Oxford’s remarkable vaccine success
It is worth taking a moment to stand back and applaud Sarah Gilbert and the Oxford vaccine team’s achievement. The…
What will life look like after 21 June?
‘Alas’ is a word used many times by Boris Johnson during the pandemic. It is how he prefaces announcements that…
Boris hints at a 'no jab, no job' policy
The most striking moment of Monday night’s press conference was Chris Whitty’s declaration that it was the ‘professional responsibility’ on…
It is time to make friends with the EU
On Monday morning, Clément Beaune, Emmanuel Macron’s Europe Minister, clipped out the section of his media interview criticising Britain’s vaccination…
Britain’s battle to prevent ‘green protectionism’
The UK’s commitment to get to net zero by 2050 is going to require some difficult political choices. But it…
The EU needs to stop punishing Britain for Brexit
There have always been those on the European side who believe that for the EU project to succeed, Brexit must…
The Northern Ireland protocol problem
Ursula von der Leyen now admits that she overreacted in the EU’s vaccine row with the UK. She has spoken…
Vaccine success is a boost for Boris – and the Union
Imagine for a minute what British politics would be like without a Covid vaccine. The cabinet would be deeply, and…
What’s next for the Special Relationship?
This is a crucial year for the UK’s two most important relationships. The Anglo-American alliance, our strongest diplomatic and security…
How the EU vaccine row could escalate
The EU is now insisting that AstraZeneca use vaccine produced at its UK site to make up for a shortfall in…
Could the Australian approach to Covid work in Britain?
The government’s most important economic policy is its vaccination programme. The speed at which people are immunised will determine when…
We’re starting to see a new foreign policy for Brexit Britain
What will Brexit Britain do differently? This is going to be the most important question in our politics for the…
Is there a Brexit deal?
Tonight we are still waiting for confirmation that a Brexit deal has been done. But the noises coming out of…
No deal isn't what Paris thinks it is
The Brexit waiting continues. The negotiators are still talking but, according to one of those close to the negotiations on…
How Britain will counter China’s wolf-warrior diplomacy
The most significant and lasting change brought about by Covid is that it has woken the West up to the…
Fishing is now the sole major obstacle to a Brexit deal
Ursula von der Leyen and Boris Johnson spoke this evening to try and give the negotiations a shove. The statement…
The deal-or-no-deal debate is different this time
When a deadline is missed for Brexit negotiations, it is tempting to think there will be another chance to keep…
How to solve Brexit's ratchet clause problem
At the moment, the biggest single obstacle in the Brexit talks is the so-called ‘ratchet clause’. This is what Boris…
Why Boris Johnson can’t sign the current Brexit deal
The negotiations are still underway in Brussels. But both the UK and the EU are now talking far more openly…
Can Boris's dash to Brussels secure a Brexit deal?
The upshot of Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen’s conversation this evening is that the pair will meet in…
Can Boris win round his rebel MPs?
The beginning of the end for Theresa May was when she tried to see if she could pass her Brexit…
Boris will be worried by the growing Tory rebellions
The beginning of the end for Theresa May was when she tried to see if she could pass her Brexit…
A vaccine won't heal the scarring of lockdown
How can Britain recover post-Covid?