When History Becomes a Battleground, Everyone Loses
The recent decision by the British Museum to remove the word Palestine from several of its displays may seem, at first glance, like a minor curatorial adjustment. In reality, it is a symptom of a much deeper and more troubling trend: the accelerating effort by both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian activists to police, sanitise, or erase […]
Parallel Histories has released its newest project, Isolationism v. Internationalism: Did Staying Out or Stepping In make Americans safer?
March 2026 Parallel Histories has released its newest project, Isolationism v. Internationalism: Did Staying Out or Stepping In make Americans safer? Parallel Histories has developed an eBook for secondary school students to explore and assess the debate around American policies from 1898-1949. The Library of Congress’ vast collection of primary sources provided the basis for […]
Two Stories, One Presidency: What Trump’s Moves on Venezuela and Greenland Reveal About Power, Principle, and Precedent. Op-Ed by Parallel Histories CEO Bill Rammell
Two Stories, One Presidency: What Trump’s Moves on Venezuela and Greenland Reveal About Power, Principle, and Precedent As the Chief Executive of Parallel Histories, I spend my days immersed in contested and controversial historical narratives. Our mission is not to tell students what to think, but to show them how the same set of facts […]
First Michael Davies Memorial Conference
The first Michael Davies Commemoration Conference took place at Royal Lancaster Grammar School on 21st October 2025. This schools debate bringing together 80 school students was a celebration and tribute to the life and work of Michael Davies, the founder of Parallel Histories. The day kicked off with 2 lectures from Bill Rammell, Chief Executive […]
How Should the UK Engage with Iran? OP ED by Bill Rammell, Chief Executive of Parallel Histories.
Iran is a nation with a rich and ancient history, and it is one of the oldest continuous civilisations with settlements dating back to 4000 BC. Iran matters to the UK because it is a major regional power, because of its large reserves of fossil fuels (the second largest natural gas supply and third largest […]
The Times ‘Here’s how to teach controversial history’ by Emma Duncan
We were thrilled to read such wonderful coverage of our debates programme in The Times this week by Emma Duncan. The comments from students filled us with pride, and do a better job than we can at explaining why our work is so important in schools.
Free speech and academic freedom. OP ED by Bill Rammell, Chief Executive of Parallel Histories.
I bow to no one in my defence of free speech and open debate as the best way to expose and tackle extremism, to resolve conflict and intractable problems, and to help educate young people. I have lectured and written widely on the importance of free speech. As a University Vice Chancellor I argued that […]
The Chagos Islands and the ceding of sovereignty to Mauritius. OP ED by Bill Rammell, Chief Executive of Parallel Histories.
In writing about the history of the Chagos Islands I declare something of an interest. In a former life I was a UK Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for the British Indian Ocean Territory and the Chagos Islands within. The history of the Chagos Islands and the Chagossian people is an indelible stain on the […]
CEO Bill Rammell discusses our work on GBNews
Listen to CEO Bill Rammell explain the necessity of our work in schools, and how getting critical thinking at the core of classroom skills is vital to building a civic society of free speech and healthy debate. Following our YouGov commissioned poll we know that parents are calling for contested history to be on curriculums […]
CEO Opinion Piece: Trump and the History of Tariffs
So, Donald Trump has massively destabilised the US and global economies with his pursuit of tariffs. His policies are widely ridiculed by economists. Yet tariffs are according to Trump “a very beautiful thing”. Who is right? And how can history help us decide? Trump’s politics are sometimes seen and proclaimed as a radical and different […]
