World
London’s e-bikes are out of control
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but rental electric bicycles are becoming a bit of a scourge in London. Unlike…
The incredible meltdown of the Center for Antiracist Research
Professor Ibram X. Kendi has run into a spot of trouble. His fantastically funded Center for Antiracist Research – more…
It’s time football scrapped the Saturday afternoon TV blackout
The Premier League needs to wake up and smell the coffee: there is nothing sacrosanct about football matches that kick off…
Tory MPs can dare to dream about the next election
Were you a centre-right leader seeking the perfect person to condemn you for implementing a mildly populist measure then a…
What is the point of Ed Davey?
Since being elected as a Liberal Democrat MP in 1997, Ed Davey has been through many phases: conventional Paddy Ashdown…
Why ‘wokeness’ is doomed to fail
There are two dishonest conversations about wokeness, or identity politics if you prefer the less contentious term. The first from conservatives…
In defence of the noughties
Russell Brand always seemed repellant to me, but that had little to do with the fact he became famous in…
Kendi gonna Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi has done as he promised. In 2020, freshly anointed as the director of Boston University’s new Center…
The mystery of China’s missing ministers
Two down and who knows how many more to go. This week, Defence Minister Li Shangfu became the latest of…
Is Jeremy Hunt right that tax cuts are ‘virtually impossible’?
No one was expecting a big tax cut this year. Rishi Sunak’s government has been clear that 2023 is for…
Labour will regret handing more power to the OBR
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will have to sign off on any changes to taxation. It will need to…
Why the new right is like the old left
F.H. Bradley, perhaps the most self-aware philosopher who ever lived, once dismissed metaphysics as “the finding of bad reasons for…
Can Poland and Ukraine end their grain spat?
Poland has said it will no longer supply Ukraine with weapons, that it may cut aid to refugees and that…
Why dry Sauternes are the next big thing
It is my sense that the popularity of sweet wines like Sauternes, Port, Tokaji and all the German Auslese wines…
Falling wages aren’t stopping shoppers from hitting the high street
It looks like a case of recession postponed – again. Figures from the Office for National Statistics this morning show…
After Covid, it’s not surprising kids aren’t coming back to school
The Education Act of 1880 made it compulsory for all children in the UK to attend school between the ages…
What happens after Rupert Murdoch?
Orderly, understated and out of a clear blue sky. From a comms point of view, Rupert Murdoch’s retirement bombshell was…
The danger of politicians trying to demonetise Russell Brand
We must have the most unprincipled, illiberal crop of politicians ever to grace Westminster. Within hours of the House of…
The Rupert Murdoch I knew
I was astonished when Rupert Murdoch announced he was stepping down after 70 year as chairman of News Corp. He…
Why I’m stepping down
The following email was sent to Rupert Murdoch’s staff today Dear Colleagues, I am writing to let you all know…
Trudeau is right to hold India to account
Justin Trudeau was on the receiving end of nonstop media attention last week. There was a slew of difficult meetings, stilted photo-ops…
The problem with Burberry
It was raining on and off, but that was only fitting, as guests waited for the Summer 2024 show of…
Have interest rates finally peaked?
The Bank of England has voted to maintain interest rates at 5.25 per cent, rather than opt for a 15th…
Why don’t we talk more about sexual morality?
The Russell Brand story shows, once again, how sexual morality is only usually debated in relation to allegations of abuse…
Can Rishi Sunak afford a pre-election tax cut?
Will the government have room for tax cuts before an election? Politically, it’s thought to be non-negotiable that they must.…
