The Week
Barometer
Royal waves Does any other country have a royal yacht? — The Queen of Denmark uses HDMY Dannebrog, a 260ft…
The wrong track
Under what circumstances can a government restrict the liberty of the people? An example was given last year: in a…
Letters
The good doctors Sir: Not all GPs are currently ‘Dr No’ (12 June). I phoned my surgery at 9.30 the…
Athens and the EU
The EU has regularly been likened to the Roman Empire. But its current direction suggests that the Athenian Empire (478-404…
Diary
I’ve always maintained I go to Fermanagh for sanity, and after the past few months, I need a return to…
Portrait of the Week
Home The lifting of coronavirus restrictions was delayed from 21 June until 19 July, probably. The motive was to avoid…
Where’s the beef?
If Britain had been unable to agree a trade deal with Australia, then Brexit really would have been pointless. The…
Letters
A new prescription Sir: It is maddening to see the British people being refused face-to-face GP appointments and subjected to…
Diary
I’ve worked for some media thoroughbreds — including the Financial Times, ITN and CNN — so I know the sense…
Cancel culture, Roman-style
The mob is at work again in Oxford, protesting against the existence of Oriel’s statue of Cecil Rhodes. But this…
Barometer
On this day Would 19 July make a suitable ‘freedom day’ (assuming Covid restrictions are lifted even then)? There is…
Letters
Trust us Sir: I refute Charles Moore’s assertions (‘Broken Trust’, 5 June) that the National Trust frowns on local expertise,…
Diary
My diary has been filled with dental appointments, reflecting a truism that American dentists pray for British teeth. The tally…
Portrait of the Week
Home The government pondered delaying the end of coronavirus restrictions on 21 June. But Chris Hopson, the chief executive of…
Meat of the matter
Britain has already seen two ‘Brexit days’ — when it formally left the EU on 31 January 2020 and the…
Barometer
Rare Lili Other than the new royal baby, is there anyone in the world formally called Lilibet? — There are…
Follow my leader
On the subject of leadership, the Athenian soldier, historian, biographer and essayist Xenophon (c. 430-354 BC) had much to say,…
Letters
Uncivil service Sir: The elephant in the room in the handling of the pandemic (‘A tragedy of errors’, 29 May)…
Open road
It seems all but impossible to convince government scientists of the wisdom of proceeding with the final lifting of Covid…
Sex education
The publication of the new Cambridge Greek Lexicon reminded the comedian and classicist Natalie Haynes of her frustrations at school,…
Portrait of the Week
Home Freelance scientists urged the government not to end coronavirus regulations on 21 June, for fear of a third wave.…
Diary
Following my abrupt departure from Good Morning Britain after declining to apologise for disbelieving Meghan ‘Princess Pinocchio’ Markle, I’ve been…
Barometer
Game, set, chat Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open after being fined $15,000 for failing to…
A tragedy of errors
It is hard to deny the importance of the issues raised this week by Dominic Cummings. His decision to identify…
Barometer
Marrying in office It was announced Boris Johnson will marry his fiancée, Carrie Symonds, next year. This will be only…
