Starmer’s snowflakes’ charter
I almost choked on my cornflakes when I read that the Prime Minister had said he would slash red tape…
The hypnotic competitiveness of Sir Ben Ainslie
Sailing’s very own ubermensch Sir Ben Ainslie has every right to be considered the world’s most competitive bloke. Those who…
The joy of weight loss
It was a few months ago. I was coming back from my morning walk with Greta in Battersea Park, so…
‘Not all suffering can be relieved’: A debate on assisted dying
As Kim Leadbeater’s private member’s bill comes before the Commons, the former justice secretary Lord Falconer (who introduced a similar…
Should we prioritise the LGBTQI community when disaster strikes?
Are homosexuals and transgendered people more at risk from natural disasters than the rest of the population? I dare say…
Inside the race for the Chancellor of Oxford
What do we mean these days when we talk about the British ‘establishment’? When Henry Fairlie coined the term in…
Does anyone know what Keir Starmer is thinking?
Even at the best of times, Keir Starmer has remained tantalisingly out of reach for those who crave simple definitions.…
The real problem with the Tory leadership contest
James Cleverly found some unlikely support in parliament on Monday night. Having just been ousted from the Tory leadership contest,…
Why won’t David Lammy help Jimmy Lai?
As I write, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, is flying to China. So I am only guessing when I say…
Portrait of the week: Weight loss jabs and England’s German manager
Home Neither Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, nor Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ruled out a rise…
My problem with the American election
In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have chosen an election year for my American book tour. It’s not that I…
Make pirates scary again
If there’s one thing to bring out your inner Herod, it’s the twee tendency in younger children’s books. It’s at…
The futility of Martyn’s Law
There have been few acts of terrorist violence on British soil as grotesque as the Manchester Arena bombing in May…
The secret to making great oysters Rockefeller
There’s nothing more intriguing than a closely guarded secret recipe. Coca-Cola and KFC are two famous examples, with the precise…
My horse betting farce
Somebody up there doesn’t like me much at the moment. The bank insists that two cash machines which failed to…
How I found Love on Airbnb
‘My name is Love,’ typed the help assistant, ‘and I’m a member of the Airbnb community support team.’ I was…
The rise of anti-Elonism
You can tell a lot about a country by who it admires. I was pleasantly surprised some years ago to…
Rachel Reeves has backed herself into a corner on the Budget
As a championship chess player, Rachel Reeves must know that the first few moves can be some of the most…
