'Accepting defeat is Rishi Sunak's only hope of victory'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day

Accept defeat and the Tories could yet prosper
Philip Collins in The Times
Rishi Sunak is facing a "political paradox", says Phillip Collins in The Times – that "accepting defeat is the only vague hope he has of victory". The prime minister should "ditch the gratingly dishonest rhetoric of 'long-term decisions', which makes him sound both petulant and risible", and instead focus "on the only term he will get, which is the short term". The Tory leader needs a "concerted plan to minimise losses", rather than making a "futile wide shot at victory".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Think before shouting at your child: to them, words can be as harmful as physical blows
Peter Fonagy in The Guardian
Words are one of humanity's most "powerful tools", writes Peter Fonagy for The Guardian, "and harsh language used against children can damage them for the rest of their life". Misusing words to "intimidate, shame and control may appear less obviously harmful than bodily threat", but a systematic review of hundreds of studies has found that verbal abuse can carry the "same risks", including low-self esteem, substance abuse, increased risk of depression and "even psychotic disorders".
Workers could be the ones to regulate AI
Rana Foroohar in the Financial Times
The Writers Guild of America has just made "big progress" in constructing "guard rails" for the use of AI in the workplace, says Rana Foroohar in the Financial Times. Representing striking Hollywood writers, the union has struck a deal with studios that includes "new rules around how the entertainment industry can, and can’t", use the new technology. This is a "very big deal" as it shows not only that AI can be regulated but also how workers "are in a good position to understand how to curb it appropriately".
'Mum rage' is a ridiculous myth that dehumanises mothers
Lucy Mangan for i news
"Very, very few emotions" are "solely the preserve of mothers simply because they are mothers", writes Lucy Mangan for i news. "Most of them arise because we are – get this! – people under pressure." Yet "it suits everyone to assume or to pretend that mothers don’t or shouldn’t feel anger". This is "a tremendously efficient way of ensuring that nearly half the population has another barrier it must fight through if it wants to claim time or space or demand changes or improvements".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The bougie foods causing international shortages
In the Spotlight Pistachios join avocados and matcha on list of social media-driven crazes that put strain on supply chains and environment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
Strep infections are rising in the US
Under the radar The cases have more than doubled in 10 years
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Sudoku hard: April 22, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The fight for control of Ukraine's nuclear reactors
The Explainer How serious is Donald Trump about US ownership of Kyiv's nuclear power plants?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
The El Salvador mega-prison at the centre of Trump's deportation scheme
The Explainer Invoking a 1798 law, the US president has sent hundreds of alleged gang members to high-security prison called 'black hole of human rights'
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Romania's election chaos risks international fallout
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By barring far-right candidate Calin Georgescu from the country's upcoming electoral re-do, Romania places itself in the center of a broader struggle over European ultra-nationalism
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK