UK politics
Revealed: David Cameron's rehearsed resignation speech
At 6.30 p.m. on 7 May, the Camerons invited guests at their home in Oxfordshire into the garden for a…
Jonathan Portes, master of the political correction
Jonathan Portes, master of the political correction
Inside the Milibunker: the last days of Ed
The inside story of Labour’s chaotic and secretive election campaign
How did the polls get it so wrong? Jim Messina knows
Jim Messina, Cameron’s data supremo, explains all
The two Labour tribes preparing to go to war
A new leader will have to focus on winning, not sniping
The year that Scotland learned to hate
If the SNP isn't about Scottish purity and hating the English, why do so many of its supporters behave as if it is?
Satire is dying because satirists are too successful
I appeared on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago to discuss the age-old question of whether political satire is…
The DUP’s Nigel Dodds may soon be propping up the Tories. What does he want?
In a Tory-leaning hung parliament, the DUP’s Nigel Dodds may command the balance of power. So what does he want?
Left-wing populism is on the rise - and may take Ed Miliband to No10
Would-be leaders of the left are harnessing the mood of angry populism
Why do politicians go potty for ‘passion’?
‘I long for spontaneous passion but I will never get it with my husband because I think he has Asperger…
Sam Waley-Cohen’s Grand National notebook
‘How’s your shoulder?’ someone asked recently, and it was only then I realised, for the first time in a while,…
How to make Ukip supporters love green policies
Few people know this, but hidden within the FedEx logo, between the E and the x, there is a small…
The real problem with our MPs: they’re obsessed with the super-rich
Had the public been asked, before Monday morning, to identify two MPs who stood for honesty and decency, the names…
How Labour’s 50p tax trick has ended up helping George Osborne
Last week’s public borrowing and tax-receipt figures, headlined ‘Chancellor hails biggest monthly surplus in seven years’, received considerably less attention…
Zac Goldsmith: How my dad saved Britain
If you’re grateful not to be in the euro, it’s James Goldsmith and his ‘rebel army’ you should thank
If you think Britain’s corrupt now, watch what happens if we ban second jobs for MPs
Last year, I had an exchange with Hugo Rifkind on Twitter in which I bet him dinner at Clarke’s that…
Why the Lib Dems aren’t scared of this election (and why they should be)
One of the most remarkable features of this parliament has been the sangfroid of the Liberal Democrats. Nothing seems to…
VE day anniversary: why politics will take second place the day after the election
Will politics take second place the day after the election?
Dodginess from Tacitus to Ed Miliband
‘I hate Jammie Dodgers,’ said my husband staring disdainfully at a biscuit kindly tucked into his coffee saucer at an…
In this election, won't someone please weaponise defence?
Britain is forfeiting its position on the world stage. With no national debate, we are surrendering our claim to be…
Lord Green must answer for HSBC’s sins – but maybe it was always too big to manage
Stephen Green — the former trade minister Lord Green of Hurstpier-point, who became this week’s political punchbag— was always a…
EastEnders wanted to show Thatcher’s Britain. These days it would make Maggie proud
How EastEnders became a positive reflection of Tory values
How Labour lost Scotland (and could lose the Union)
Just four months ago Scotland was the scene of great cross-party co-operation — unprecedented in peace-time politics. Gordon Brown was…
To reform the NHS, use the politics of envy
‘Let’s make the rich pay more.’ Does that sound so right-wing? To me it has a positively socialist ring. It…
How Alex Brooker made political interviews interesting again
The other night on Channel 4, I watched the best political interview I’ve seen all year. It was with Nick…
