Introduction

We live in very uncertain times. While the UK has sought to isolate itself from Europe, the damaging consequences of Brexit have highlighted our interdependency at every level. Gaza is aflame in the Middle East, but much closer to home there's a hot war in Europe between Russia and Ukraine, with no real end in sight and, like the conflict in former Yugoslavia, reflecting unfinished business relating to the Soviet Union's creation and collapse. All this takes place in the broader context of the large-scale global political and socio-economic damage done by neoliberalism's global dominance. The gap between such political values and those demanded of the general public under lockdown was brought into sharp relief by the UK 2022 ‘Partygate’ scandal, with senior politicians laying down one law – while practising another – partying, while nationwide, families had to leave loved ones to die alone (Elgot, 2022).