Brexit
We Remainers aren’t going away
My voice is often recognised by people who don’t know me. My face, which is unmemorable, less so. But once…
Varadkar’s backstop gamble could cost Ireland dearly
‘The government has relished wearing the green jersey on Brexit and standing up to the British with the help of…
The Tories can profit from Labour panic
In some alternative universe the Labour party, as under Tony Blair in the mid 1990s, is busily preparing for government,…
Would no-deal Brexit be a disaster? Probably not – and here’s why
How bad would a no-deal Brexit really be? This is now perhaps the most important question in politics, and the…
Dear Mary: How do I stop men sending me articles from the Guardian?
Q. It is difficult to know what to do when homeless people ask you for cash as you are leaving…
The moment the European project first went wrong
At a time when the EU is at its least popular and, worse still, least respected, it is worth reflecting…
A Halloween no-deal Brexit is no longer a scary prospect
Project Fear is back after a seasonal break. Far from resolving anything, Theresa May’s decision to delay Brexit back in…
Labour’s losing its old heartlands. Backing Remain could make things worse
A moderate, halfway-competent Labour party could crush the Tories. But given that Labour members are Corbynite in inclination, what are…
The death of free thought
Hold the presses, this is a world exclusive. A Boris ex I sat next to last week gave me the…
How the first world war inspired the EU
Christopher Booker has died at the age of 81. In 2014, he wrote in The Spectator about how the first…
Why GATT won’t break the Brexit deadlock
There has been a lot of talk about how Article XXIV of GATT can provide an alternative to the Withdrawal…
Portrait of the week: Boris’s barney, a stink at Southern Water and a pricy royal renovation
Home A neighbour of Boris Johnson, 55 (a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative party and hence for the…
The biggest challenge for Boris isn’t this contest – it’s what comes next
Every campaign has a wobble — and Boris Johnson is getting his in early. A mix of complacency (he felt confident…
The end is nigh: the rise of middle-class apocalypticism
There’s a lot of anger about — and it’s not pleasant. But at least it means people are engaged as…
Nice men make terrible leaders
The Duke of Marlborough gave a toast last week that brought the house down during a Turning Point dinner for…
You can tell a Remainer by their garden fence
Remainers don’t like borders, I get that. But I had always assumed this was a preference confined to geopolitics. I…
Dear Mary: How do I handle the dreaded ‘B word’ at supper parties?
Q. I have lost many friends and acquaintances by discussing Brexit and finding fundamental differences of opinion. Recently I have…
Why neither Boris nor Hunt can stop a no-deal Brexit
There is a lot of confusion about Boris Johnson’s approach to Brexit. And that is deliberate because the candidate has yet…
Boris’s secret weapon in the fight against Corbyn
After nine years cleaning up Labour’s mess, things are looking up. Government debt as a share of the economy is…
History will wonder how we trusted Boris with Britain
I am besieged by media folk asking when I shall make good on a four-year-old threat to flee to Buenos…
The Tory party has no choice but to bet on Boris
When Boris Johnson was appointed editor of this magazine two decades ago, an unkind soul said it was like ‘entrusting…
Boris is the only one who can save the Tories
A lady once offered to go to bed with me if I could ensure that she would write The Spectator’s…
Playing chicken: Trade deals with the US will make Britain stronger
Why is it that free trade, which almost everyone agrees is good when conducted with other European countries, suddenly becomes…
Boris Johnson may have found an advocate in ancient Greece
Boris Johnson is to be tried at the Crown Court on the grounds that, during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign,…
Could a Tory-Brexit Party alliance actually work?
In 2013, I started promoting a tactical voting alliance between Conservative and Ukip voters. It wasn’t just about avoiding the…
