzad Oraee]]> External shocks are inevitable, but the economic damage they cause is not. Britain needs an energy market flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances, alongside a financial reserve capable of absorbing exceptional shocks when markets alone cannot. Wed, 30 Sept 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://commentcentral.co.uk/a-stable-libya-would-strengthen-the-mediterraneanhttps://commentcentral.co.uk/a-stable-libya-would-strengthen-the-mediterraneanForeign AffairsHamza M Bait Elmal]]> Libya, when discussed at all, is often discussed as a source of problems for its neighbours. Whilst sadly understandable in some ways, the discussion would benefit from more attention paid to what a Libya that was finally stable and prosperous could contribute to its neighbours and the wider region. Tue, 29 Sept 2026 10:00:00 +0000