Columnists
Israel is drifting away from the West – but condemnation won’t help
Glaring, the ennui over Israel. The way we drag our eyes to the page, and sigh, and want to read…
Gold-fixing is the last ghost of the old City. It won't be around much longer
In a season obsessed with sport and personal misbehaviour — separately or in combination — the word ‘fixing’ immediately brings…
When did Israel start to seem so bafflingly foreign?
Glaring, the ennui over Israel. The way we drag our eyes to the page, and sigh, and want to read…
There’s no fighting paedophile panic. But I’ll try
Listen http://traffic.libsyn.com/spectator/TheViewFrom22_10_July_2014_v4.mp3 As essay titles go, ‘On losing an argument with Tim Loughton MP’ may fail to catch the imagination;…
The Spectator's Notes: Hunting down dirty old men is not a challenge to the current culture
‘A culture changes by example and a licentious old man being found guilty will help do that,’ says a leader…
I like the look of this exciting new Islamic State. But why don’t they want Belgium?
There is something attractive about almost the whole of southern Europe being part of an immense and somewhat rigorous caliphate,…
The voice of Big Mother does more for women than any Twitter feminist
Feminism in modern Britain is not for the faint-hearted. Only the smartest, mouthiest girls on the social media scene dare…
Imperialism is back – and this time it’s politically correct
‘Why did you leave us?’ said the old Sudanese man in Omdurman market. ‘Things were so much better when you…
‘Dark pools’ are just another conspiracy of bankers against the public
It was at the Mansion House dinner last year that a City gent two seats away announced himself to be…
Our shameful empire of aid
‘Why did you leave us?’ said the old Sudanese man in Omdurman market. ‘Things were so much better when you…
The reassuring triumph of Big Mother
Feminism in modern Britain is not for the faint-hearted. Only the smartest, mouthiest girls on the social media scene dare…
George Osborne's been playing politics since he was 12. Now, finally, he's winning
George Osborne’s first taste of political leadership came aged 12. At his prep school, Colet Court, he took charge of…
Radek Sikorski: a Spectator foreign correspondent made good
Radek Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, is undoubtedly one of the most dashing figures on the world stage. I first…
Rebekah Brooks takes her place in a perfect picture of modern Britain
What image comes to mind when we think of Britain today? I was moved to contemplate this question after reading…
Ed Miliband’s problem isn’t his image. It’s us
That bacon bap earlier this month was not the cause of Ed Miliband’s unpopularity. Ed Miliband’s unpopularity was the cause…
I may not know much about khat, but I know banning it is crazy
Khat is a leafy stimulant chewed mainly, I gather, by Somalis. This week the government banned its possession and sale.…
George Osborne’s cynical grab for northern votes (and why I’m for it)
When John Prescott used to wax garrulous about a ‘superhighway’ from Hull to Liverpool, everyone assumed it was a wheeze…
I may not know much about khat, but I know banning it is crazy
Khat is a leafy stimulant chewed mainly, I gather, by Somalis. This week the government banned its possession and sale.…
A bacon bap isn’t Miliband’s problem. We are
Listen http://traffic.libsyn.com/spectator/TheViewFrom22_26_June_2014_v4.mp3 That bacon bap earlier this month was not the cause of Ed Miliband’s unpopularity. Ed Miliband’s unpopularity was…
How the Westminster hawk became an endangered species
There is a slight whiff of the summer of 1914 to Westminster at the moment. The garden party season is…
Great literary tea parties (oh, and ours)
Every summer this magazine invites some of its (randomly selected) subscribers to tea in the garden. Every Englishman loves tea…
The return of oil price anxiety is a timely reminder to get fracking
‘Iraq turmoil sends crude oil prices to nine-month high’ is the sort of headline that used to send shivers down…
The Spectator's notes: Diana's bed, Boris's dirty trick and Prince Philip's mystery tie
On Friday night, I went to Althorp, childhood home of Diana, Princess of Wales, to speak at its literary festival.…
A Labour elitist meets a fête worse than death
It is surely only a matter of time before someone with a mischievous glint in their eye invites the Labour…
Please, Cameron – no moral grandstanding over Iraq
If there’s a bright spot in the murky mess of Iraq, it’s that finally we have a war that it…
