Columnists
Can the Tories come up with a tax offer in time?
Last summer, all the Tory party could talk about was tax. It was at the heart of the leadership contest…
You think British trains are bad? Try German ones
I found Jean-Pierre standing at a half-open window gulping down lungfuls of stale Dutch air as our night train chuntered,…
The dangerous cult of ‘toxic parents’
Complaining about ‘toxic parents’ has been a viral hit on TikTok with videos on the topic racking up several billion…
Why should Vikings be diverse?
I don’t always watch ‘Strongest Viking’ competitions on cable. But the other day I was channel-hopping and became mesmerised by…
The doctrine of intersectionality is a dud
The almost complete absence of anything remotely resembling an intersection in the progressive doctrine of intersectionality poses a problem for…
What does the European centre-right stand for?
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), dropped the bomb last weekend. In a TV interview, Merz…
Coutts has forgotten what the job of a bank is
We now have a reluctant apology from Dame Alison Rose, followed by her even more reluctant resignation. Her departure is…
Was I right about Iraq?
Back in March there was a glut of pieces about the 2003 Iraq war. The 20th anniversary seemed to much…
The problem with the Bibby Stockholm barge
For British taxpayers perturbed by their £6 million daily bill for housing asylum seekers in hotels, New York City mayor…
In defence of Coutts
Dame Alison Rose should not have resigned as head of NatWest over the Nigel Farage affair – and ministers who…
Labour’s reality check
Rishi Sunak goes into the summer holidays in the same position he began the year: 20 points behind in the…
The Spectator’s Notes
Jane Portal, as she was when she worked for Winston Churchill, died last week, aged 93. Lady Williams of Elvel,…
The BBC’s biggest problem
As I write this, the director-general of the BBC is being quizzed on the corporation’s future by people who were…
When is a train strike not a train strike?
The first LNER train I booked on Sunday from Durham to London was cancelled due to ‘action short of a…
Reasons to be cheerful? Yes, I think I see some
‘Always be cheerful’ – a motto to which I’ll return in the final item – speaks to my natural demeanour.…
Labour vs the unions
The Labour party is preparing for power and the unions are deciding what role they might play. Friend or foe?…
The BBC is self-destructing
There are still 27 people left in the British Isles – at the time of writing – who are unaware…
Don’t write off Rishi
Were I sure this was about me alone, I’d hardly bother to mention it: but I may be typical of…
Daniel Korski and the lives of others
The news has been coming so thick and fast of late that every week there are dozens of stories we…
Heritable guilt is in vogue
I made a poor excuse for a Presbyterian even as a kid. I resented religious indoctrination every precious school-free Sunday.…