Columnists
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…
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…
The Spectator’s Notes
The conviction of Max Clifford for indecent assaults feels like a vindication of the jury system, as did the acquittal…
We’ve proved that mice despise women. But are we sure that dogs love war?
Apparently, mice think that women are useless. I don’t mean that they think women mice are useless — they’re keen…
Ukip isn’t a national party. It’s a Tory sickness
It can happen that something ought to feel wrong yet somehow doesn’t; and you wonder whether this means that in…
Why do racists like Ukip?
The most thought-provoking discussion about racism I ever heard took place five years ago on Channel 4’s Celebrity Wife Swap.…
Patience is exhausted with bankers and their bonuses: this debate won’t go away
A bouquet to Alison Kennedy, ‘governance and stewardship director’ at the Edinburgh-based pensions provider Standard Life, for leading the rebellion…
Why do racists like Ukip?
The most thought-provoking discussion about racism I ever heard took place five years ago on Channel 4’s Celebrity Wife Swap.…
Ukip isn’t a national party. It’s a Tory sickness
It can happen that something ought to feel wrong yet somehow doesn’t; and you wonder whether this means that in…
The Spectator’s Notes
‘Twenty-six million people in Europe are looking for work. And whose jobs are they after?’ asks the Ukip poster for…
David Moyes couldn’t deal with the pomposity of Manchester United
I took my youngest son to a football match on Easter Monday. It used to be something I wryly called…
When did life become a medical problem?
When Greg, my old uni pal, came to stay from NYC he brought with him an extra bag for his…
The left-liberal hold over the arts may be ending
If you happen to be reading this column at breakfast, I’d recommend you skip to something more agreeable like Dear…
Osborne is entitled to look smug but would be wise to wear a bag over his head
The popular pastime for financial commentators this season is sticking pins in George Osborne. To those on the left who…
