The Spectator’s Notes
The unintended consequences of the Macpherson report
Sir William Macpherson of Cluny has died. His obituaries praise him for his 1998 inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence case.…
Where would politics be without fighting talk?
‘Tencent Wykeham’ has a ring to it. It captures how easily British universities can be bought. It is the new…
Lockdowns can destroy the lives they’re intended to protect
Some Leavers are perturbed that Lord Frost was suddenly stood down as the next National Security Adviser. This anxiety may…
Will Samuel Pepys be cancelled next?
A seemingly obscure battle in an ecclesiastical court could threaten the security of every historic monument in the care of…
The truth about the vaccine ‘postcode lottery’
‘Postcode lottery!’ people scream when one area feels less well treated than another in a public service — in this…
My memories of Sir David Barclay
Even with its 27 amendments, the US Constitution is only 7,591 words. I keep it beside me, and find in…
Covid, like war, brings less obvious shocks
Domenica Lawson, daughter of Rosa and Dominic, the former editor of this paper, has Down’s syndrome. She is classified as…
The Darvell marvel has brought joy to a Covid Christmas
Many ingenious ways of evading Covid-19 have been devised to assist commerce, fewer to assist worship. In our next-door village,…
In defence of Eton’s headmaster
My inbox is crowded with messages from Old Etonians attacking Simon Henderson, the headmaster of Eton. They are furious that…
China has a friend in Jesus
Last week, I wrote about ‘Frost & Lewis’ (David and Oliver), leaders of our country’s team at the Brexit negotiations,…
Are our churches safe from Justin Welby?
‘Frost & Lewis’. It sounds like a programme amalgamating two of the most famous TV detectives. The former diplomat, Lord…
The strangeness of voting in the Lords from my bed
Having only recently entered the House of Lords, I must tread with caution, but I had always understood that it…
Churches are more Covid-secure than trains or takeaways
Monday night’s murderous gunman in Vienna is officially described as ‘Islamist’. Brahim Aioussaoi, the man accused of murdering worshippers in…
Did Panorama use tabloid methods to lure Diana?
As time passes, there is — blessedly — ever less need to pay attention to ‘untold’ stories about Diana, Princess…
Trump tried to bribe my daughter-in-law
You have to give it to Donald Trump: he never stops trying. In a letter dated 25 September, he wrote…
The BBC can’t resist speculating on the science
In this column (26 September), I pointed out that the National Trust’s new ‘Gazetteer’ of its 93 properties linked with…
The National Trust’s shameful manifesto
The National Trust has brought out its ‘Interim Report’, with the clumsy title ‘Addressing our histories of colonialism and historic…
How to beat cancel culture
One of the most extraordinary features of the ‘cancel culture’ is how well it works. All decent people hate it,…
Are we seeing the last push against Brexit?
Large parts of the senior civil service regard Brexit as almost illegal. Some of them regard loyalty to the EU…
In defence of Hans Sloane
‘The British Museum stands in solidarity with the British Black community, with the African American community, with the Black community…
Should Gavin Williamson resign as a career move?
Amid all the puzzlement and recrimination about why the government got into this mess about A-level and GCSE results, one…
Is Chris Packham finally facing facts on shooting?
Chris Packham is widely seen as the most extreme of well-known animal rights activists. His obsessions against hunting and shooting…
Why poetry matters
Juan Carlos, ex-King of Spain, behaved foolishly in relation to money and sex, and so his decision to leave Spain…
Jesus College’s China problem
Although Stephen Toope, vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, is committed to openness, it is a struggle to get information out of…
The politics of email sign-offs
I think Anne Applebaum is a friend of mine. I certainly hope so, since I have always admired her writing,…
