World
The Greek tragedy of Keir Starmer
You can always tell it’s going to be a good day in the Commons when the government spin operation happens…
Tariff refunds are a nightmare for Trump’s economy
Donald Trump’s second presidency began with a blaze of executive orders which horrified and impressed in equal measure. It also begged…
Lee Anderson and Zarah Sultana are two sides of the same coin
What a funny pair Lee Anderson and Zarah Sultana are: so vehemently opposed to one another’s politics and yet so…
Watch: Lee Anderson kicked out of the Commons for calling Starmer a liar
Keir Starmer has not being having a good time of it in the Commons. Once again, the PM has been…
Starmer squirms on Mandelson debacle
Keir Starmer is enduring perhaps his most uncomfortable afternoon in the House Commons since being elected Britain’s Prime Minister. He…
Arsenal fans are getting what they deserve
I was sorry to see Arsenal lose the ‘Game of the Season’ to Manchester City and thought them a little…
The National Lottery verdict shows Labour isn’t serious about growth
The government keeps telling us that they are desperate for economic growth and keen to attract overseas investment in UK…
Petrol shortages aren’t coming for Britain
Oil prices rose this morning thanks to the fact no one really knows if the Strait of Hormuz has reopened…
Why Starmer must stay
I have little interest in what Keir Starmer will say in the Commons later today. I’ve only been in political…
How Hitler came to define Western morality
‘A century ago, the most potent moral figure in Western society was Jesus Christ. Now it is Adolf Hitler. Perhaps…
Why George Robertson has turned on Starmer
There was always a risk that the external reviewers who led last year’s Strategic Defence Review would turn on the…
Why doesn’t the Royal Academy of Music like private school kids?
It’s always the newspeak that lacerates. The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) has, admirably, set up a new foundation year…
Driverless cars will kill the London taxi
After an eleven hour flight, I stepped out of Phoenix International Airport into the balmy Arizona heat. It felt like…
How the Mandelson scandal could prove fatal for Keir Starmer
It is judgment day in the Commons for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, over what he knew, and when, about…
Andrew Lloyd Webber and the dangerous truth about alcohol
There’s something, I think, very heartening and touching in reading Andrew Lloyd Webber talk about joining Alcoholics Anonymous at the ripe…
What is the supply side of Britain and Europe’s decline?
In his new book Why Populists Are Winning: and How to Beat Them, British MP Liam Byrne argues that it’s…
The changing economics of war
On 15 September 1916, at Flers-Courcelette, 49 Mark I tanks rolled into no-man’s land. Most broke down. The ones that…
Why attacks on British synagogues no longer surprise me
The news this week that two people had tried to burn down Finchley Reform Synagogue in London wasn’t even surprising.…
Trump’s armchair geography is costing him in Iran
In the 19th century, the geographer and explorer David Livingstone was scathing of what he described as ‘easy chair geographers’…
The tale of the quiet Englishman who helped make Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant, who was born on 22 April 1722, is perhaps best known for two things: writing The Critique of Pure…
What happened to Provence?
The best time to visit Provence, I always advise when asked, is in the spring before the scorching heat and…
Oxford needs to fight back against the university
The news that the original Oxfam bookshop on St Giles in Oxford is not to close is not just a…
Can I read Trump’s mind?
Making time to prepare to host the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has not been easy. Presently I’m flying back to…
How Peter Mandelson became Britain’s ambassador to the US – despite failing vetting
I have just been contacted by a source who knows much more about what happened with Peter Mandelson’s vetting. It…
Russia’s nationalists are falling out of love with Putin
Moscow’s Manezh exhibition hall is playing host to a celebration of the life and politics of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the outspoken,…
