The most insulting International Women’s Day campaign
Happy International Women’s Day! A few years ago, this jaunty greeting would have left me snorting with derision. I pooh-poohed…
In defence of Isabel Oakeshott
What shocks me most about Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages is the flippancy surrounding decisions to scare, manipulate and control the…
Labour’s ‘menopause action plan’ is an insult to women
Only once have I been asked if I would like to be photographed with my head sticking out of a…
Raquel Evita Saraswati and the new ‘race fakers’
Embellishing job applications is a well-honed skill. At the stroke of a pen, two months as an intern becomes four…
Playgrounds are no place for Pride parades
Parents standing at the school gate have all kinds of hopes and expectations. They want their children to be happy,…
Matt Hancock has united Britain
Some people deal with failure better than others. Matt Hancock, it seems, has spent the past three years trying to…
Liz Truss was a conviction politician
As an erstwhile Brexit-voting academic, I’m used to being at odds with those around me. But in feeling troubled at…
Do Oxford students really need trigger warnings?
It is freshers’ week on campus. Brand new students get to make friends, get drunk and find their way around…
Can Cambridge decolonise?
News that Cambridge University is to commission an art installation to adorn one of its ancient buildings rarely warrants holding…
Meghan’s youth speech was all about her
The Duchess of Sussex has been busy. In the past fortnight Meghan has treated us to two new episodes of…
The truth about trans teaching in schools
The LGBT advocacy group Stonewall has come in for criticism over recent months with many big name organisations – including…
Is 'woke' real?
Woke is a strange phenomena, but what does it actually mean? Activists and columnists alike declare that being woke is…
Carry on Carrie: why I've changed my mind about our 'first lady'
Who exactly is the Prime Minister’s wife? To some, she’s Carrie Antoinette, the extravagant demander of gold wallpaper who spent…
Leave Enid Blyton alone
Once again, people are getting their knickers in a twist over Enid Blyton. Such is the capacity for outrage these…
When did traditional masculinity become toxic?
It’s hard for privileged white men to stay relevant in this age of identity politics but a number of fail-safe…
EastEnders isn't the place for a lecture on climate change
Soap operas are cultural punctuation points. Big plot lines unite colleagues, neighbours and distant family members in shared conversation starters.…
Is Harry and Meghan's Time profile a parody?
Of course the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are named in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2021. And…
Mr Speaker is right to give scruffy MPs a dressing down
MPs are making their way back to Parliament with an order from Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle ringing in their ears.…
Harry and Meghan’s glib Afghan statement
Finally, some news to cheer us all up on this grim, relentless August. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have…
Spare us Prince Harry's 'literary memoir'
However you look at it, ‘freedom day’ turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. So thank goodness…
What Meghan Markle can learn from Enid Blyton
The year is 2070 and English Heritage are unveiling their latest Blue Plaque: ‘The Duchess of Sussex, children’s author, lived…
The problem with Prince Harry's mental health drive
Has Prince Harry ever had a thought and not made it public? Are there feelings or emotions he has experienced…
School playgrounds are no place for 'free Palestine' protests
GCSE and A level assessments. Enforcing social distancing. Catch-up provision for pupils who fell behind during lockdown. Mental health support.…
Britain is not America
‘If people in Wales had access to as much media coverage of decisions that affected Wales as they do of…
Harry and Meghan have played a blinder
If bouquets and Bollinger were winging their way to Montecito last night they were well deserved. When Harry and Meghan…
