Sunak’s scrappy style worked, but he fought on a false premise
‘Gentlemen, please’, said Julie Etchingham, over and over again, as she chaired this ITV debate. She had given Rishi Sunak and…
Are the Tories telling the truth? A look at the data
A quirk of the UK system is that the requirement to tell the truth in adverts does not apply to…
The glories and blunders of Michael Gove
On the way to work, I pass a Lidl supermarket that has a new school built on top of it.…
Why Israel is crucial to Eurovision
Eden Golan has qualified for the final of tonight’s Eurovision Song Contest and will represent Israel in the world’s most-watched…
Iran says no more attacks, as drone strike fails
Not a single drone or cruise missile sent from Iran made it to Israel last night. The combined air forces…
Iran has struck back – but is it war?
When Israel assassinated a top commander in Iran’s Quds Force in Damascus a fortnight ago, it knew that Tehran would…
There’s nothing conservative about the Tories’ free childcare rollout
On Monday, the UK welfare state will expand to cover 15 hours of free childcare for working parents with two-year-olds.…
The UAE bid for The Spectator is over
In the end, it was watertight. A new law has been just voted through the Lords banning foreign governments from…
Will Sunak renege on ‘foreign powers’ owning newspapers?
Last week, a rebellion in the Lords drew a government pledge to ban foreign governments and their proxies from owning…
Vaughan Gething’s very British victory
Something happened today which, if it were any other country, would be seen to be remarkable: Vaughan Gething, the new…
How to sell The Spectator
No foreign power will ever be allowed to buy a UK newspaper or magazine: that’s the upshot of this week’s debate…
Parliament has protected press freedom
In a landmark ruling for press freedom in Britain, the government has today moved to outlaw ownership of national newspapers…
Should the Emiratis be allowed a minority stake in the Telegraph?
How much of The Spectator and the Daily Telegraph should the United Arab Emirates be allowed to own? Tomorrow, the…
Labour comes out against Emirati bid for Telegraph
This is a big week for the future of the British press with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport…
Lords amendment could thwart Emirati bid for Telegraph and Spectator
In an era of information wars, a ban on foreign powers owning news providers is an act of common sense…
Sunak was right to suspend Lee Anderson
When Lee Anderson was made deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, it was on the understanding that he’d explode now…
Could the Lords stop the Emirati bid for the Telegraph and The Spectator?
I’ve just given evidence to a House of Lords Select Committee which is considering the future of news and media…
Why Kate Forbes is right about high tax
I was on BBC1’s Question Time with Kate Forbes in Glasgow last week in which she was oddly loyal to…
Minister hints that Emirati bid for the Telegraph will be blocked
Few phrases are more likely to get the blood of ministers going than the words ‘Urgent Question’. Today it was…
Should foreign governments own UK newspapers?
The Emirati / RedBird IMI bid for the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator is opening up a wider conversation: how…
Fact check: Sunak’s ‘tax cut’ claims
Rishi Sunak seems to have a New Year’s resolution: to claim that taxes are falling and say it so often…
Why The Spectator didn’t cancel Karol Sikora
Before the year ends, I’d like to tell the story of Karol Sikora and attempts to have him removed from…
Benefits caseload to rise by 920 a day – for the next five years
Back when Radio 4’s Thought for the Day was original and insightful, Lionel Blue was a regular source of rabbinical…
