Róisín Lanigan

Twenty years ago, “chav” culture was used to laugh at the working classes. Today, the stereotyping is much darker.

For a while, the fastest route to popularity on the political right was to decry the lack of free speech in Britain. Now, the effort has shifted to criminalising pro-Palestine protests.

In 2024, vibes were everywhere and applied to everything. We know this because we were obsessed with tracking them.

Writer Róisín Lanigan charts Paddington's dizzying ascent from humble plush toy to symbol for national royal mourning, via Hollywood stardom and a sprinkle of Tory-leaning ventures. Strap in.