Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson undersold his security review
It was the political equivalent of Halley’s comet. On Tuesday, Boris Johnson underestimated his own achievement. He claimed that the…
MPs question Johnson’s plan for Global Britain
Boris Johnson still has a journalist’s ear for snappy phrases — levelling up, an oven-ready Brexit, Global Britain. The PM…
Boris’s China plan is a missed opportunity
From Brexit to China, ‘cakeism’ – the idea that it is possible to govern without making hard choices – appears…
Boris, Biden and the era of big government
Bill Clinton’s declaration that ‘the era of big government is over’ summed up the late 1990s political zeitgeist. Centre-left political…
Can Boris sustain his royal silence?
Boris Johnson is clearly determined to avoid being dragged into this Harry and Meghan story. At his press conference this afternoon,…
A quick fix
How Boris and Carrie can bring Dilyn to heel
How the West can avoid Beijing’s propaganda trap
This time next year the Winter Olympics will have drawn to a close. Beijing will have become the first city…
Immigration is no longer a political problem
Ask voters what the most important issue facing Britain is and just 2 per cent say immigration. Even when you…
Barnier and France fear Brexit Britain’s next moves
Michel Barnier – still officially the EU’s Brexit taskforce leader – gives few interviews. As a Savoyard and keen mountaineer,…
Rishi Sunak is a prime minister in waiting
It is always a pleasure to see a first-rate mind in action, as we did during today’s Budget. Equally, when…
Welcome to Trump’s second term
President Biden’s emphatic assertion that ‘America is back’ at the Munich Security Conference last month was met with a lukewarm…
The greatest threat to Boris’s legacy
The government is starting to have an opinion poll problem, but it has nothing to do with any great threat…
Will normality return on 21 June?
‘Alas’ is a word used many times by Boris Johnson during the pandemic. It is how he prefaces announcements that…
In defence of Keir Starmer
Now that we’ve finally heard Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown, a key question remains: when will we see a…
Watch: Boris on the problem with journalists
What’s the phrase? Poacher turned gamekeeper? Boris Johnson was once the arch poacher — a journalist at the Telegraph before taking on the editorship…
We could all pay the price for the EU’s foolish vaccine nationalism
I’m a card carrying, Europe-loving, wishy-washy centre-left liberal. It therefore pains me to point this out: the EU in general,…
On life and liberty
When the Prime Minister sets out his ‘roadmap’ for easing Covid restrictions on Monday, it will be against a backdrop…
Is Boris Johnson opening the way for vaccine passports?
The government’s position on vaccine passports is a cause of continuing intrigue. Although Downing Street has insisted on several occasions…
Boris hits vaccine target – what happens next?
The government has good news to shout about this afternoon with ministers reaching their target of offering a first dose vaccine…
Why Boris Johnson must say no to a second Scottish referendum
It’s hard to believe in these early weeks of 2021, when the country is grappling with an unprecedented national health…
Tory nerves are growing over Boris Johnson’s Covid strategy
When the third lockdown was voted on in the House of Commons last month, there was a smaller Tory rebellion than the previous…
Where’s my bloody peerage?
Watching Lord Hannan of Kingsclere being introduced in the House of Lords on Monday was a bittersweet moment. On the…
A boost for the Tories
Imagine for a minute what British politics would be like without a Covid vaccine. The cabinet would be deeply, and…
Keir Starmer is Labour’s last hope
Only a few months ago, Keir Starmer was hailed as a prime minister in waiting who was giving Boris Johnson serious…
What’s next for the Special Relationship?
This is a crucial year for the UK’s two most important relationships. The Anglo-American alliance, our strongest diplomatic and security…
