Columnists
There’s no fighting paedophile panic. But I’ll try
Listen http://traffic.libsyn.com/spectator/TheViewFrom22_10_July_2014_v4.mp3 As essay titles go, ‘On losing an argument with Tim Loughton MP’ may fail to catch the imagination;…
The Spectator’s Notes
‘A culture changes by example and a licentious old man being found guilty will help do that,’ says a leader…
Mr al-Baghdadi’s inspirational vision for Europe
There is something attractive about almost the whole of southern Europe being part of an immense and somewhat rigorous caliphate,…
The reassuring triumph of Big Mother
Feminism in modern Britain is not for the faint-hearted. Only the smartest, mouthiest girls on the social media scene dare…
Our shameful empire of aid
‘Why did you leave us?’ said the old Sudanese man in Omdurman market. ‘Things were so much better when you…
Our shameful empire of aid
‘Why did you leave us?’ said the old Sudanese man in Omdurman market. ‘Things were so much better when you…
The reassuring triumph of Big Mother
Feminism in modern Britain is not for the faint-hearted. Only the smartest, mouthiest girls on the social media scene dare…
Osborne is finally spreading his wings
George Osborne’s first taste of political leadership came aged 12. At his prep school, Colet Court, he took charge of…
The Spectator’s Notes
Radek Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, is undoubtedly one of the most dashing figures on the world stage. I first…
Rebekah Brooks takes her place in a perfect picture of modern Britain
What image comes to mind when we think of Britain today? I was moved to contemplate this question after reading…
A bacon bap isn’t Miliband’s problem. We are
That bacon bap earlier this month was not the cause of Ed Miliband’s unpopularity. Ed Miliband’s unpopularity was the cause…
I may not know much about khat, but I know banning it is crazy
Khat is a leafy stimulant chewed mainly, I gather, by Somalis. This week the government banned its possession and sale.…
Osborne’s northern ‘super-city’ looks like a cynical vote-grab – but I’m all for it
When John Prescott used to wax garrulous about a ‘superhighway’ from Hull to Liverpool, everyone assumed it was a wheeze…
I may not know much about khat, but I know banning it is crazy
Khat is a leafy stimulant chewed mainly, I gather, by Somalis. This week the government banned its possession and sale.…
A bacon bap isn’t Miliband’s problem. We are
Listen http://traffic.libsyn.com/spectator/TheViewFrom22_26_June_2014_v4.mp3 That bacon bap earlier this month was not the cause of Ed Miliband’s unpopularity. Ed Miliband’s unpopularity was…
How the Westminster hawk became an endangered species
There is a slight whiff of the summer of 1914 to Westminster at the moment. The garden party season is…
À la recherche du tea perdu
Every summer this magazine invites some of its (randomly selected) subscribers to tea in the garden. Every Englishman loves tea…
This oil price rise is a blip, not a spike – but it’s still a timely reminder to get fracking
‘Iraq turmoil sends crude oil prices to nine-month high’ is the sort of headline that used to send shivers down…
The Spectator’s Notes
On Friday night, I went to Althorp, childhood home of Diana, Princess of Wales, to speak at its literary festival.…
How long can our MPs ignore what’s in their backyard?
It is surely only a matter of time before someone with a mischievous glint in their eye invites the Labour…
Good luck finding goodies and baddies in Iraq
If there’s a bright spot in the murky mess of Iraq, it’s that finally we have a war that it…
The big fat lie about cholesterol
Though I’m not generally big on banning stuff, there’s one substance I would prohibit without a moment’s hesitation — probably on…
The big fat lie about cholesterol
Though I’m not generally big on banning stuff, there’s one substance I would prohibit without a moment’s hesitation — probably on…
Good luck finding goodies and baddies in Iraq
If there’s a bright spot in the murky mess of Iraq, it’s that finally we have a war that it…






























