We examine four episodes where statecraft became applied psychology: the United Kingdom mollifying Donald Trump to secure a swift trade accord; Canada’s Mark Carney firm yet conciliatory approach to Canadian-US relations; the conclave’s election of Pope Leo XIV, a median figure within the Church; and India’s calibrated media roll-out after strikes in Pakistan. Across these cases, firmness & aggression is mixed with civility, deploying symbolism, messenger selection, and careful narrative framing to steward egos and restrain escalation.
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Far-right violence in the UK: situation brief
Summary
- Recent riots in England, triggered by a mass stabbing in Southport, have been driven by far-right groups and exacerbated by misinformation and xenophobic rhetoric.
- Public figures associated with the far-right like Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage have been accused of inflaming tensions, with Farage questioning the authorities’ transparency and Robinson criticising government and police responses.
- Refugees have been targeted in the violence, with far-right protesters attacking hotels housing asylum seekers and using nationalist slogans to incite further unrest. Muslims have also been significant targets, facing Islamophobic slurs and violent actions, particularly outside places of worship during protests.
- Authorities and community leaders are working to restore order and promote social cohesion, but the persistence of far-right rhetoric remains a significant challenge to these efforts.