Simon Hedges: Village Idiot

'Sensible' columnist Simon Hedges offers readers a modern day fable from his home village of Greatly-cum-Nutting


Challenging the myths of empire: An interview with Priyamvada Gopal

The professor of postcolonial studies at the University of Cambridge talks to K Biswas about Britain's sentimental attachment to its imperial past, via selective amnesia and deliberate obfuscation

The depths of injustice

Jay V Haigler is a Diving With a Purpose (DWP) scientific diver and master instructor. Here he explains the power of educating through storytelling

The root of the problem

As the British government attacks the very concept of institutional racism, Remi Joseph-Salisbury argues we need to recapture radical traditions of anti-racist organising

Nigeria’s endless quest for democracy

For Nigeria’s switch to civilian rule to be truly democratic, it must ensure that sovereignty resides with its people, writes Synda Obaji


The lies we tell about men who kill

Poor mental health is often used to explain mass shootings and murder but this merely detracts attention from tackling misogyny and male violence, Alex Birch explains

Indian farmers protesting in 2020

India’s data harvest

New platforms and data analytics are helping big agribusiness take over Indian agriculture. Ordinary farmers are losing out, writes Bikrum Gill

The political battle for Peru

Leftist Pedro Castillo has promised change in Peru but Keiko Fujimori remains a political force in a hostile Congress, Paulo Rosas examines the path ahead

The blood never dries

While our government wants us to step back and forget what we know about the violence of Britain’s imperial state, Richard Gott says it’s time for a much deeper reckoning


Cuba at a crossroads?

The US embargo against Cuba continues to have a devastating impact, but recent protests also highlight the need for urgent domestic reform, writes Jamie Medwell

Scaling new heights

As competitive climbing makes its Olympic debut, Hannah Zia reflects on her love of the sport – and considers barriers to participation facing other women of colour

Review – We Do This ‘Til We Free Us and Abolishing the Police

Leah Cowan reviews two powerful contributions to the ongoing struggle for abolition and transformative justice

Drawing a line in Afghanistan

The legacy of colonialism is still very real along borders arbitrarily drawn by the British and brutally contested to this day, writes Suchitra Vijayan

Want to try Red Pepper before you take out a subscription? Sign up to our newsletter and read Issue 231 for free.