Diary
I stand by my comments about Islamic public prayer
Following my appointment as shadow justice secretary, I was moved to a bigger office in parliament. Where once I enjoyed…
Is my book about Meghan and Harry a ‘deranged conspiracy’?
‘Deranged conspiracy’. That’s the Sussexes’ verdict of Betrayal, my second blast at Harry and Meghan, after the serialisation was in…
The insidious rise of Tannoy spam
Six people meet for a picnic on Richmond Green. They eat Popeyes chicken nuggets, Sainsbury’s sausage rolls, M&S sandwiches, Cadbury…
Did I ever really stand a chance in the by-election?
Four weeks after I decided to upend my life by standing as the Reform UK candidate at the Gorton and…
Could Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor become ‘Lord Andrew’?
Never one for introspection, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has still managed to provoke some searching questions about the institution he once served.…
The best and worst of French civilisation
We always try to spend Valentine’s Day weekend in Paris. My wife has held on to a tiny apartment in…
Peter Mandelson’s secret crush
Back in the mists, early 1980s I suppose, I was asked to decorate a penthouse apartment in London for a…
What Trump told me in my hour of need
‘The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom,’ espoused German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. Having spent the past fortnight…
The real reason I’m leaving Bake Off
I have been dithering for years about when to stop judging The Great British Bake Off. When I joined nine…
The real reason Farage wants Kemi gone
The invitation came from Ewan Venters, a Scot who currently steers the Paul Smith brand, and the venue was Angela…
Get me out of New York
I reached New York for the premiere of the fourth series of Industry in a mild state of delirium. I…
Another year without an Oscar
With the close of 2025 I crowned a tumultuous year in which I got married, moved house and saw Evelyn,…
Heroes have faults too
The chief function of the prime minister is to take the blame, and Sir Keir Starmer can no more escape…
My farewell to In Our Time
I set up In Our Time 27 years ago. I had been shunted from Start the Week to what was…
Singapore’s future is in capable hands
I was in Singapore last week, a city that hums with energy. It feels efficient, cosmopolitan and yet personal –…
I sympathise with Rachel Reeves
The British establishment cuts its deals with fish knives. If you want to catch this country’s business leaders and political…
I regret my intolerance over Brexit
Cannabis smoke lingering along the sidewalks of Washington D.C. was the most palpable fruit of liberty since my last visit…
Ireland is looking for its own Nigel Farage
A few years ago, I watched an Irish-made drama on Netflix called Rebellion. Given that it was about the 1916…
My life after Today
Nearly a year after my final Radio 4 shift, my new interview podcast has launched, and the weeks are more…
The day James Blunt stripped off in front of me
The beautiful British actress Samantha Eggar has died in LA. I hope that will be the last in a spate…
The bliss of un-fame
In July, astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System discovered an interstellar object racing through the solar system at…
The day ‘Hitler’ was captured in Tottenham
Given the way the world is right now, I am avoiding it in the main. For the sake of my…
What is the West without the Jews?
To the studio! Podcasts, if you ask me, are the one good thing to have come out of the digital…
What’s wrong with elitism?
There was a time when the serious business of concert-giving closed down for the summer. Artists were expected to take…
What Nigel Farage told me
I recently attended the Young Dancer of the Year competition at the Royal Opera House, organised by the formidable Jacquie…
