Will John Bercow break his promise to resign?
I recently heard the alarming rumour that Mr Speaker Bercow still has it in his power (a power he used…
It’s not Churchill you should follow, Boris, but Washington
Well, Boris flopped. Last night, the House of Commons was manoeuvred by a Remainer MP to delay consideration of his…
If Trump says two plus two equals four, it must be wrong (and evil, too)
Blind hatred makes people irrational. When you suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, you are likely to take the opposite view…
Boris sends three letters to the EU – and says he does NOT want a Brexit extension
The Prime Minister will today send, but not sign, a letter requesting a Brexit delay till January 31 2020, and will…
Twelve Brexit lessons from today’s drama in the Commons
Here are the important points about today’s emergency vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal – which turned into a vote on…
Boris Johnson has 72 hours to win over a dozen MPs
Today was meant to be the day that parliament decided on Brexit. But this parliament will always choose to postpone…
The question for wavering MPs: do they really trust Boris Johnson?
Boris Johnson is still pursuing today’s vote as a decisive moment for the Brexit deal, rather than the start of…
Boris, this is Brexit in name only
The Bow Group has been described by the veteran Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash MP as “where Brexit began”. It is…
The vindication of Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy
Before the referendum, David Davis thought that the Brexit process would be straightforward. ‘The first calling point of the UK’s…
Portrait of the week: Brexit uncertainty, Turkey in Syria and a Chinese threat
Home Brexit teetered from uncertainty to uncertainty. Parliament had been summoned to sit on Saturday 19 October to debate what…
Helena Morrissey: my manifesto for the next govenor of the Bank of England
The start of term at Oxford University is bittersweet for the close-knit Morrisseys; we have just ‘lost’ three offspring to…
How violent are our jails?
Parliamentary days Could one of parliament’s longest sessions be followed by one of its shortest? — The shortest was between…
Who advises Dominic Cummings?
Dominic Cummings, chief adviser to the Prime Minister, thinks that there is no ‘better book than Thucydides as training for politics’. But…
A paradise of postcards
From The Spectator, 15 July 1922: It is true that things so small as postcards cannot give one the…
Letters: Shoots should be about quality, not quantity
Bad sport Sir: At last a respected member of the shooting community has popped his head above the parapet. Patrick…
Donald Trump is key to Boris Johnson’s survival
There are so many problems confronting our polity this week that it is almost impossible to write about any of…
A Brexit deal will completely change the electoral landscape
Expect the unexpected has been the rule in British politics these last few years. But even so, few would have…
How I plan to win a Bafta
I’ve nearly finished my latest screenplay, Drift. It’s a reimagining of a British imperial atrocity which took place in Natal…
John McDonnell is taking back control
Over the past few weeks, rumours have swirled in Westminster that the Labour party has acquired a new leader —…
Why I welcome the collapse of Facebook’s currency
When Facebook announced details earlier this year of a global digital currency called Libra — backed by a roll call…
Jacob Rees-Mogg: ‘I am enormously environmentally friendly by driving old Bentleys’
Jacob Rees-Mogg sits at a mahogany table in his office drinking black coffee from a Spode cup. Across from him…
The Canadian election is turning into a comedy of cringe
Next week my compatriots will cast their votes in what has arguably been the worst Canadian election ever. By ‘worst’…
Pax Russica: as Trump abandons Syria’s Kurds, Russia is ready to expand its empire
![Kurdish politician Hervin Khalaf, who was apparently pulled from her car and executed last week by Turkish-backed paramilitaries [Photo: Getty]](https://www.spectator.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Paul_Wood.jpg?w=410&h=275&crop=1)
While American troops were hurriedly leaving north-eastern Syria, a young female Kurdish politician called Hervin Khalaf was pulled from her…
It’s down to the wire – and Boris only has one chance to survive
Here is my ideal scenario. Having failed to push through a deal to leave the European Union, either in the…
Tat Britain: Museum gift shops are naff – but necessary
Exit through the gift shop. Pick up a postcard, a magnet, a novelty eggcup in the shape of Queen Elizabeth…
