'The great thing about British values is how nebulous and undefined they are'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day

'British Values' are whatever the Tories want them to be
Steph Paton for The National
The "great thing" about British values, says Steph Paton in Scottish newspaper The National, is that they are "nebulous and undefined". In "their most modern form", these values are "whatever the UK government needs them to be to justify its increasingly authoritarian and far-right policy positions". Principles outlined as quintessentially British such as mutual liberty, democracy and tolerance have been "objectively undermined and trod upon" by the Tories. The party "does not care" for values beyond their use as a "rhetorical tool".
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.
Scanners without staff won't solve NHS waiting crisis
Dean Rogers for The Times
That there are "too few" NHS radiographers to perform vital scans is an "inescapable truth", says Dean Rogers, the Society of Radiographers's director of industrial strategy, in The Times. While any new MRI and CT scanners are "very welcome", many stand unused "for all but a few hours each week" as there is no "matching staffing budget". Our health service needs investment to build a "stronger workforce", because what "matters most" is the "people, not tech".
Is the West losing interest in Ukraine?
Mark Galeotti for The Spectator
Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces a "constant struggle" to rally international support for Ukraine, writes security expert Mark Galeotti for The Spectator, and it appears to be "taking its toll". While opinion polls show "rock-solid" backing for the Ukrainian leader's cause, "things aren't so clear" in practical terms. As the Israel-Hamas war captures "media, public and policy-maker attention", the challenge to overcome "Ukraine fatigue" and keep the West "engaged" in the conflict with Russia is becoming increasingly difficult.
There's a way for the US to compete with China – and to work with China
Janet L. Yellen for The Washington Post
A "pragmatic economic strategy" is key to "navigating the complexities" in the US-China relationship, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen argues in The Washington Post. "Healthy economic competition" can "benefit both countries over time". The two nations have made "progress on global challenges together" in recent years, and the US must now avoid the "mistake" of becoming "so consumed with our competition with China that we become defined by it".
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 state of Britain's Armed Forces
The Explainer Geopolitical unrest and the unreliability of the Trump administration have led to a frantic re-evaluation of the UK's military capabilities
By The Week UK
-
Anti-anxiety drug has a not-too-surprising effect on fish
Under the radar The fish act bolder and riskier
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Sudoku medium: April 21, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
'It makes absolutely no sense'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
'This is not an unusual story'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
'You shouldn't need a private company to fill out paperwork for you'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
'New firms are created to serve the economy of which they are part'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
The Resistance: Is it finally taking off?
Feature Mass protests erupted across all 50 states during the 'Hands Off!' demonstrations against the Trump administration
By The Week US
-
'This division is not merely economic; it is also ideological'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Did China sabotage British Steel?
Today's Big Question Emergency situation at Scunthorpe blast furnaces could be due to 'neglect', but caution needed, says business secretary
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Taiwan's tricky balancing act
The Explainer The island nation, no longer certain of US backing against a hostile China, is quietly looking for other solutions
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK