Library

Things I've written and things I keep listening to.

Writing

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: a damp squib?

BA Liberal Arts Dissertation · Durham University · April 2023 · 9,810 words

Examined the paradox of UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia against the UK's stated commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals — in particular SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Applied neoliberal institutionalism as a theoretical framework to interrogate the structural limitations of the 2030 Agenda and UK export control mechanisms, drawing on the Yemen conflict as a case study. Argued that voluntary compliance frameworks are structurally ill-equipped to constrain state behaviour when strategic and economic interests diverge from international norms.

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Is the hard governance of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems bankrupt?

Research Project (SGIA2341) · Durham University · 2023 · 4,952 words

Assessed the practical limits of treaty-based governance of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems — often described as the third revolution in warfare after gunpowder and nuclear weapons. Argued that hard governance is likely futile given the dual-use nature of constituent technologies (AI, open-source software) and the difficulty of regulating activity on digital platforms. Concluded that soft governance emphasising transparency and international norms offers a more workable, if imperfect, regulatory path.

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Shooting the messenger: an analysis of incivility towards Greta Thunberg in Reddit user comments

Programming for Students of Arts and Humanities (LIBA2011) · Durham University · May 2023 · 3,300 words

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of 26,579 Reddit comments across the five most-upvoted posts mentioning Greta Thunberg. Used Python (VADER sentiment analysis, Pandas) to identify and categorise patterns of ableist, ageist and sexist incivility. Found ageist rhetoric to be the most prevalent form, and that uncivil discourse frequently constituted "shooting the messenger" — attacking Thunberg personally while ignoring the substance of climate change.

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Bookshelves

My Goodreads Profile

View my reading lists and book recommendations

Podcasts

Programmes I keep coming back to.

All Politics & Current Affairs Finance & Tech History Sport

The Rest Is Politics

Alastair Campbell & Rory Stewart · Politics & Current Affairs

Two former Downing Street insiders — one Labour, one Conservative — dissecting British and global politics. A staple of my podcast library. I've grown fond of the hosts' oddly brilliant relationship, and their equal obsessions with politics.
The Rest Is Politics: US

Katty Kay & Anthony Scaramucci · Politics & Current Affairs

The American counterpart, applying the same format to the chaos of US politics. Katty Kay and the Mooch have a charming, witty dynamic that makes even the darkest news cycle entertaining.
The Rest Is Politics: Leading

Rory Stewart & Alastair Campbell · Politics & Current Affairs

Long-form interviews with politicians, leaders and thinkers. It's a privilege to get this kind of unfiltered access to conversations that would otherwise never be made public.
The News Agents

Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel & Lewis Goodall · Politics & Current Affairs

Former BBC heavyweights covering the day's news. Sharp, fast, and willing to say what they actually think.
Political Currency

Ed Balls & George Osborne · Finance & Tech, Politics & Current Affairs

A former Shadow Chancellor and a former Chancellor re-hashing their old debates from opposite sides of the chamber. Civilised, yes — but also genuinely hilarious once you become familiar with the dynamic between the two.
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

Nick Robinson (BBC) · Politics & Current Affairs

Extended one-on-one interviews with senior political figures. Robinson gets access to cabinet and shadow cabinet that most other podcasts simply don't, and he asks the questions others avoid.
Battleground

Patrick Bishop, Saul David & Roger Moorhouse · Politics, History

Military historians tracking the war in Ukraine alongside broader conflicts past and present. One of the more rigorous and less sensationalist sources on the ground reality of the war.
The Rachman Review

Gideon Rachman (Financial Times) · Politics & Current Affairs

The FT's chief foreign affairs commentator in conversation with diplomats, academics and policymakers. One of the better sources on geopolitics that doesn't dumb things down.
All In

Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks & David Friedberg · Finance & Tech

Four Silicon Valley investors talking markets, geopolitics and technology with minimal filter. Contrarian, frequently ahead of the mainstream conversation — and these guys lock horns in ways that can make you squirm in your seat.
Wealthion

Adam Taggart & Maggie Lake · Finance & Tech

Macro-focused interviews with economists, investors and analysts. Particularly good on monetary policy, credit cycles and alternative asset classes.
Open Book with Anthony Scaramucci

Anthony Scaramucci · Finance & Tech, Politics & Current Affairs

The Mooch interviews investors, founders and political figures. Broader than pure finance — useful for understanding the overlap between Wall Street and Washington.
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

Dan Carlin · History

Exhaustive, cinematic deep-dives into historical events — episodes regularly run four to six hours. Not for casual listening; essential for serious interest in military and political history.
The Rest Is History

Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook · History

Two historians making history entertaining without dumbing it down. Wide-ranging, erudite, and consistently enjoyable.
Within Reason

Alex O'Connor · Philosophy, Politics & Current Affairs

I've been following Alex O'Connor — better known as Cosmic Skeptic — for many years, since his time at university. Long-form philosophical and political conversations. O'Connor is unusually rigorous about following arguments where they lead rather than confirming existing positions.
Stick to Football

Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane & Micah Richards · Sport

Four former Premier League players with genuine tactical knowledge and enough personality to carry it. The best mainstream football podcast going.
Sky Sports Cricket Podcast

Sky Sports · Sport

Match analysis, player interviews and broader coverage of the international game. A reliable companion for following Test cricket in particular.