Should I become Lord Young of Loftus Road?
When the editor of this magazine called to congratulate me on being given a peerage, he said: ‘It’s QPR’s first…
Lord Mandelson slammed as a ‘moron’ by Trump strategist
Uh oh. Less than 24 hours after Peter Mandelson was appointed the next UK ambassador to Washington, Donald Trump’s team…
Sir Keir awards Sue Gray a peerage
Well, well, well. The political peerages list is finally here and the nominations from Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and…
Why Britain’s benefits problem is likely to get worse
More than half of Britons receive more from the state than they pay in taxes, according to figures from the…
Is it time to scrap the planning system?
If Keir Starmer does succeed in his aim of stimulating a house-building boom, it may be that landowners will have…
Labour’s cronyism row rears its head again
Parliament may be in recess, but Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government still can’t catch a break. The Prime Minister is…
Labour has walked into a net zero trap of its own making
The government’s net zero noose draws tighter. At energy questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the Conservative MP…
Rachel Reeves has shattered economic confidence in Britain
A few journalists have pointed it out. So have some Conservative and Reform MPs, think tanks and one or two…
Britain is living beyond its means
Today’s figures on the public finances and retail sales will bring some relief to Rachel Reeves; both show a small…
King Charles has a long road to recovery ahead
At the end of what has undoubtedly been a true annus horribilis for the monarchy, King Charles, at least, seems…
2024: A year of missed opportunities for energy and the environment
As we approach the end of 2024, Australians have little reason to feel optimistic. Living standards have fallen, the currency…
Competition is essential to education
As night follows day, whenever the Year 12 ATAR results are released critics argue it must be replaced. Instead of…
Le Pen’s success this year is a warning to the Tories
Nigel Farage was in fine fettle when he appeared on GB News on Tuesday evening. He boasted of his weekend…
Oligarchy dies in the light
Have the plutocrats of the internet age finally realised that all Donald Trump wanted was their love? This week, Jeff…
Plans afoot for Scotland Office cat
Is there room for more than one furry feline in Whitehall? Initially brought into quell the government’s mouse problem, the…
Happy Birthday, Menzies
It is the anniversary of the birthday of Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, Australia’s most important Prime Minister. The Australia he…
Mandelson to be named US ambassador
Peter Mandelson is expected to shortly be named the next UK ambassador to Washington. The announcement – broken by the Times –…
The drone wars
There’s an urban legend going back many years about an early drone delivery system. Following successful tests in America and…
We all knew Syria was hell
The liberation of Syria’s notorious Sednaya jail close to Damascus a week ago has resulted in a wave of belated…
Trump is already tiring of Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson’s status as an accidental speaker, thrust into his role in part because it was so undesirable or impossible…
Vladimir Putin’s four-and-a-half-hour troll
Every year, Vladimir Putin gives a marathon town hall event that lasts for hours. Every year, I feel compelled to…
Starmer won’t get an easier Liaison Committee grilling than this
Close your eyes in today’s Liaison Committee hearing and you might have thought Rishi Sunak was still prime minister. Keir…
Will Musk’s millions really carry Farage to victory?
We should be wary about the danger of hyper-rich donors obtaining undue influence over political parties. There is none more…
Watch: Starmer says he wouldn’t do top job differently
When it rains for Sir Keir Starmer, it pours. The Prime Minister is now facing ridicule today after making a…
