Columnists
My run-in with Westminster’s TV news circus
Leaving an evening meeting in Westminster on Monday night, I walked to Charing Cross. Approaching the public path which runs across…
The battle for the soul of the Labour party
In the days before the election, senior Labour people were already discussing how to replace Jeremy Corbyn should the party…
I’ll take Russian democracy over ours
Staraya Russa. About two thirds of the way from Moscow to St Petersburg, in the historic Novgorod Oblast, once the…
Does the truth about Ukrainegate even matter?
If you think the election here has been a disorientating exercise in post-truthiness, try following the latest twists in Washington.…
What have the Anglo-Saxons ever done for us?
It has been a while since I’ve considered the vexed question of Byrhtnoth’s ‘ofermod’. More than 30 years, in fact.…
Take note, Peloton: sweaty blokes make safer marketing
You’ll have had enough of politics and punditry, so let me introduce a non-political City debate (even if rather a…
Six weeks is too long for an election campaign
The number of parties represented in national election debate multiplies. There are now seven crowding on to television podiums and…
The Tories are right to be nervous
Despite their consistent poll lead, the Tories are anxious. There is only a week to go and in many seats…
Who are we kidding – of course terror is a political issue
It was pleasing to see that old clip of Gerry Adams endorsing Jeremy Corbyn re-emerge, just before the acts of…
The Tories will win – but with no thanks to the North
It’s time to stick my neck out. What follows is anecdotal and my hunches have often been wrong. But I…
We don’t owe Waspi women tea and biscuits
The pressure group Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) is oddly named. What their campaign opposes is pension equality. Now,…
The RMT strike is a demonstration of what to expect in a Corbyn-McDonnell regime
It’s unusual for a Governor of the Bank of England to announce his next job before Downing Street has named…
All belief systems must accept the danger of ridicule and contempt
In the ‘whataboutery’ which now dominates British politics, no mention of Labour anti-Semitism is complete without a counter-accusation of Tory…
Nicola Sturgeon’s threat of Indyref2 could save the Scottish Tories
In the village of Waterfoot on the outskirts of Glasgow, a lady in her thirties is explaining to her local…
I’ve found the country’s last Lib Dem voter
In Gerrards Cross, in the rain, dusk falling, attempting to gauge the political mood of the town through the pristine…
Why is no one admiring Debbie Harry’s resilience?
Debbie Harry, Blondie’s lead singer, has written a memoir in which she relates, in her usual deadpan, punk-rock way, the…
What I learned on my speed awareness course
Speed is in my blood. My father, grandfather and great-grandfather all used to race cars in their youth. We even…
There’s no need to mourn the loss of Uber’s London licence
Early experiences of Uber in London did not encourage me to become a regular user. My first driver thought I…
The silence of the Scottish unionists
We citizens of the small Sussex village of Etchingham are proud of our clan chief, Julie, who chaired Tuesday night’s…
Get ready for the Great Lammy Firewall
Many of you will be waiting, with much excitement, for the Great Lammy Firewall, which will be introduced by our…
What on earth are the Lib Dems up to?
Jo Swinson is right. Most of the gains that it’s worth her party aiming for would be made at the…
Labour’s real 2019 manifesto
In 2019, Labour’s strategy is about delivering a fairer, more prosperous society, in adherence to our motto: for the zany,…
Even Elon Musk thinks Brexit Britain is a risky prospect
Having been awarded the title of business editor of this paper by Boris Johnson in his former incarnation, I know…
My charter of fundamental rights
I was chatting to a young medical student, a very bright chap from West Africa, who was nonetheless perplexed by…
The joy of a day spent bagging almost no birds
The highlight of my country calendar is when I’m lucky enough to be invited to what even the host describes…
