No sacred cows
Why I’m optimistic about multiculturalism
Many of my conservative friends are beginning to catastrophise about the future of Britain in light of the pro-Palestinian protests…
The conversion therapy bill is a thoroughly bad idea
I was disappointed to learn that Rishi Sunak has reconsidered his opposition to a bill banning conversion therapy. Not because…
Why I don’t trust the BBC’s Trusted News Initiative
You almost certainly haven’t heard of the Trusted News Initiative (TNI), although you probably should have. It’s a BBC-led consortium…
I’ve turned 60 – but all is not lost
By the time you read this I’ll be 60, having passed that milestone on Tuesday. My older friends tell me…
For deer life
In spite of my dodgy right hand – caused by an injury to my radial nerve – I decided to…
I need a helping hand
I first realised something was wrong with my hand last Thursday evening. I’d been invited by a friend to go…
The case against conkers
Trying to work in my garden shed at this time of year is tricky. I will be crouched over my…
My brush with the Dangerous Dogs Act
Not everyone welcomed Rishi Sunak’s announcement last week that he would ban the XL Bully under the Dangerous Dogs Act.…
The myth of male privilege
A few weeks ago I had a crack at coming up with my own sociological ‘law’ and my first effort…
Could I be pregnant?
At the age of 59 I thought it was time to get my body thoroughly examined. So last week I…
My wife aced it at Wimbledon-on-Sea
The Hunstanton Lawn Tennis Tournament has become an annual fixture in the Young household. Known as ‘Wimbledon-on-Sea’, the week-long competition…
My righteous anger
According to the ancient proverb, if you sit by the river for long enough you will see the body of…
Who fact checks the fact-checkers?
Last week, a retired physics professor called Nick Cowern said it was time to get tough with ‘climate denialists’. ‘In…
Megan Rapinoe’s comeuppance
I’m loath to write about the current Fifa World Cup because criticising women’s football is textbook ‘misogyny’ – at least,…
Not so great expectations
The football season gets under way again on Saturday – or at least it does if your team isn’t in…
Barbie deserves the backlash
Being the CEO of a massive corporation isn’t easy. You’re expected to grow the company, increase profits and boost the…
I need a holiday from my holiday
Reading about all the travel chaos, I began to regret my summer holiday plans. Wouldn’t it have been more sensible…
What about Caitlin Moran?
I first met Caitlin Moran at Julie Burchill’s flat in Bloomsbury. This was in the early 1990s and she was…
Debunking debanking
As I sat down to write this column, an old friend let me know he’d just been ‘debanked’. That is,…
My new law is better than Ireland’s
I’ve always been envious of journalists who give their names to ‘laws’, as in O’Sullivan’s First Law: ‘All organisations that…
