Columnists
Why picking holes in Piketty might help stop Miliband’s mansion tax
The postman at the door is stooped by his burden like an allegorical statue of Labour Oppressed by Capital. His…
The pitfalls and privileges of being a politician’s child
It was a Friday morning in 1992, Britain had just had an election, and I was on an ice rink.…
Mass murder and the Hollywood ending
I’ve found myself strangely drawn to the videos made by the 22-year-old assassin Elliot Rodger just before he went on…
The Spectator’s notes
I write this before the results of the European elections, making the not very original guess that Ukip will do…
Reasons to love your German neighbours
Should we be worried about the vast numbers of German-born people living covertly in the United Kingdom? The Office for…
How the Suzuki method changed my life
Do you ever wonder, as your little darling balks at doing her violin or piano practice again, what all the…
In praise of Dr Google
There’s something perversely satisfying in discovering that your children have inherited your vices. That’s why I was so quietly pleased…
Pfizer may have retreated but big pharma’s urge to merge hasn’t gone away
Readers in all sorts of places — at the club bar, over a birthday lunch, even along the church pew…
In praise of Dr Google
There’s something perversely satisfying in discovering that your children have inherited your vices. That’s why I was so quietly pleased…
How the Suzuki method changed my life
Do you ever wonder, as your little darling balks at doing her violin or piano practice again, what all the…
How to win the World Cup
Summer is a difficult time for serious investments — it’s hard to be rational when hot — so why not…
How to win the World Cup
Summer is a difficult time for serious investments — it’s hard to be rational when hot — so why not…
Are investment bankers being kicked to death? And should we care – or cheer?
Do we really mean to kill investment banking, or are we trampling it by accident in a fit of righteous…
Should Gary Barlow give back his gong?
‘Strip him of his knighthood!’ Or life peerage, or CBE, OBE — or whatever. The cry goes up with a kind…
A reminder for my Westminster colleagues: Scotland is bigger than David Cameron
‘It is never difficult to distinguish between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray of sunshine.’ So wrote P.G.…
I wish to apply for the position of chairman of the BBC
To: Karen Moran, HR Director, BBC Dear Ms Moran, I have decided to give up on the gardening this year,…
Nick Clegg’s war
We’ve come to expect strange things from coalition government, but the events of the last few days have been particularly…
The Spectator’s Notes
David Cameron is said to want a woman to be chairman of the BBC Trust, now that Chris Patten has…
A reminder for my Westminster colleagues: Scotland is bigger than David Cameron
‘It is never difficult to distinguish between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray of sunshine.’ So wrote P.G.…
Should Gary Barlow give back his gong?
‘Strip him of his knighthood!’ Or life peerage, or CBE, OBE — or whatever. The cry goes up with a kind…
Osborne’s Waterloo
The defence of Hougoumont is one of the great British feats of arms. If the farmhouse had fallen to Bonaparte’s…
The Spectator’s Notes
Not long after the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich last summer, I wrote a piece in the Daily…
With Paxman gone, there are even fewer reasons to like the BBC
In a double blow for the beleaguered BBC, the corporation has lost three of its most compelling attractions in little…
Power really does corrupt: here’s scientific proof
It’s all the rage these days to worry about the growing gap between rich and poor. Our fretting was fuelled…
Pfizer’s boss is winning the spin game while Miliband is losing all credibility
Pfizer will almost certainly have to offer more than its second bid of £50 a share for rival drug giant…
