Conservatives
An unhealthy consensus
There’s an irony about Ukip’s rise. Nigel Farage party’s popularity is driven by a widespread sense that the main parties…
What Merkel wants
The German Chancellor has a lot in common with David Cameron – which is why she can’t afford to help him very much
Ukip’s third man
Patrick O’Flynn praises ‘genius’ Nigel Farage, and puts Douglas Carswell in his place
How to fight Ukip
In the 2005 general election this magazine supported the Conservatives, with one exception — we urged voters in Medway not to…
It’s not just Ukip that’s changing Cameron’s mind about immigration
It is easy to mock David Cameron on immigration. Under pressure from the public and from Ukip, he’s having to…
Calling Cameron’s bluff
I don’t think the PM will really campaign for an EU exit. But he still has the best chance of getting one
Ukip has turned itself into a confidence trick
I think I’ve cracked it. If you want to springboard your minor political party into the mainstream and take British…
Why are the Lib Dems duffing up the Tories? To ensure another coalition
The last Liberal Democrat conference before the general election has been dominated by denunciations of the ‘nasty’ Tories. Lib Dems…
Mondeo Man votes Ukip now
An opinion poll to be published next week will reveal that Labour leader Ed Miliband is slightly less popular with…
A third way to war
Jesse Norman was permitted three minutes for his speech to the Commons in last Friday’s debate. But the contribution from…
Nigel Farage’s class war
I initially thought Nigel Farage had made a mistake in unveiling Mark Reckless on the final day of his party…
If the Welsh secede next, blame me
Oh dear. I think I may have inadvertently contributed to the dissolution of Great Britain. I’m not claiming sole responsibility.…
Boris jumps in
The next Tory leadership battle has just begun
Promises, promises
Choosing the right seat is only half the battle for Boris
Barometer
Commons inheritance Emily Benn, granddaughter of Tony and niece of Hilary, has won the right to stand for Labour in…
In search of the Eurosceptic Nick Clegg
In recent weeks British government visitors to Berlin have been confronted with a persistent question: when will David Cameron make…
The radical centre
In almost a decade as Conservative leader, David Cameron has tended to avoid talking about his political philosophy. He has…
Osborne’s Waterloo
The defence of Hougoumont is one of the great British feats of arms. If the farmhouse had fallen to Bonaparte’s…
The left-liberal hold over the arts may be ending
If you happen to be reading this column at breakfast, I’d recommend you skip to something more agreeable like Dear…
The class that got left behind
In the 2010 general election, Ukip gained nearly a million votes — over 3 per cent — three times as…
Gove’s friends are out to get him
From the moment he took his job, Michael Gove knew that he would make energetic and determined enemies. The teachers’…
The Labour party at prayer
Believe me, it’s not easy to be a Tory in today’s C of E
Cameron’s watershed moment
It is all hands to the pump in Downing Street. The entire No. 10 operation from the Prime Minister down…
Rebels without a cause
Things could scarcely be going better for the Conservatives. Every week seems to bring more news of the recovery. High…
Transparency is the Tories’ greatest legacy to the NHS
Pinned to the wall of Jeremy Hunt’s office in the Department of Health is an A1 piece of paper detailing…
