UK politics
Keir Starmer’s morning of U-turns
Another day, another U-turn from Keir Starmer. Or to be precise, two new U-turns from the Labour leader before midday.…
Britain is not a technocracy
The term ‘technocracy’, or more often ‘technocrat’, is found everywhere. Both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are referred to as…
Humza Yousaf has irreparably damaged the independence project
As the SNP gathers for its conference in Aberdeen this weekend, Humza Yousaf faces a sea of trouble. But worst…
Starmer faces tough questions as Labour’s conference begins
Keir Starmer began his big conference interview with the BBC talking about the story that has dominated the weekend –…
Can Sunak establish himself as a radical?
The Conservatives gather in Manchester this weekend for what may well be their last hurrah as a governing party. Bookmakers…
‘The zealots are turning people off’: Claire Coutinho on net zero and her bond with Rishi Sunak
The new Energy Secretary on net zero and her bond with the PM
At least Britain isn’t that corrupt
Long-time readers may recall that I take a special interest in the art of corruption. And this week America has…
Why is Sunak cutting a tax only paid by the rich?
Last week, Rishi Sunak struck a blow for ordinary people against the elitist project that is net zero, assuring them…
Broken Britain: what went wrong?
Who broke Britain?
Is Ulez too fashionable to fact check?
Next Tuesday, London’s Ulez scheme will be expanded. A new network of cameras filming the traffic movements of millions of…
Why not house refugees on barges?
‘By the light of the torches, we saw the black Hulk lying out a little way from the mud of…
Rishi’s Tory rating turns negative
As the average mortgage rate for a five-year fixed deal rises to 6 per cent, Rishi Sunak can find little…
John Major has learned nothing over Brexit
Rishi Sunak’s government is sometimes compared to that of John Major, the man who succeeded Margaret Thatcher in 1990, went…
‘We’ve got to hold our nerve’: Rishi Sunak’s BBC interview
As mortgage rates surge and a new Opinium poll finds Labour’s lead has jumped to 18 points, Rishi Sunak appeared…
Is Labour bluffing on Lords reform?
Is Labour really going to reform the House of Lords? The party has ended up in a bit of a…
Sunak can’t afford to lose Braverman
Back in the early days of the Blair governments, Alastair Campbell was reputed to have a rule for resignations: once…
The Tories would be lost in opposition
It is widely observed that many Conservatives are preparing to lose power at the next general election. The Conservative Democratic…
A Lib-Lab coalition would be hilarious
Talk of a new Labour-Lib Dem coalition is in the air. This is piquantly nostalgic to those of us whose…
Britain is stuck in a fertility trap
Pope Francis wants you to have sex. Or at least he wants Italians to have more sex. The country, he says,…
The UN is wrong about Britain’s treatment of trans people
Is Britain a hostile environment for trans people? The United Nations’ independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity has delivered…
Can Britain become the Saudi Arabia of carbon capture?
Boris Johnson wanted to make Britain ‘the Saudi Arabia of wind’. But Grant Shapps is keen to send Britain’s green…
Violent extremists won’t spoil Joe Biden’s visit to Northern Ireland
What can violent extremists do to wreck Joe Biden’s first visit to Northern Ireland? The answer is precious little. The…
What I learned from Nigel Lawson
His practical radicalism brought permanent change
Will cruise ships solve the migrant housing crisis?
In an ironic twist, cruise ships are being hailed as the latest measure to help ‘stop the boats’. Most Fleet…
