The Week
Portrait of the Week
Home Pubs and restaurants would have to close at ten o’clock, under new coronavirus restrictions announced by Boris Johnson, the…
Barometer
Information overload The government’s plan to put ‘Covid wardens’ on the streets to enforce the new rule against more than…
Letters
China’s covered Sir: If Charles Moore had contacted the BBC, rather than conducting a fruitless Google search, we would have…
When language gets polluted
Pursuing last week’s theme, this week’s column raises the question: if there is no such thing as ‘race’ — since…
Portrait of the Week
Home At one minute past midnight on Monday, new laws came into force prohibiting households in England increasing their numbers…
Identity crisis
On the face of it, there could scarcely be better conditions for a revival of the Labour party. Even before…
Diary
I moved to this country from the USA 30 years ago and this year I’ve finally understood why: it was…
Letters
Referendum risk Sir: James Forsyth’s excellent analysis (‘To save the Union, negotiate independence’, 5 September) has one flaw: it is…
The case for restraint
One of the many ironies of the past few months is that young people, while least affected by the virus,…
Diary
This is a very British story. Because we Brits are often warlike but never militaristic, we often make a balls-up…
Portrait of the Week
Home Gatherings of more than six people from more than one household were made a crime in England from 14…
The Romans and race
Rod Liddle has questioned whether Ms Jolly, chief librarian of the British Library, was right to say that whites invented…
Barometer
Lyrical errors ‘Rule, Britannia!’ begins with the lines: ‘When Britain first, at heaven’s command/Arose from out the azure main.’ —…
Diary
It’s never a good sign when you’re watching a scene of street terror in yet another gut-churning YouTube video and…
A question of competence
This week was built up by the Prime Minister to be the moment that would mark the return of economic…
Letters
Cladding fear Sir: Emma Byrne’s report on the cladding scandal (‘Ill clad’, 29 August) will have given many of those…
Portrait of the week
Home Simon Case, aged 41, the private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge 2018-20, was appointed Cabinet Secretary and Head…
With the Benedictines
From 18 October 1946: Their whole aim and object is to exemplify in their lives and corporate activity their sense…
Barometer
Culture clashes The pop star Adele was accused of ‘cultural appropriation’ for adopting a Jamaican hairstyle for the online Notting…
Little wonder
The British Museum’s aim is to use its collection ‘for the benefit and education of humanity’. If that manifests itself…
Letters
It’s not about money Sir: Professor Tombs criticises Alex Massie (Letters, 22 August) for ignoring evidence when the latter claims…
Diary
Staying in Britain for the summer has been, in many ways, entirely glorious. We have zigzagged from Shropshire through Derbyshire…
Learning the hard way
Many commentators have argued that the recent grading controversy indicates just how important public examinations are. Up to a point,…
The economy of tanks
That an abundance of tanks is no guarantee of a happy and secure nation was evident from the Soviet Union’s…
Barometer
About Last Night It was suggested that the BBC might ‘decolonise’ the Last Night of the Proms by removing ‘Rule,…
