World
Is Keir Starmer a closet Tory?
Cindy Yu (CY): Slashing winter fuel allowance, keeping the two-child benefit cap, cutting foreign aid, cutting the civil service, axing…
Am I the only one who misses lockdown?
Five years ago tonight, Boris Johnson told us we were going into lockdown. In the run-up to the anniversary of…
I’m sick of social media running bores
The phenomenon of people living their lives vicariously through social media is nothing new. We’ve all got that friend who…
Would Richard III have claimed PIP?
Looking at the list breaking down the reasons for which people are granted Personal Independence Payments (PIPSs), up to £180…
The Zoom call that confirmed my fears about Just Stop Oil
Just Stop Oil are their own worst enemies. I support their aims and I do my best to minimise my…
Oleg Gordievsky: the double agent Russia never stopped hunting
The death of Oleg Gordievsky at the age of 86 comes at a moment when relations between his native Russia…
Cambridge must stop whining about the Boat Race rule changes
At some point in every sensitive young Oxonian’s life he admits that he should have gone to Cambridge. Since graduating…
The Spectator reflects on Covid five years on
Five years ago this weekend, the nation was plunged into what was expected to be a three-week lockdown. Weeks turned…
The SNP has a woman problem
John Swinney said this week the SNP doesn’t have a problem with women. I disagree. Of course, some of the…
Met Police urged to oppose China’s ‘super-embassy’
For years now, Mr S has been covering the long-running farce that is China’s proposed new ‘super-embassy’. Back in 2018,…
Thomas Tuchel is off to a good start
The good news is that England, under new head coach Thomas Tuchel, are off to a winning start. The Three…
How many peacekeepers can Europe send to Ukraine?
We may look back to find Sir Keir Starmer partly defined by the phrase ‘coalition of the willing’. It is…
Bridget Phillipson has a lot to learn from Donald Trump
Over the past few months, I’ve wished that almost anyone was education secretary instead of Bridget Phillipson, who seems to…
Have we become too reliant on antidepressants?
One in seven British adults – almost nine million people – now take antidepressants. Yet a study attached to the…
Does Japan want its own nuclear weapons?
Japan is planning to strengthen its ‘counterstrike capabilities’ by deploying long-range missiles on the southern island of Kyushu. The missiles…
London is not as bad as people say
Complaints that ‘London isn’t what it used to be’ or ‘London is a hell-hole these days’ are hardly original or…
Nigel Farage has won the row with Rupert Lowe
The Reform schism, which the party’s many establishment detractors hoped would prevent it securing a breakthrough at the local elections,…
Tommy Robinson doesn’t know how lucky he is
Tommy Robinson has lost his attempt to force the prison service to move him out of segregation. Robinson’s lawyers said…
The EU’s ‘re-arming’ plan is unserious
Hark ye now, O despots of the world and enemies of freedom: as the American beacon of democracy fades, Europe…
BBC issues support email to LGBT staff over Trump
The BBC’s legions of staff seem to be struggling to cope with, um, the news. The corporation has issued an…
Keir Starmer is a gift to Scottish nationalism
Southside Central is the kind of ward Scottish Labour needs to be winning. It’s in Glasgow, home to significant pockets…
The sorry fate of Nicola Sturgeon
The first thing to say is that Nicola Sturgeon has been cleared in an investigation into the SNP’s funding and…
Trump is right to eradicate the Department of Education
Teachers’ unions have donated millions upon millions over the years almost exclusively to Democratic candidates and left-wing organizations. So it’s…
Is foul play to blame for the Heathrow fire?
Ed Miliband has made the confident and somewhat premature reassurance that there is ‘no sign of foul play’ in the…
The Guardian’s embarrassing Heathrow story slip-up
Uh oh. As the news about the closure of Heathrow airport circulates around the country, Mr S has been rather…
