Diary
One of the joys of travelling to outposts of the Anglosphere is that it’s often much more British than Britain.…
A tribute to Margaret Thatcher
The Iron Lady’s legacy is that, thank goodness, the free-market economy is the only show in town
Australian Notes
One or two obtuse observers expressed surprise that Martin Sharp came in the end to embrace conservative values. He even…
Closed for business
With their protectionist retreat, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey are curtailing job-creating investment
Collision course
I have a new party piece. I can explain, with a degree of clarity and precision, how the Hadron Collider…
Claret’s class war
Claret has a commercial advantage over Burgundy. Thanks to the grandes lignes of châteaux and vintages, you know where you…
Dirty rotten scoundrels
In one of those old Mae West films a girl admires her friend’s jewellery: ‘Goodness, what lovely pearls,’ only to…
More Grand Theft Auto, less crime
It was about a week ago, at 8 p.m., when our blackout happened. In the 1980s people would have headed…
Collision course
I have a new party piece. I can explain, with a degree of clarity and precision, how the Hadron Collider…
I don’t know if Boris was right about IQ. But I’m sure his critics are being thick
It’s funny, really, because most of the time I think that my university education was a bit of a waste.…
The golden toad really is a climate change icon (just not in the way you think)
When I was a child — in the days before it became illegal under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and…
Australian Notes
One or two obtuse observers expressed surprise that Martin Sharp came in the end to embrace conservative values. He even…
Winter fuel
Everyone talks about the human cost of climate change. What about pensioners dying in the cold?
Portrait of the week
Home Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, outlined Scottish National Party plans for independence, which included keeping the pound…
Barometer
Third-class thinking A report by the Institute of Economic Affairs recommended standing-room-only third-class carriages as an alternative to longer trains…
Why slaves had it better in Rome
Plus: Where today's slaves live, worse interest rates than Wonga's, and bankruptcy by the seaside
A corner of Australia that is forever Bournemouth
Beyond the outback and the dens of urban sophisticates, there are suburbs that are forever Bournemouth
Over Staffordshire hills in search of the beating heart of industrial England
Staffordshire has become the beating heart of industrial England
Let no mean no
A no in the referendum should mean no. Thanks to the political geniuses in London, it will instead mean 'Yes, but...'
Obama’s thwarted hope
If he had real foreign-policy achievements, no one would be getting excited about it
The 2013 Michael Heath Award for cartooning
Nine cartoonists are shortlisted for the first ever Michael Heath Award for cartooning. The theme of the contest, sponsored by…
