David Sedaris was right: litter is a class issue
David Sedaris is my new hero. Not because he’s such a funny writer, but because he’s obsessed with litter. He…
The misguided bid to turn Alan Turing into an Asperger’s martyr
When I first heard the story of Alan Turing in my late teens I made what must be quite a…
A year ago, I had big plans to unite the right. This year, I’m keeping my ambitions more modest
This time last year, I wrote an article saying my main project in 2014 would be to unite the right.…
What will it take to live up to my father’s Great Life?
I received a phone call the other day that I wasn’t expecting. It was a BBC producer calling about a…
Don't want paternity leave? Soon, you may not have a choice
Earlier this week, the law changed to enable men to share the leave that women are currently entitled to after…
If you want an argument against state-school-only Oxbridge colleges, just look at me
I read with some interest the proposal for Oxford and Cambridge to set up state-school-only colleges in the Guardian this…
Pity I’m a Celebrity’s token old guys
I had thought that my days of being approached by reality show producers hoping to put together a cast of…
The man feminists seemed to think was worse than the Taleban
Feature writers aren’t often acclaimed for their courage, but Neil Lyndon deserves a bronze plaque in St Bride’s. Twenty-two years…
Why schools can't teach character
I participated in a lively discussion about character education at Policy Exchange earlier this week. For those of you who…
I swam up to a beautiful girl on the beach, and my life changed
I’m writing this from Portugal, where I’m staying with my old friend Sean Langan. His family has owned a farm…
Russell Brand and Nigel Farage remind me of myself five years ago
I’m often asked by other free school proposers what lessons I’ve learnt over the past five years. Any pearls of…
I nearly missed out on The Walking Dead. You shouldn’t
I’m ashamed to say it took me a while to watch an episode of The Walking Dead, the fifth season…
You’ll regret not having a Human Rights Act when Labour get back in
I’ve been thinking about the Conservative party’s proposal for a Bill of Rights and am finding it difficult to make…
Nigel Farage’s class war
I initially thought Nigel Farage had made a mistake in unveiling Mark Reckless on the final day of his party…
My hormones are all over the place. It must be the manopause
Women spend ten days a year in a grumpy mood, according to the Daily Mail. The top triggers include being…
My electrifying 'Führer Kontakt' with Alex Salmond
It was just after the Tory party conference last year that I met Alex Salmond. Not alone, obviously, but as…
When the Welsh go it alone, blame me
Oh dear. I think I may have inadvertently contributed to the dissolution of Great Britain. I’m not claiming sole responsibility.…
The lesson of the young men fighting for Isis: evil is in all of us
I had an interesting discussion with my friend Aidan Hartley earlier this week about whether the young men fighting for…
Not all knowledge is equal
I first locked horns with Michael Rosen, the former children’s laureate, on Sky News about four years ago. We were…
The self-delusion that makes people go to festivals – me included
I wouldn’t describe myself as a veteran of the summer festival circuit, but I’ve been to enough to have a…
Mark Simmonds was just saying what a lot of MPs think
I feel some sympathy for Mark Simmonds, the Conservative MP who’s resigned as a minister and is stepping down at…
What’s the point in being married if I can’t feel superior to my single friends?
I’m due to speak at an Intelligence Squared debate on Saturday and I’m worried that I might be on the…
Want to be a neglectful parent? Come to a festival and learn
I spent last weekend at Port Eliot in Cornwall. This is supposed to be a literary and music festival and…
Do-gooders neglect their children. Just look at my dad – and me
A few years ago, a family friend described my father as being a bit like Mrs Jellyby in Bleak House,…
Cameron was right to move Gove
I tried to reach Michael Gove on Tuesday shortly after the news broke that he’d been moved to the Whips’…
