No sacred cows
Juries are defenders of free speech
On Tuesday, David Lammy announced in parliament that a bill would be included in the next King’s Speech restricting the…
Is bet365 punishing me for being a peer?
On my way to the QPR game against Hull last Saturday, I was astonished to discover that Ladbrokes had made…
Judges need fewer powers, not more
In my brief career as a parliamentarian I have developed a rule of thumb when it comes to evaluating legislation:…
The persecution of our local politicians
Have a thought for Darren Grimes, the 32-year-old Reform councillor. Since becoming deputy leader of Durham County Council in May,…
Lord Young goes to Washington
I’m writing this from Washington, D.C., where I’ve spent the best part of a week talking to politicos and thinktankers…
Bernard Cornwell: ‘I don’t believe in writer’s block’
They say never meet your heroes, but Bernard Cornwell didn’t disappoint. Knowing I’m a superfan, the events team at The…
Goodbye and good riddance to ‘non-crime’
The congratulatory messages started pouring in shortly after 5.30 p.m. on Monday. The Metropolitan Police had just issued a press…
Why I pity the poor eco-zealots
An email popped into my House of Lords inbox last week from Lt Gen. Richard Nugee with the subject line…
Greta Thunberg and the ship of hate
I was amused to read about the spat that broke out on Greta Thunberg’s flotilla between conservative Muslims and members…
What we can learn from Singapore
I was in Australia last week, having been invited to give the annual oration by the Robert Menzies Institute, and…
The hypocrisy of the limousine liberals
You’d have to have a heart of stone not to laugh at all the Hollywood celebrities rending their garments about…
You can’t cancel the cancelled
When Theresa May appointed me as a non-executive director of the Office for Students, the Downing Street press office decided…
How America could save free speech in Britain
The only holiday the Youngs had this summer was a week in Norfolk for the Hunstanton tennis tournament. I’m too…
Confessions of a yo-yo fat-jabber
I’m feeling quite smug at the moment. Every year I vow to get in shape in the summer, which means…
QPR’s downward spiral
Charlie, my 17-year-old son, was hopeful about QPR’s chances this season. True, we managed to avoid relegation only by the…
Save our swearing!
Last week I took a day trip to Margate. Not to enjoy a swim in the sea, but in the…
Wormwood Scrubs, my deserted little bit of paradise
On the face of it, Wormwood Scrubs is not particularly appealing. I don’t mean the prison, but the common in…
The case for an independent Kent
I’m just back from Vancouver, where I was speaking at a fundraiser for the Free Speech Union of Canada. At…
Make Trump Britain’s prime minister
When I was a young man, the claim that Britain was in danger of becoming the 51st state was a…
The lanyard class is imploding – and it can’t blame Musk
I was surprised to read a report by Sunder Katwala’s thinktank British Future saying the UK is a ‘powder keg’…
Let straight white men write novels!
About 15 years ago, I tried to interest my literary agent in a state-of-the-nation novel set in 21st-century London. My…
My sober assessment of the fat jabs
It was my friend Alex who tipped me the wink. I bumped into him at a party earlier this year…
Ofcom still isn’t sure what a woman is
Earlier this week, GB News again found itself at odds with Ofcom. The channel had written to the broadcast regulator…
The secret to ‘womankeeping’
God, men are pathetic. At least, that’s the view of Angelica Puzio Ferrara, a researcher at Stanford, who has come…
Has Trump been taking inspiration from the royals?
One of the objections to the military parade in Washington, DC last Saturday – supposedly to mark the 250th birthday…
