A history lesson for those calling Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe ‘ungrateful’
In the latest installment from the idiot age of Twitter, #ungratefulcow has been trending. The reason? Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had expressed, mildly and politely,…
Care about the trans debate? Ask yourself this question
J.K. Rowling is talking about sex and gender again, which means a lot of people are getting angry. It’s striking…
The problem with the UK’s transgender clinic
This is not a good time to be a girl. Research from Steer Education last month showed that far too…
Will Britain welcome Ukrainian refugees?
Immigration used to be the most-discussed issue in British politics. It gets less attention these days, for reasons too varied…
State schools and the rise of posh apprenticeships
Recently, a friend forwarded me a letter he’d received from his children’s school, an independent secondary in London, to mark…
Are sex offenders exploiting trans-rights policies behind bars?
A few years ago, there was some controversy about the facts relating to people in prison who identify as transgender,…
The energy crisis is a failure of politics
Many of the thorniest problems of politics come down to the same thing: timeframes. Big problems generally require solutions that…
J.K. Rowling and the death of nuance
There are few good things to say about the public conversation around transgender issues, which all too often shows us…
One man’s campaign to protect free speech
Almost three years ago, I spoke on the phone to a man called Harry Miller. A Lincolnshire businessman, he’d just…
Boris won’t change. Why should he?
Boris Johnson is not short of troubles, or advice. Most of that advice, from colleagues and commentators alike, comes down…
The sex work divide in British politics
They seem like completely unrelated questions: ‘Is sex work real work?, and ‘Who will replace Yvette Cooper as chair of…
Gender is contentious. The BBC is pretending it isn’t
The BBC has produced its annual 100 Women list, a showcase for women who have done interesting, important things. There’s…
The vaccine cheer is gone
I am 45, which means I’ve now had my third Covid vaccine. The experience of getting that injection crystallises a…
The BBC’s relationship with Stonewall is finally being scrutinised
I have often criticised BBC journalism on the issues of sex and gender because that journalism has often been quite…
Boris should keep copying Blair
Having written here at least once before that Boris Johnson is the heir to Blair, my first thought on the Prime…
The shameful evacuation of pets from Afghanistan
Two stories on the Afghan evacuation today combine to leave me full of bewildered rage. The first, from the Times:…
Where is the anger about Afghanistan?
This is an age of anger. Social media amplifies rage and exaggerates polarisation. Twitter isn’t Britain, but too many people…
In defence of net zero
Ending emissions will cost less than tackling Covid
Has David Cameron any shame?
$10million, or £7million. That’s what David Cameron is now reported to have made from Greensill Capital, the company he helped…
Is it fair for Laurel Hubbard to compete against women?
Today, the conversation about transgender rights and the interests of women turns to sport. At the Olympic Games, Laurel Hubbard…
The truth about Nick Gibb, history and ‘dead white men’
In 1983, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a great American sociologist and politician, wrote: ‘Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but…
The court judgement that confirms women pay for trans rights
I am coming out of semi-retirement from writing about sex and gender to write this, because it’s about women in…
Cummings’s messages aren’t a ‘bombshell’ revelation
On days like this, I despair of the media-political village where I’ve spent most of my adult life. Because that…
British MPs are finally engaging with the gender identity debate
I used to write a lot about sex and gender here. I don’t do so quite as much these days…
The shamelessness of David Cameron
I’m almost starting to admire David Cameron. Almost. There is something that borders on the impressive about the former prime…
