Conservative party
Boris’s Britain: How the PM intends to deliver for his new friends in the North
The era of uncertainty has ended. Boris Johnson’s decisive victory has not only broken the Brexit deadlock created by Theresa…
Politics has fractured along new fault lines – those elected must repair the cracks
It’s easy to see why the Labour party tried so hard to avoid this general election. They looked certain to…
Changing the script: the shifting character of our political parties
Elections should be carnivals of democracy. The campaign we have just been through, though, has felt more like amateur dramatics.…
This is the most important election in modern history – so vote, and vote Tory
Next week, voters will decide the future of the government, of Brexit, and perhaps of the Union. Jeremy Corbyn has…
Has Boris Johnson changed his campaign strategy?
Stump speeches and battle bus stop-offs are a staple of political campaigning. And while much of the battle for votes now…
Boris’s fate will be decided by Lib Dem voters
The Tories’ great fear in this campaign is that they can get their vote out, squeeze the Brexit party right…
I’ll vote Lib Dem – but I can’t join them
I don’t believe that before last week I’ve ever quit any organisation on an issue of principle. I tend to…
Boris is taking a huge gamble with an election – but it could pay off
Contrasting Boris Johnson’s enthusiasm for a general election with Jeremy Corbyn’s reluctance, it would be easy to assume that the…
Forget Brexit: Boris’s toughest task will be energising his exhausted party
Boris Johnson will now be receiving plenty of unsolicited advice about how to be Prime Minister. As his victory speech…
Max Hastings vs Boris Johnson: I know who I’d trust more
Sir Max Hastings, whom I engaged as editor of the Daily Telegraph in 1986 and who stayed in that role…
The leadership contest exposes how few Tories have a clue about the economy
‘Choice’ is a word that is used liberally in Conservative thinking — whether it be about schools, hospitals or consumer…
An early election is beginning to look inevitable for the next Tory leader
There’s a joke going around the various warring tribes in the Tory leadership contest. They might not win this time,…
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…
The end of May: Theresa must go so the Tories can heal
This week’s European election was always going to be pointless, at least from a British perspective. It is possible that…
The Tories are giving a masterclass in how to lose elections
When a political party is in trouble, we see infighting, leak inquiries, resignations, dismissals and botched attempts to depose the…
As an ex-Brexit minister I can tell you – May’s ‘plan’ was built on sand
Management books often repeat the dictum: ‘If there’s one thing worse than making mistakes, it’s not learning from them.’ So…
Why we must make an example of Shamima Begum
The three most popular justifications for punishment under the law all (as it happens) begin with R. They are retribution,…
Letters: What Adam Smith would say about Trump’s tariffs
What would Smith say? Sir: Adam Smith’s writings were so definitive that it is said one can find the kernel…
This should be Theresa May’s last conference as Tory leader
The worst of Britain’s post-war mistakes, ideas we thought long dead, are once more in the air. Yet again there…
The minister for spinning plates: David Lidington interview
David Lidington is the most powerful minister you’ve never heard of. He is Theresa May’s de facto deputy, tasked with…
Ukip should return – our politics depends on it
‘The return of Ukip’ declared the headline on our cover story last week. The polling boffin Matthew Goodwin to whose…
A home truth for the Tories: fix the housing crisis or lose power for ever
Much rot is spoken about how the young have it so bad. In fact, this generation is healthier, richer and…
The wrong Brexit: what happened to ‘Global Britain’?
A few months ago, Britain’s most senior ambassadors gathered in the Foreign Office to compare notes on Brexit. There was…
Revealed: the Tory health tax bombshell
The single most important domestic policy decision that the Conservatives must take is what to do about public spending. After…
Theresa May must lead or go
The Brexit ‘inner cabinet’ met on Monday. It was meant to be an important meeting, one which made some real…
