World
The legacy of devolution – 25 years on
Winnie Ewing, SNP royalty – Madame Écosse to those who had served alongside her in the European Parliament – opened…
Natalie Elphicke row deepens
Was Keir Starmer’s decision to welcome the Tory right wing MP Natalie Elphicke to the Labour party a genius strategic…
I’m proud of my mayoral campaign
In 18 months of campaigning to win the battle to be mayor of London – spoiler: I didn’t win –…
Chinese society is rapidly militarising
The reports in China’s state media speak about ‘advancing national defence education in the new era’, teaching students to be…
Why are the yakuza stealing Pokemon cards?
A high-ranking member of the yakuza (Japanese mafia) has been arrested in Tokyo for selling stolen Pokemon cards. Keita Saito was…
The Arts Council wastes money – and is bad news for art
‘You’re gay.’ That was the first tip I got from a friend who writes applications for Arts Council grants. He…
Why Israel is crucial to Eurovision
Eden Golan has qualified for the final of tonight’s Eurovision Song Contest and will represent Israel in the world’s most-watched…
The FTSE 100 hits a new high – but don’t celebrate yet
Another day, another all time high. As the week closed, the FTSE 100 index hit 8,433 — the highest level…
The bizarre sexual politics of the French
‘More sex please, we’re French,’ declared, in effect, France’s president Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, demanding that his compatriots counteract a…
Why is Russia’s economy booming despite sanctions?
Over two years on from the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is the most sanctioned nation in the world. And yet the country’s…
Has the SNP really turned its back on identity politics?
The term ‘progressive’ has been much abused in the past decade. Originally a term denoting enlightenment and social universalism, it became…
The Tories are in free fall
A couple of weeks ago we were told it was Rishi Sunak’s best week ever. Now, it is hard to…
Why won’t phone companies stop kids using social media?
When it comes to social media, parents find it difficult enough to keep up with their offspring’s online world. What…
What price is too high to keep conservatives in the Church of England?
Future historians of the Church of England might look back at this weekend as the beginning of the end. A…
Swapping aprés ski for aprés spa
“Welcome to your thirties,” my friend Rich roared, throwing open the balcony door leading onto our hotel room’s private loggia.…
What was the point of Just Stop Oil’s Magna Carta stunt?
The eco-activists of Just Stop Oil have often been caricatured as a group of middle-class students with too much time…
Why is Colombia turning its back on Israel in its hour of need?
Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro has terminated diplomatic relations with Israel and described the country’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as ‘genocidal’.…
What is the anti-Israel Eurovision protest really about?
A young Israeli woman warned to stay in her hotel room. A baying mob on the streets outside hollering slogans…
Joe Biden’s failure is Bob Gates’s vindication
One of the most famous criticisms of Joe Biden over the years came from former Bush and Obama secretary of…
Harry and Meghan’s Nigeria tour is nothing but PR fodder
Prince Harry’s visit to London this week, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus games, was largely overshadowed by…
Starmer is copying the Tory small boats strategy
Today is one of those rare occasions in British politics – a day when Rishi Sunak’s government has a bit…
Will John Swinney abandon Sturgeon’s gender bill?
There may be a new First Minister in the driving seat but can the SNP overtake Labour’s lead in the…
Keir Starmer won’t stop the boats
Labour’s new ‘stop the boats’ policy is a risible exercise in deception that will only ever fool the truly gullible.…
Who are ‘the blob’?
Liz Truss calls them the ‘deep state’, Dominic Cummings ‘the blob’ and for Sue Gray they are simply former colleagues.…
Does David Lammy really expect Donald Trump to forgive and forget?
David Lammy has never been much of a diplomat. The veteran Labour MP is fond of lashing out at his…
