Andy Burnham has been very quick to reaffirm Britain’s “100%” backing for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s war of aggression. He made his first – and so far only – overseas visit to Kyiv to assure President Volodymyr Zelensky that “our support will not waver. After all, Ukraine’s security is our security”. Russia has responded with threats and the accusation that the UK is “methodically and regularly” fuelling war and “hatching schemes” to sabotage peace.
These statements from Russia have a historical echo. A century ago, when it was Poland that was fighting off Soviet aggression, Moscow was convinced that Britain was organising an anti-Soviet coalition of states bent on destroying the fledgling communist regime. One diplomat commented that Britain was “always striving to push others instead of itself into military actions against us”. This image of Britain was Russia’s top bogeyman endured until the 1930s when the rise of the Nazis presented a more realistic threat.
We also have a tribute to Harriet Taylor Mill, who has been overshadowed by her famous husband, the economist John Stuart Mill, but deserves to be celebrated as an unsung hero of science for her own body of work fighting injustice and inequality.
And, coming to the streets near you, Uber’s robotaxis. The self-driving cars will have a “safety driver”, but there are reasons why this may not be failsafe.
