For much of the 20th century, Sweden was hailed as one of Europe’s most egalitarian countries – underpinned by a wealth tax and strong commitment to folkemmet, a comprehensive welfare state. Yet now, it has one of the world’s highest ratios of dollar billionaires, and is home to numerous “unicorn” startup companies worth over a billion dollars.

Twenty years after Sweden’s wealth tax was abolished, UCL’s Miranda Sheild Johansson has been interviewing pensioners in Stockholm about the changes they have witnessed over their lifetime. A common theme she finds is guilt and regret at their own failure to prevent this slide into inequality. As one pensioner told her: “The thing is, we didn’t protest this. We didn’t realise we were becoming this country of rich people.”

Her research suggests that wealth taxes, or the absence of them, are not simply about fiscal revenue streams and wealth redistribution. They can be foundational to people’s vision of society.

After declining to condemn Donald Trump’s recent capture of the Venezuelan president, Keir Starmer has spoken out strongly against the US president’s declared intention to annex Greenland and the measures he was willing to use to do so. Understanding why can tell us a lot about the prime minister’s claimed beliefs about international relations.

Cutting gluten from your diet has gone from being a response to relatively rare health problems to a common approach to dieting. But does it really help you lose weight? We asked a nutrition expert to examine the evidence.