The last straw in Lloyd George’s cash for honours scandal
A peerage for the Randlord Sir Joseph Robinson, convicted of fraud, caused such an outcry in 1922 that even Lloyd George realised it was a step too far
The nearest we’ll ever get to experiencing the horrors of 1914
Robert Cowley’s agonising account of the bloody struggle for Ypres and the stalemate on the Western Front transports us to the very heart of the action
Homage to the herring as king of the fishes
A fascinating compendium of herring-related stories includes the attempted poisoning of St Patrick, the message contained in a Van Gogh still life and the superstitions of Manx mariners
Pride and Prejudice retold in a thousand different ways
Some of the stranger reimaginings involve dragons, zombies, Lydia Bennet as a witch, Lizzy ending up with Charlotte Lucas and the story narrated by Anne de Bourgh
What not to say when visiting Santa’s grotto, and other tips from Ben Schott
Also discussed in the latest miscellany are classic Italian gesticulations, the nuances of graffiti, the hierarchy of Venetian gondoliers and how to deter paparazzi
How Hans Holbein brought portraiture to England
Before Holbein’s arrival in 1526, painting in England tended to be religious in nature. But that soon changed when his portraits spread like an exquisite virus through the country’s elites
John Updike’s letters overflow with lust, ambition, guilt and shame
‘Affairs are cruel, and if they are sin, they carry the punishment with them’, he wrote to one of the many women he cheated on throughout a long life
Ivo van Hove tries and fails to destroy Arthur Miller
All My Sons, set in an American suburb in the summer of 1947, examines the downfall of Joe Keller, a…
The wit of Tom Stoppard
The playwright Peter Nichols created a character based on Tom Stoppard. Miles Whittier. On a car journey across London, I…
The Beast in Me is surprisingly addictive
The Beast in Me is one of those ‘taut psychological thrillers’ that everyone talks about in the office. This might…
Bruckner on Ozempic – and the première of the year
Bruckner at the Wigmore Hall. Yes, you heard right: a Bruckner symphony – his second: usually performed by 80-odd musicians…
Noah Baumbach needs to try harder: Jay Kelly reviewed
Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly stars George Clooney as a handsome movie star playing a handsome movie star who has an…
A Spectator poll: What is the greatest artwork of the century so far?
Slavoj Zizek Hegel thought that, in the movement of history, the world spirit passes from one country to another, from…
Has Reform peaked?
The week ends as it began, with Keir Starmer outlining plans to curb child poverty, news that Rachel Reeves won’t…
Watch: Zack Polanski’s bizarre migration remarks
To BBC Question Time, where the leader of the Green party made a rather interesting intervention on migration last night.…
Australia’s eSafety commissioner and the digital dark ages | Alexander Hatzikalimnios S3 Ep 14
Banning children Under 16 is only the beginning of Australia’s pioneering digital censorship project. If successful, we will sit somewhere…
Why shouldn’t Trump deport Prince Harry?
There are many things Americans admire about Britain – Shakespeare, Churchill and parliamentary democracy (on a good day). Above all,…
Inside the world of Reform’s mystery money man
Nigel Farage keeps eclectic company. Reform is not a party of slick spin doctors or career politicians. Instead, it is…
Keir Starmer says ending child poverty is Labour’s ‘moral mission’
Tackling child poverty is this government’s ‘moral mission’, Keir Starmer insisted today. The Prime Minister has unveiled plans that he…
Farage: Corbyn and Sultana should ask me for tips
To Reform’s Nigel Farage, who managed to dominate headlines today after he took a pop at the Beeb on Thursday…
Boycotting Israel could kill Eurovision
What exactly is the point of Eurovision? It can’t be about the music. Britain, the nation that gifted the world…
Milo Yiannopoulos holds forth on the origins of homosexuality
Are we becoming “faggotized?” According to Milo Yiannopoulos “everything has gone gay” – food, music, fashion, showbiz and – significantly…
There’s nothing equal about Russia’s relationship with India
Vladimir Putin lands in Delhi, steps off the plane and instantly gets what he came for: the pictures. The handshake…
The evil of the grooming gangs is finally being exposed
It has now been six weeks since the inquiry into ‘Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse’ fell into chaos. Over…
