The Week
Portrait of the week
Home Twenty-two people were killed and 59 wounded by a man who blew himself up, with a bomb containing metal…
Letters
NHS in a mess Sir: Max Pemberton is quite right to say that the NHS is close to collapse, but…
Diary
On the heels of the Today programme’s invitation to discuss ‘cultural appropriation’ (again), the New York Times reported the disheartening…
A brave new world
From ‘The New Reform Bill’, The Spectator, 19 May 1917: Though we used to be opposed to the suffrage for women,…
Trump on the edge
Donald Trump has often wrong-footed the media. In last year’s election his campaign seemed to be always on the verge…
Letters
Libyan solution Sir: Boris Johnson correctly reports glimmers of hope in Libya, but to say its problems can be solved…
Barometer
Veggie skills Forest Green Rovers, described as the world’s first vegan football club, was promoted to the Football League. Some…
Portrait of the Week
NHS and computers across the world crippled by ransomware virus
Power and the middle class
When the centre disappears, equality vanishes with it
Barometer
God forbid Irish police investigated Stephen Fry over a complaint of blasphemy, which is no longer a criminal offence in…
Diary
Watching the general election from my newsroom is an out-of-body experience. I’ve been involved in the last five general elections…
The lay of the land
From ‘Schoolboy labour’, The Spectator, 12 May 1917: Work on the land, even though the time be stolen from books,…
No left turn
It would be easy to dismiss Jeremy Corbyn’s launch of the Labour party’s election campaign this week on the grounds…
Australian letters
Lest we etc. Sir: What can account for the hysterical reaction in some quarters to Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s Facebook post on…
Portrait of the week
Home After spectacular local election results, Theresa May, the Prime Minister, said: ‘I’m taking nothing for granted over the next…
Letters
It’s a Unionist revival Sir: Contrary to Alex Massie’s claims, there is no rebirth of Scottish Conservatism in Scotland (‘Queen…
Barometer
Spend, spend, spend London mayor Sadiq Khan ended support for the Garden Bridge, probably killing it off. How are other…
Diary
The Prosperity UK conference over a week ago kicked off with a dinner at Hatfield House that brought together Leavers…
The art of the deal
If elections were decided on voter enthusiasm rather than on plain numbers, Marine Le Pen would win this weekend’s battle…
Australian letters
Attacking Sophie Sir: Your contributor, Michael Danby (Sophie’s bad choices, The Spectator, 15 April 2017) has used your pages to…
Portrait of the week
Home Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, told Theresa May after dinner with her on 26 April, ‘I’m…
Letters
Liverpudlian censorship Sir: I enjoyed Kelvin MacKenzie’s Diary (29 April). The obloquy thrown at him after his criticism of Everton…
Barometer
Pippa goes public Church of England lawyers ruled that the public must be allowed to attend the wedding of Pippa…
Diary
When Trevor Phillips stood down as chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, he had served nine years. His…
Uniting the kingdom
When launching the Scottish National Party’s election campaign, Nicola Sturgeon said the word ‘Tory’ 20 times in 20 minutes. For…
