Ben Smoke
'It’s been hell': stories from the NHS frontlines
Breaking point — We hear the stories of NHS staff working tirelessly over the Christmas holiday as the COVID-19 crisis continues to devastate hospitals.
Written by: Ben Smoke
2020: The year in UK activism
People power — We recall month by month what has been a tumultuous year in the fight for social justice.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Heathrow is suffocating Black Londoners
Time to act — After a day of historic verdicts, it's time to take the threat that air pollution poses to people living in London's poorest areas seriously, argues Huck's Politics Editor, Ben Smoke.
Written by: Ben Smoke
How the 2010 student protests radicalised me
A decade of fighting — 10 years on from the tuition fee vote, writer Ben Smoke reflects on the violence and chaos of a day that would shape the future politics of a generation.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The untold story of the 2010 student protests
A decade on — This month ten years ago, protests against the rise in tuition fees under the austerity ushered in by the Cameron-Clegg coalition erupted in London. Those who attended remember what happened that day.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The pantomime dames fighting to save theatre
Make or break — Tens of thousands of theatre performers and workers have been left without support during the pandemic, despite government claims to the contrary. Last week, hundreds of them, led by a fleet of dames, took their fight to the streets.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The incredible true story of Beverly Glenn-Copeland
Keyboard fantasies — The American musician achieved cult status in his 70s. But that’s just one small chapter in a life unlike any other – a life filled with beauty and trauma in equal measure.
Written by: Ben Smoke
Degrowth is a radical solution to the climate crisis
Averting catastrophe — In their new book, Exploring Degrowth, authors Anitra Nelson and Vincent Liegey set out the political tools for a younger generation to minimise inequalities between people and prevent disaster.
Written by: Ben Smoke
It's time to open the borders
No one is illegal — A new report has concluded that Home Office immigration policies aren’t fit for purpose. Writer Ben Smoke argues that it’s time to stop trying to fix the unfixable and instead focus on bolder futures.
Written by: Ben Smoke
The poet helping the next generation shape the future
Life after Lockdown — In a new film, the first young people’s laureate for London Caleb Femi has teamed up with NCS to help spell out exactly what the next generation needs from life after lockdown.
Written by: Ben Smoke
