There is a far better option than HS2 – and it already exists
Just 48 hours before the conclusion of the Conservative leadership contest, Allan Cook, chairman of HS2, wrote to the government…
Boris’s critics are only making him stronger
If, as expected, Boris Johnson heads off to Buckingham Palace next Wednesday to become Prime Minister, I fear that a…
The forgotten joy of soap
Is there any invention as ancient and as fundamental as soap? Traced to Babylonian civilisation around 2,800 bc (handy for…
Boris and Carrie’s staged picture is a PR masterstroke
Whatever you think of Boris Johnson’s ability to be Prime Minister you have to admire the PR skills of Carrie…
There’s no denying the Boris tape was politically motivated
A neighbour records a domestic row through the wall of their flat, takes the recording to a newspaper which then…
Greenwashed: The strange triumph of eco-Toryism
Even before the government this week announced a legally binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by…
Could a global recession be around the corner?
How can a new incumbent of No. 10 survive without a majority and with Brexit to solve? It defies the imagination.…
The truth about air quality? It’s the best (and cleanest) in living memory
We are, of course, in the midst of an air pollution crisis which, like every other threat to our health…
Racist incidents are down since Trump’s election. Yes, really
The election of Donald Trump has, of course, unleashed the latent racist which lurks within millions of Americans. We know…
How do the Project Fear prophets explain the good news about Britain’s economy?
Of course, we shouldn’t read too much into a set of good economic figures when they are so obviously down…
A crowdfunded prosecution of Boris Johnson is nothing to celebrate
I have often wondered what would happen if politicians were bound by the same rules as advertisers, or if manifestos…
A booming economy makes Trump look wiser than his detractors
What delicious reading it makes going back over Paul Krugman’s missive in the New York Times on the morning after…
The trouble with Greta Thunberg
In popular mythology Greta Thunberg is a one-girl revolution who has inspired millions of young people into action by being…
Carmageddon: The future is catching up with the motor giants
When Nissan announced it would not, after all, produce its new X-Trail in Sunderland, this was reported as proof of…
Looking for a guilt-free vegetable? Good luck with that
Last week’s Lancet report and its ‘planetary health diet’ of next to no red meat will have bolstered the egos…
Project Fact: how scared should we really be of a no deal?
Food shortages, diabetics going without insulin, outbreaks of salmonella and swine flu: a no-deal Brexit has become a dystopia of…
Money is already draining from Britain but because of Corbyn, not Brexit
What’s wrong with UK financial markets? The global economy is recovering, but British stocks and shares are not keeping pace.…
Sperm donors and the incest trap
It is hard to think of a code of behaviour which is common to all societies on earth, let alone…
The bad science of cannabis oil
Was there ever a more fatuous contribution to a political debate than Lord Hague following up the case of 12-year-old…
The Scouts can’t offer equal access to the disabled – they won’t survive
A couple of years ago, Simon Barnes wrote a moving piece in this magazine about how his son Eddie, who…
Revealed – the truth about plastic
Has an albatross ever wielded so much influence? The bewildered chick who regurgitated a plastic bag in front of Sir…
Politicians want to move us towards a cashless world. It would be a disaster
What could be more terrifying than a return to the 15 per cent interest rates with which homebuyers had to…
His first 100 days
Many assume that if an election were held soon, Jeremy Corbyn would win. But what if, say, the government fell…
Crime and prejudice
Beware of jumping to conclusions about Brexit-induced violence
Hostile climate
The subtitle of Al Gore’s new film is ‘Truth to Power’, which is supposed to give the impression of brave…
