Britain
The pretend war: bombing Isil won’t solve the problem
Britain, France and America are in a protracted fight against Islamic radicalism. Pity our leaders have no idea how to win it
Get ready: these climate change talks might actually do something
The Prince of Wales is right, and I appreciate that this isn’t something people say very often. Now and again,…
Approachable abstraction
Fifteen million pounds and a hefty slice of architectural vision have transformed the Whitworth from a fusty Victorian art temple…
The caliphate strikes back
Isis could be on the brink of creating a terrifying new world order
Will Spain learn?
One of the unforeseen consequences of the reunification of Europe after the Cold War has been a resurgence of independence…
Long life
When Robert Peston, the economics editor of the BBC, interviewed George Osborne on television in an open-necked shirt with collar…
Sick and tired
When the link between tobacco and lung cancer was first established in the early 1950s, one obvious question arose: should…
Diary
‘Hello. I’m lesbian threesome,’ the young lady tells Taki. ‘And I’m Mongolian rampage,’ says the young man beside her. We’re…
This is England
At the Turner Prize dinner of 2003, as the winner, Grayson Perry, took a photo call with his family wearing…
Let Greece go
To listen to Greek government ministers addressing the outside world during their breaks from negotiations with eurozone leaders this week,…
What you’ll never find in the road atlas
Picture the map of Britain. Its strangely cadaverous shape, blobs of population and routes between them seem as familiar as…
Without patriotism, there’s no civilisation
Is it racist to be patriotic? Is patriotism, by definition, small-minded and exclusive? When you strip away the onion layers…
From Beirut to Brighton
The long shadow of the Islamic State means that many Christians are packing up and leaving Lebanon
How to save a country
Next week, the most important vote in recent British history will be held. Indeed, it may well turn out to…
We shall fight them on the beaches…
Dad’s Army, the sitcom to end all sitcoms, portrayed the Home Guard as often doddery veterans. In one episode, Private…
Letters
Real help for those in pain Sir: The fickleness of existence is exemplified by the fact that being Tony Blair’s…
Brussels vs Sparta
The EU is a federation of states (Latin foedus, ‘treaty’, from the same root as fides, ‘trust, good faith’). But…
What will be left?
If Scotland votes for independence, Britain will be left weaker than anyone yet realises
The Spectator’s Notes
The conviction of Max Clifford for indecent assaults feels like a vindication of the jury system, as did the acquittal…
Putin’s winning hand
Russia is making the West look posturing, weak and divided
Investment: Britannia über alles
Why the UK economy will one day overtake Germany
No satisfaction
For Stuart Maconie fans, this book might sound as if it’ll be his masterpiece. In his earlier memoirs and travelogues,…
