Columns
My idea of a true Conservative
The hubbub about Boris Johnson is blocking the view. He is, of course, an easy and undemanding topic of conversation.…
It’s been a bad week for former political leaders
The week of the three downfalls has been an interesting one. Boris Johnson resigning from parliament, Donald Trump going to…
Why Sunak fears the Covid inquiry
A former Labour spin doctor recently offered some advice for governments considering a public inquiry. Rule No. 1: Don’t. But…
On the hallowed terf
The recreational use of psychedelic drugs, such as LSD or peyote, declined with some rapidity from the 1980s onwards as…
How to dismantle history
It is 18 years since the last Colditz drama on British television, which apparently means we need a new one.…
Is this why so many kids are trans?
If we rule out the notion that people have ‘gendered souls’ at odds with their biological sex – and we…
The battle with the Blob
Most prime ministers fall out with the civil service at some point. David Cameron attacked the ‘enemies of enterprise’; Tony…
My northern honours list
Exciting news arrives. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has let it be known that he wants more northerners nominated for…
There will be no price cap on ‘basic items’
Sometimes it’s the little things that depress most. I groaned last week to hear the news item. The government is…
Is that enough about Phillip Schofield?
As I have noted before, there is always another circle. I thought that last week’s scandal (originally entitled ‘Suellagate’ or…
Let’s rise up in our road rage
Whether you’re more afraid of the forces of order or the forces of chaos is generally a matter of disposition.…
Is Sunak heading for a showdown?
When the Prime Minister first assembled his cabinet, the most controversial appointment was Suella Braverman as Home Secretary. She had…
Welcome to the theatre of the absurd
Iam on the horns of a dilemma, I am in a moral quandary. I had intended to spend this morning…
Anthropomorphism will be our downfall
On the smooth marble concourse by the exit doors at Heathrow Airport I met my first cleaning robot. It was…
There is such thing as a stupid question
Some people seem to make a career of being ashamed (or at least claiming to be ashamed) of their country.…
My Eurovision winners and losers
I had the sudden suspicion, at about ten o’clock on Saturday night, that I was the only straight male in…
Is Rishi out of ideas?
Ever since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, his aides have worried that May would be the month of mutiny. His…
Fake it till you make it
Not to sound too much like Kamala Harris during one of her peregrinations on the nature of time, but the…
Could Derbyshire survive on its own?
Since at least the beginning of this century there has been a mood abroad – cultural as well as political…
The myths around immigration
After the media bigged up the expiration of America’s Covid-era Title 42, which enabled the US to block entries into…
Daniel Penny and the problem with have-a-go heroes
I have always liked the phrase ‘have-a-go hero’. It sums up a certain type of person who can emerge from…
Yellow fever
Every prime minister has at least one guilty pleasure; Rishi Sunak has several. Colleagues tease him for his taste in…
Wrong but not ‘harmful’
Three years ago this week marked my first misgivings about the government’s Covid lockdown. Sure, I was late to that…
Meet Millennial Millie
An election looms and political parties are already talking ‘voter demographics’. Every few years, the wonks of Westminster pick a…
A tale of two appointments
When Boris Johnson appointed Simon Case to the Cabinet Office, he believed that the youngest cabinet secretary in a century…
