UK politics
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…
Why cheap oil could mean a Labour victory
BP’s profits are down, and the oil giant is slashing up to $6 billion out of its investment plan for…
Calling the Green party socialist is an insult to socialists
The Green party has been likened to a watermelon: green on the outside and red on the inside. But that…
Nigel Farage’s diary: How I survived Dry January
Dry January is tougher than it sounds. Well, for me anyway. It’s now been some 28 days since I’ve had…
Europe’s crisis is Cameron’s opportunity
For Angela Merkel, it’s a crisis. For David Cameron, it’s an opportunity
The Tories have one real success in government – and they’re scared to talk about it
Schools are the one area where this government has made a real, positive difference – but it’s scared stiff of saying so
Come on, Tristram Hunt, if you think you’re hard enough
For a brief moment earlier this week, I thought education might become an issue in the general election campaign. The…
George Osborne’s 13 tests for an election victory (and how many he’s passed)
These days George Osborne is rarely seen in public without a hard hat and a hi-vis jacket. But he used…
The Stonewall dinner left me with one question: why are volunteers so horrible to one another?
I watched the video with some trepidation. Stonewall (the campaigning gay and lesbian equality organisation) had just sent me the…
Gagging order
Why has politics turned into stand-up?
Blame Tony Blair for Labour’s new stupidity about wealth
Labour's attitude to wealth is sliding back into the 1970s - and Tony Blair's new career is one reason why
