Escaping the dragon: the government’s new approach to China
Boris Johnson’s plan to reduce Britain’s dependence on China
The UK is preparing for a major Huawei U-turn
The UK has made a strategic choice to get ‘off the trajectory of ever-increasing dependence’ on China, I revealin the…
Brexit is back – and Covid has transformed negotiations
How Covid-19 has transformed the negotiations
Boris is convinced he'll still get a Brexit deal
When coronavirus first struck, the assumption was that it would lead to an extension to the Brexit transition. After all,…
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion over lockdown
Today is the last day of the hybrid parliament. When MPs return after recess on 2 June, it will be…
The British state needs rewiring
‘Covid-19 has been perhaps the biggest test of governments worldwide since the 1940s,’ declares the government’s command paper on the…
The chasm between the UK and EU’s Brexit positions
David Frost briefed the Cabinet yesterday on the state of the Brexit negotiations and he has now issued a very…
Covid has exposed the weakness of Whitehall
Britain has long flattered itself that it leads the world in administration. But, as I write in the magazine this week,…
This pandemic has put politics on fast-forward
‘The normal grease of politics is not there,’ bemoans one sociable cabinet minister. Certainly, the whispered conversations in corridors that…
Sino-scepticism is becoming a defining trait of the Tory party
Coronavirus has accelerated the deterioration in relations between the United States and China. The US Presidential election is turning into…
Boris has found a path out of lockdown – but it won’t be smooth
The route out of lockdown won’t be smooth – or fast
Can a South Korean approach help Britain defeat coronavirus?
The government now has a plan for how it intends to get out of this crisis. It is, as I…
The complicated question of Boris's paternity leave
Earlier this month Boris Johnson was in hospital fighting for his life, this morning he was there for the arrival…
Britain's bid to become China’s best friend in the West is over
One consequence of this crisis is that nearly everyone in the Tory party has become a China hawk. Tomorrow sees…
Boris’s difficult decision: When should lockdown be lifted?
When should the lockdown be lifted?
Squabbling scientists have shocked ministers
The government’s response to criticism of its approach to this pandemic is that it has been ‘guided by the science’…
How Covid-19 will change the Tory party
Politics is full of events that are meant to change everything but actually do little. Yet the coronavirus crisis will…
Dominic Raab is the constitutional choice, but a complicated one
We have never had a moment like this before in our history: a time when the Prime Minister is, in…
Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for coronavirus tests
Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests after having a continuous temperature for 10 days since testing positive…
Keir Starmer may have a better chance of taking Labour to power than anyone expected
First impressions matter in politics. Once the public have made their mind up about a politician, they rarely change it.…
Why the coronavirus crisis could peak sooner than expected
The government is adjusting to the reality of dealing with the coronavirus crisis, while three of its most important figures…
How will the ‘war’ on coronavirus change Britain?
In the past ten days we have seen the greatest expansion of state power in British history. The state has…
Big businesses face a defining moment in this coronavirus crisis
No one would ever have expected a Conservative Chancellor to announce that the state will pay 80 per cent of…
Coronavirus will be a test of trust
We are in a make-or-break moment for trust, not just in this government but in the British state itself. The…
Coronavirus social restrictions could soon become compulsory
Boris Johnson has taken to calling his Government a ‘wartime’ one because of the fight against coronavirus. If you accept…
