Leading article
Sturgeon’s bluff
Nicola Sturgeon presents Scotland as a country outraged by Brexit and straining at the leash of the United Kingdom. She…
The only option
A little over a year ago, The Spectator printed a cover story about the risk of inflation. Britain, we argued,…
The deportation debacle
The problem with the bishops in the upper chamber is not that they speak too much, but too little. The…
Air pirates
If you have a flight booked in the next few months, it’s time to worry. A new era of air…
Queen and country
Rarely has a public figure taken a promise so seriously as the vow that Her Majesty the Queen made on…
Johnson’s guilt
An ability to survive narrow scrapes has been one of Boris Johnson’s defining qualities. The pictures of Downing Street’s lockdown…
Sanction Schröder
From the start of the war in Ukraine, the democratic world has shown striking unity in the economic boycott of…
Non, merci
The Ukraine crisis has transformed international affairs, forcing countries the world over to rethink their alliances and interests. New patterns…
It’s the cost of living, stupid
As Boris Johnson faced the possibility of a no-confidence motion earlier this year, a large number of Tory MPs decided…
Brexit’s first success
The purpose of Brexit was to strengthen Britain’s ties with both the world beyond Europe and with Europe itself, but…
The long haul
The first few weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine went so badly that it was tempting to see the withdrawal…
French lessons
In just over a week’s time, Emmanuel Macron will most likely win a second term. He has the opponent he…
A fine mess
Attending an impromptu birthday party in the office is not the most heinous of crimes, and of course Britain’s fixation…
Keep the faith
Whatever advantages money may have brought Rishi Sunak as he rose to become Chancellor of the Exchequer, his wealth has…
Partygate’s hangover
Afew weeks ago it seemed that the issue of Downing Street parties over lockdown had been usurped by a more…
Sunak’s salami slice
Next month, Rishi Sunak will break a Tory manifesto pledge by increasing National Insurance as the tax burden heads to…
Silent censors
The arrest of a reporter who held up a poster during a Russian news broadcast criticising the war in Ukraine…
After net zero
For years British energy policy has been an exercise in wishful thinking. We’ve been living in a fantasy world in…
Friends in need
During the Cold War, any citizen of a Soviet bloc country who made it to Britain and claimed asylum was…
Liberty restored
Shortly after Covid emerged, our civil liberties were suspended. The government took control of when and for how long we…
Royal standards
Prince Andrew’s decision to settle his case with Virginia Giuffre means he will be spared the potentially humiliating ordeal of…
Why Putin wins
Did Vladimir Putin ever intend to invade Ukraine? Or were his troop manoeuvres just a game — another test of…
What’s the point of Boris?
The anger against the Prime Minister for failing to observe the rules which he imposed upon the rest of us…
How Boris escapes
When Omicron struck, Britain was already the most boosted country in Europe. Our programme was so advanced that 80 per…
After Omicron
Covid-19 is in decline in Britain, with Omicron cases now falling as fast as they rose. The booster programme —…
