Columnists
Will Leave voters forgive a Brexit delay?
‘It is definitely less than 50 per cent,’ says one Downing Street source when asked about the chances of a…
Sorry, sir, we only stock books we agree with
I was on my way to the pub the other evening, about seven o’clock, rain lashing down on my head,…
At last, the TV-hogging space invaders have returned to university
‘Hands up which other university parents are bloody glad to have got rid of their lumpen, food-gobbling, space-invading kids…’ When…
Why Downing Street still hasn’t named a new Bank governor
Private secretary: ‘The Bank of England governorship, Prime Minister… opposition MPs have been saying it’s a political stitch-up and calling…
The rule of law has become the rule of lawyers
Is that enormous silver spider that Lady Hale wore her badge of office? If so, it is appropriate. The Supreme…
The Tory party depends on winning over Leave-voting Labour seats
A Prime Minister held in No. 10 against his will. The very notion seems absurd, but this is essentially what is…
Eight reasons why I know I’m a Conservative
‘Why don’t you just join the Liberal Democrats?’ If I’ve heard that once in the past couple of years I’ve…
The world is stuck in a debt trap
I don’t usually get up early just for an appointment at a bank. Yet last Tuesday in New York, I…
At least Thomas Cook’s fall allows ministers to look in control
It’s not obvious that the state has a moral obligation to repatriate holidaymakers whenever a tour operator goes bust, as…
Why there’s still a chance of a deal
One of the reasons why Boris Johnson is Prime Minister is that he is an optimist. After the negativity of…
Why didn’t Cameron realise the ‘strength of feeling’ about Brexit?
In his memoirs, David Cameron admits that he ‘did not fully appreciate the strength of feeling’ in favour of Brexit,…
The Lib Dems have revealed the extreme side of modern liberalism
A friend’s seven-year-old daughter was asked by her school to write something about the NHS. Her only experience of it…
Letting China join the WTO was the worst decision the West ever made
It’s not often that you come across a book that completely transforms your understanding of the world. Just recently I’ve…
The screaming souls on London’s streets
When I first moved to London N1 four years ago, no one seemed to notice let alone discuss all the…
An oil price spike doesn’t mean a recession is on the way
An oil price surge from $60 to $72 per barrel, as happened after the drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq…
Will turning the Tories into the pro-Leave party pay off for Boris?
An election might still be months away, but the parties have already made their big strategic choices. The Tories and…
Theresa May’s honours list makes me sick
The BBC featured a gay wedding on Songs of Praise recently. Of course it did. The thinking was, I assume:…
Britain’s political system is broken. America’s isn’t
American liberals perceive it as a jarring inconsistency: my opposition to Trump and support for Brexit. Especially outside the UK,…
The appalling vanity of Western feminists who think Margaret Atwood writes about them
Imagine a country where women have no jobs, no rights and are valued only for reproductive success. Imagine a country…
WeWork is no more than an overhyped and overstretched landlord
Long ago in my investment banking days I had a glimpse into the mind of the British Airways long-haul pilot.…
There’s nothing wrong with Jacob Rees-Mogg lying down in the Commons
If you are a journalist covering politics this year, every moment is a bad moment to take a holiday. I…
When it comes to Brexit, everything that can be tried will always fail
It is all beginning to feel like the closing scenes of the 1980 spoof comedy film Airplane! In particular the…
How to beat the autumn blues
You know that awful, gnawing, depressing feeling you’ve got right now? The one that notices how shockingly early the sun…
The PPI scandal ends at last – but the nuisance calls will keep coming
Of all the stains on the reputation of UK banks, the PPI scandal is surely the most shameful, the most…
The Amazon fires are as much a political story as an environmental one
We do not yet know which 100 citizens will make it to the ‘Citizens’ Assembly’ to be chaired by the…
