James Kirkup

I dislike David Cameron, but he was right on gay marriage

18 July 2023 1:49 am

The other day, I found myself at a large event in a posh garden where David Cameron was present. Being…

Rowing back on his climate plan, Starmer is in it to win it

10 June 2023 12:38 am

Over almost 30 years in and around Westminster, I’ve noted some persistent and essential differences in the culture and mindset…

What the campaign to abolish inheritance tax tells us about British politics

3 June 2023 4:00 pm

The Daily Telegraph, where I worked for a decade, has launched a campaign for the abolition of inheritance tax (IHT).…

The trouble with Britain’s net migration figure

25 May 2023 8:29 pm

Where to start with the net migration figures? As someone who has generally defended liberal immigration policies, I could just shout,…

The Tories would be lost in opposition

21 May 2023 12:15 am

It is widely observed that many Conservatives are preparing to lose power at the next general election.  The Conservative Democratic…

We need to talk about the Liberal Democrats

6 May 2023 1:11 am

Since 2015, it has been common and rational for people in Westminster to ignore the Liberal Democrats. After the end…

Will the Tories become radicalised over the ECHR?

27 April 2023 5:18 am

I’m writing this shortly after hosting Professor Tim Bale and David Gauke at the Social Market Foundation for a talk…

Women are being ignored again in the surrogacy debate

11 April 2023 9:02 pm

Just over five years ago, I wrote an article here about sex and gender and the issues raised by policies…

There’s still a hint of life in the Tory party

1 March 2023 6:00 pm

Westminster is a place of consensus, orthodoxy and prevailing wisdom. At any given moment, there is the Narrative, the story…

How self-ID helped bring down Nicola Sturgeon

15 February 2023 9:54 pm

In the years when I wrote a lot about sex and gender and politics and law, I made the same…

Why yesterday’s men will loom large in 2023

1 January 2023 10:09 pm

New year, old politicians.  Yesterday’s men will loom large in the politics of 2023. British politics has a nostalgia problem,…

Rishi Sunak will regret his Channel crossings crackdown

14 December 2022 1:30 am

Rishi Sunak’s latest promises on asylum and immigration suggest the PM has learned very little from his Tory forebears. Ken…

The choice between higher immigration and even higher taxes

18 November 2022 9:55 pm

‘Only the higher-than-expected numbers of migrants coming to the UK under the post-Brexit migration regime adds materially to prospects for…

What the Gavin Williamson saga says about British politics

10 November 2022 1:59 am

I wonder if the fall of Gavin Williamson is the latest evidence that British political parties are becoming harder to…

Raising inheritance tax is fair and right

8 November 2022 10:38 pm

Here’s a thought experiment about tax and fairness. Imagine two people, Janet and John. They’re both 30 years old. Janet…

Liz Truss's fate rests with the Bank of England

7 October 2022 7:17 pm

James Carville, an ostentatiously aggressive adviser to Bill Clinton, once said that when he died, he wanted to be reincarnated…

The case for an October election

4 August 2022 7:45 pm

Neither Liz Truss nor Rishi Sunak would name Gordon Brown as an inspiration, but I wonder if whoever becomes PM…

Why the Tavistock clinic had to be shut down

29 July 2022 12:15 am

There are many reasons why what is sometimes crudely called ‘the trans issue’ is important. One is the political failure…

The bravery of Allison Bailey

27 July 2022 11:56 pm

Allison Bailey is a criminal defence barrister at Garden Court chambers in London, a large and important group of lawyers…

The Conservative party has ceased to be serious

20 July 2022 3:08 am

I’m not sure that the Conservative party wants to win elections. Tom Tugendhat was knocked out of the leadership contest…

Is Labour changing its mind on trans issues?

17 July 2022 7:50 pm

Amid the noise of the Tory leadership fight, some significant comments in the papers could be missed today. Here’s the quote,…

A storm is coming – and none of the leadership candidates are ready

16 July 2022 5:30 pm

You’ve probably heard the joke about the two hikers facing an angry bear. One changes into his running shoes, telling…

Boris didn’t break the system

8 July 2022 4:12 pm

Britain’s Donald Trump. A constitutional vandal. A grave and potentially even systemic threat to the rule of law and representative…

The night that David Cameron sealed Britain’s Brexit fate

29 June 2022 5:05 pm

Friday 29 June 2012 isn’t a famous date in British history, but it deserves at least a footnote. Because I…

Are we heading towards a British Donald Trump?

25 June 2022 5:00 pm

The Tiverton and Wakefield by-elections are, of course, shatteringly bad for the Conservatives and Boris Johnson. They should finally destroy…