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First thoughts

Quick takes on big stories from Comment is free columnists
  • Owen Jones

    ‘Gay gene’ theories belong in the past – now we know sexuality is far more fluid

    Owen Jones
    Gender norms imprison us all – and that extends to who we sleep or fall in love with, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
  • Gaby Hinsliff

    Johnson’s plan for ‘Brexit heroes’ in the Lords will reverberate for years to come

    Gaby Hinsliff
    Appointments to the Lords and a less impartial civil service risk entrenching battles over Brexit forever, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
  • Owen Jones

    Boris Johnson’s cheerleaders are delusional – no good Brexit deal is possible

    Owen Jones
    Huge swaths of the British press are given over to Brexiteers’ fantasies. The sorry truth doesn’t get a look in, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
  • Sonia Sodha

    Yes, parliament can block a no-deal Brexit – if it can just agree on how

    Sonia Sodha
    The real action this week isn’t in Berlin and Paris but at cross-party talks in London, writes Guardian columnist Sonia Sodha
  • Michael Segalov

    Meritocracy is a myth – so don't judge people on their GCSE grades

    Michael Segalov
    Pupils from all sections of society deserve to have an equal chance of success, says journalist and author Michael Segalov
  • Ellie Mae O’Hagan

    The real consequence of a no-deal Brexit is not short-term shock – it’s a long recession

    Ellie Mae O’Hagan
    Those opposed to no deal need to focus on the slow economic destruction it will bring, says Ellie Mae O’Hagan, a politics and culture writer
  • Simon Jenkins

    Corbyn could have been the nation’s saviour. But he’s just too tribal

    Simon Jenkins
    Today’s speech was Corbyn’s chance to muster a coalition against no deal. But all he wants is a general election, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins
  • Owen Jones

    By dismissing Corbyn’s overtures, the Lib Dems are showing their true colours

    Owen Jones
    Jo Swinson was happier propping up David Cameron for five years than the Labour leader for five weeks, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
  • Polly Toynbee

    Brexiteers promised a new dawn for UK farming, not agricultural Armageddon

    Polly Toynbee
    A new report sounds the death knell for Britain’s farms should no deal happen, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee
  • Michael Segalov

    Ex-porn star Mia Khalifa wants to move on with her life. Why won't we let her?

    Michael Segalov
    Most people consume porn on the internet, so it’s pure hypocrisy to judge those who have worked in the industry, says author Michael Segalov
  • Gaby Hinsliff

    Of course the US supports a no deal – it makes a minnow out of Britain

    Gaby Hinsliff
    It’s clear the price of US backing will be paid both in trade and foreign policy, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
  • Simon Jenkins

    Boris Johnson’s ‘crime fighting’ crusade is mere posturing

    Simon Jenkins
    The prime minister is vowing to tackle crime, even as it falls, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins
  • Owen Jones

    Boris Johnson’s no-deal election plot is an assault on democracy

    Owen Jones
    The Tories’ plan for a disorderly Brexit mid-election will take the UK to the brink of disaster. Only Labour can prevent this, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
  • Mary Dejevsky

    So what if more young British people are living at home into their 30s?

    Mary Dejevsky
    The ONS figures need not be a cause for alarm – there are many positive reasons to stay on in the parental home, says writer and broadcaster Mary Dejevsky
  • Jonathan Freedland

    John McDonnell has offered the SNP more than he had to on independence

    Jonathan Freedland
    There’s no way the Scottish National party would vote down a minority Labour government and put the Tories back in power, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
  • Boris Johnson poses for a photograph with Nicola Sturgeon at Bute House in Edinburgh on 29 July 29

    No deal may be a Boris Johnson bluff, but the consequences will be real

    Gaby Hinsliff
    Downing Street’s newly belligerent line on Brexit is increasing support for Scottish independence – and Sturgeon never misses a trick, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
  • Simon Jenkins

    We need a Brexit deal – so why is Johnson indulging in cynical electioneering?

    Simon Jenkins
    The prime minister’s behaviour is shameless: he should be working to avert the catastrophe of no deal, not campaigning, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins
  • Owen Jones

    Labour shouldn’t worry so much about the Lib Dems, they hurt the Tories more

    Owen Jones
    In a general election, Jo Swinson’s party will be focused on poaching Tory remainers. Only Labour offers a true alternative, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
  • Sonia Sodha

    £2.1bn on no-deal preparations? It will seem like peanuts if Britain crashes out

    Sonia Sodha
    Boris Johnson is spending an obscene amount on a game of bluff with the EU, says the Guardian’s deputy opinion editor, Sonia Sodha
  • Simon Jenkins

    No-deal Brexit was once a sick Tory joke. Now it’s serious

    Simon Jenkins
    Boris Johnson is stepping up planning for a stunt that analysts agree invites economic disaster. Britain is playing with fire
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