Conservatives

The right must unite

1 June 2024 9:00 am

I mentioned here recently that to my mind Boris Johnson bears a fairish similarity to Dr Faustus, as Christopher Marlowe…

How much does Britain still ‘love’ the NHS?

2 September 2023 9:00 am

Three books examining the health service in its 75th year find it at its nadir today – with 500 people dying weekly due to delays in urgent and emergency care

Who’s more useless – the Tories or the England rugby team?

28 August 2023 10:08 pm

In a curious way the decline of English rugby mirrors that of the Conservative party. Four years ago there was…

What is the point of Lee Anderson?

11 August 2023 9:12 pm

Who is the most divisive figure in politics? Last year the Daily Mirror claimed Lee Anderson was ‘the worst man…

Why America needs regime change

1 July 2023 5:38 pm

No sensible reader of the news could look at America and think it is flourishing. Massive economic inequality and the breakdown of…

‘She’s just so bad at everything’: Tory MPs turn on Truss

15 October 2022 2:02 am

Liz Truss’s Downing Street press conference has made everything worse, as far as Tory MPs are concerned. As soon as…

Removing PMs hardly ever ends well

14 October 2022 10:38 pm

As Tory MPs appear to descend into a panic of buyers’ remorse over the election of Liz Truss, they would…

Give Liz Truss a chance

8 October 2022 9:00 am

Conservative governments have a habit of self-destructing: they die not in battle with political enemies but as a result of…

What does Michael Gove want?

4 October 2022 7:22 am

Tory conference has long been more stage-managed than other party meetings, but this year the official speeches from ministers have…

The triumph of Tory mediocrity

14 July 2022 7:40 pm

Every loser wins, once the dream begins. So sang the EastEnders actor Nick Berry in a godawful mid-1980s pop song…

The case for Liz Truss

12 July 2022 4:00 pm

The past six years have been a turbulent and controversial time in British politics. Through them all, one person consistently…

Are some Tory candidates about to be ruled out?

11 July 2022 6:00 pm

The Tory leadership contest is a very crowded place – with Liz Truss overnight becoming the tenth candidate to declare…

The fatuous idea that politicians must be ‘in touch’

11 July 2022 5:25 pm

I was in Hyde Park on Friday watching an open-air Pixies show with very great delight when somewhere between ‘Vamos’…

Boris isn't ready to go

7 July 2022 2:10 am

Boris Johnson’s final hours as Prime Minister have been undignified. We do not yet know quite how this will end,…

Who says Boris has to go?

6 July 2022 5:35 pm

As the cameras burped and clicked, as an aggravated nation watched, Boris Johnson announced that he was giving up. ‘Let…

Is the fall of Boris inevitable?

5 June 2022 9:10 pm

A funny thing happened on the way to the cathedral for the service of thanksgiving to the Queen on Friday.…

How to waste an 80-seat majority

7 April 2022 12:30 am

Cast your mind back to Channel 4’s election night programme. The 2019 exit poll results flash up on screen. Realising…

Tory backlash over Channel 4 privatisation

6 April 2022 1:20 am

Downing Street’s plan to privatise Channel 4 is already facing a Tory revolt – less than 24 hours after the…

No. 10 is gearing up for the next election

19 March 2022 9:00 pm

As the Conservative party’s Spring Forum gets underway in Blackpool, attention is turning back to domestic politics, with cabinet ministers…

Ending restrictions won't save Boris

22 February 2022 4:37 am

Boris Johnson certainly managed to rally the troops on their first day back from recess this afternoon as he told…

Boris Johnson's fightback has been cut short

2 February 2022 9:02 pm

Tobias Ellwood, the chair of the defence select committee, has this morning announced that he is sending a letter to…

Did Johnson mislead the Commons?

18 January 2022 5:12 am

Boris Johnson had hoped to move attention this week from parties — with a series of policy announcements planned as part of…

Can Boris really blame the press for his defeat?

18 December 2021 2:17 am

When asked what went wrong in North Shropshire, Boris Johnson gave a fascinating answer: journalists. Apparently, they have been reporting…

Stratton resigns – but the row isn't over

9 December 2021 3:50 am

The row over the Downing Street ‘party’ has claimed its first victim. On Wednesday Allegra Stratton announced that she was…

Could there be a Tory upset in North Shropshire?

30 November 2021 10:50 pm

As the government turns its attention to the new Covid variant, the ramifications of the Owen Paterson sleaze row are…