World
The growing extremism of France’s Green party
On Sunday evening I met three left-leaning French friends for a picnic in a Parisian park. We’d hardly begun the…
The EU’s founder should be a saint – but he created a monster
There was a certain degree of cynicism when the Pope decided to place the EU’s founder on the path to…
Sajid Javid’s optimistic Covid forecast
Sajid Javid used his first appearance at the despatch box since his appointment as Health Secretary to paint an optimistic…
Matt Hancock and the problem with China’s surveillance tech
There can have been no more avid viewers of the CCTV footage of Matt Hancock’s snog and grope than China’s…
Is Marine Le Pen’s presidential bid doomed?
Nothing went as predicted in France’s regional elections. Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National did not win a single region and…
Japan’s punishing workplace culture
Are the world’s hardest workers about to get a well-earned break? That seems to be the hope of the Japanese…
Why an EU-Russia summit was always going to fail
When Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel unilaterally proposed a European Union summit with Vladimir Putin, they managed to open deep…
How crises shape government
Crises often exhaust the capacity of governments to renew themselves. All consuming problems do not allow prime ministers to have…
Why Labour should stick with Starmer – even if he loses Batley
Things could be bleak for Labour in the Batley and Spen by-election this Thursday. Throughout an ugly and dispiriting campaign…
Tories publicly clash over Chinese takeaway
Efforts to rid Huawei from Britain’s 5G mobile network were a constant feature of Tory politics last year. The question…
Can Javid beat the blob at the Department of Health?
One man’s loss is another man’s gain. Matt Hancock’s downfall has meant the return of Sajid Javid, restored to Cabinet…
Will Sajid Javid champion the end of Covid restrictions?
As the row over Matt Hancock’s relationship with his married adviser Gina Coladangelo continues to dominate the news, attention in…
The electoral humiliation of Macron and Le Pen
Five years ago, Emmanuel Macron was ‘en marche’ to his improbable ascent to the presidency of France. Last night, having…
Biden brings a nuke to a gun fight
Joe Biden has released a new statement on gun control and it’s about as concise and coherent as you would…
Corbyn: A deity has fallen
Jeremy Corbyn’s brand is slipping. Yesterday, supporters of his Peace and Justice movement joined a much larger demo in London…
It’s time for Rishi Sunak to stand up to Boris Johnson
Finally the pandemic fog is lifting and the outlines of post-Covid politics are starting to take shape. While the Government…
Nicola Sturgeon isn’t serious about IndyRef2
The announcement reeked of desperation. Nicola Sturgeon is‘delighted’ that the SNP National Executive Committee has approved her nomination of retired…
Don’t be fooled by Victoria’s Secret’s feminist rebrand
Victoria’s Secret, the lingerie brand known for its scantily-clad supermodel ‘Angels’, is undergoing a rebranding. But don’t be fooled: this…
Why Matt Hancock had to go
Last night, I had a call from a government minister who was incandescent at the idea of Matt Hancock being…
Sajid Javid appointed as new Health Secretary
Sajid Javid is the new Health Secretary, replacing Matt Hancock following his resignation. Javid has been out of government ever…
Boris is in danger of becoming Britain’s François Hollande
Last week’s by-election result in Chesham and Amersham was a slap in the face for Boris Johnson. Fortunately it was…
The EU’s lowering of food safety standards must end talk of alignment
During the referendum, it was fashionable to pretend that being an EU member did not impact sovereignty. That is wrong…
SNP MSP in racist bus row apologises (again)
Regular readers may recall the tale of James Dornan, SNP MSP and amateur Hate-Finder General. Earlier this month, he gave…
Sweden’s gun crime epidemic is spiralling out of control
The shots were fired at 1pm on a Sunday, in spite of a heavy police presence at the scene. A…
How cable news will inevitably politicize the Surfside building tragedy
Nothing could be more predictable than media coverage of the catastrophic building collapse in Surfside, Florida. Cable news will feature…
