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Ian Birrell

Ian Birrell writes a weekly column for i. He is a former deputy editor of the Independent and an award-winning foreign correspondent. He was awarded Health Journalist of the year in the 2018 Press Awards and was highly commended in the feature writing category.

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Ian Birrell

Westminster MPs know legalising drugs would save lives, but they're playing politics instead

Privately, many politicians admit drug prohibition has failed. Publicly, they blame everyone but themselves

Ian Birrell

Macron and France have been blind to the decades of hate that led to the shooting of Nahel M

Ian Birrell

Tories' obsession with Rwanda is performative politics at its most pathetic

Article thumbnail: In this photo made available by UK Parliament, Boris Johnson gives evidence to the Privileges Committee at the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a high-stakes grilling by a committee of lawmakers. The question is whether he misled Parliament about rule-breaking parties in government buildings during the coronavirus pandemic. (House of Commons/UK Parliament via AP)
Ian Birrell

Boris Johnson’s arrogance and deceit undermines democracy - just like his soulmate Trump

Ian Birrell

History shows Putin’s month of ‘missile madness’ will backfire and strengthen Ukraine’s resolve

Article thumbnail: Britain's King Charles III (L) meets with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (C) and Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Kier Starmer (R), as he arrives for a visit at Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster, in London, on May, 2, 2023, to attend a reception ahead of his coronation ceremony and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realm nations, on May 6, 2023. - (Photo by Arthur EDWARDS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ARTHUR EDWARDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Article thumbnail: Britain's King Charles III (L) meets with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (C) and Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Kier Starmer (R), as he arrives for a visit at Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster, in London, on May, 2, 2023, to attend a reception ahead of his coronation ceremony and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realm nations, on May 6, 2023. - (Photo by Arthur EDWARDS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ARTHUR EDWARDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Article thumbnail: Finnish teenagers Topias Vakkilainen and Darja Rekani. Like all children in Finland, they started learning how to spot fake news in primary school (Photo: Supplied)
Article thumbnail: Finnish teenagers Topias Vakkilainen and Darja Rekani. Like all children in Finland, they started learning how to spot fake news in primary school (Photo: Supplied)
Article thumbnail: I spent seven weeks on the inside of a landmark general election campaign, then observing formation of the country’s first coalition government for more than six decades (Photo by Mark Makela/Corbis via Getty Images)
Article thumbnail: I spent seven weeks on the inside of a landmark general election campaign, then observing formation of the country’s first coalition government for more than six decades (Photo by Mark Makela/Corbis via Getty Images)
Article thumbnail: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gestures as he speaks during a joint press conference with the German Chancellor following their meeting on May 14, 2023 at the Chancellery in Berlin. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Article thumbnail: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gestures as he speaks during a joint press conference with the German Chancellor following their meeting on May 14, 2023 at the Chancellery in Berlin. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)