Features
The Andrew problem: a short story by Andrew O’Hagan
People offended by name-dropping are absolutely no fun. I’ve experimented with this concept on five continents – OK, four: Antarctica’s…
Is Ukraine heading towards a Korean-style demilitarised zone?
It is the strangest place, the demilitarised zone (DMZ) that separates South Korea from North Korea. It is simultaneously a…
The deepening unpopularity of Zelensky
Perhaps all political careers must end, inevitably, in failure. But few politicians have had careers as meteoric, as surprising, as…
The many faces of pigs in blankets
There are not many phrases that offend me more than ‘pigs in blankets’. The correct name for this dish is,…
Chanel should be led by a woman
Since I’m considering giving a small Christmas drinks party, I’ve been reading all the festive entertainment features. There are recipes…
World war twee: the hideous triviality of our times
I remember the moment I first understood that we, the British, had a national character. It was in the mid-1970s…
Wuhan wager: the $400 ‘bio bet’ that predicted the pandemic
At the end of this month, one of the world’s most renowned scientists will send $400 to a charity to…
Macron is the author of his own despair
‘Notre-Dame has been restored to its full level of glory, and even more so,’ said the President-elect Donald J. Trump…
Can Meghan and Harry stoop any lower?
Looking back on the Queen’s 1992 ‘annus horribilis’, the events involved – though surprising at the time – seem almost…
The cinema is the worst place to watch a film
I’ve always loved cinema, but hardly ever cinemas. It’s no surprise to me that movie-going audiences are in decline. Ticket…
Who can afford to send Christmas cards any more?
At this time of year I’d usually be writing dozens of Christmas cards, with a Snowball to hand, heavy on…
Russia’s sabotage campaign against the West
When a DHL cargo plane crashed while approaching Vilnius airport on Monday, killing one of the crew, it looked like…
The rise of Romania’s right-wing disruptor
Strange things are happening again in global politics. In Romania, a former UN sustainability adviser who has made admiring remarks…
The rise and fall of Smithfield Market
Smithfield has been the beating heart of London’s meat industry for more than 800 years. Located at the middle point…
The sickness benefit trap
Now that I’m no longer editor of this magazine, I can admit that I spent the election night of 1997…
‘I was much more disposable than I believed’: an interview with Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson is enjoying himself back at The Spectator. ‘My place of former employment,’ the former editor booms as he…
We’re all caught in the insurance trap
In they pour, one after another, cheerily thudding on to the doormat: ‘Thank you for insuring with us again! Now,…
The SAS have been betrayed in the name of human rights
The SAS are worried. Britain’s most elite military unit have come face to face with the IRA, the Taliban and…
Will China soon rule the waves?
On Sunday morning, a communications cable between Sweden and Lithuania was damaged, almost certainly deliberately. Just hours later, the C-Lion…
Biden’s missiles will do Ukraine no favours
With just over 60 days left in office, Joe Biden’s White House has significantly escalated the Ukraine war it had…
Babycham is back!
Babycham, the drink you perhaps last sipped while tapping the ash from a black Sobranie as Sade played on the…
Do no harm: the progressive case against assisted dying
Next week, parliament will have its first opportunity to vote on assisted dying in almost a decade. This is a…
Wild Wes: Streeting is causing trouble for Starmer
Avote on assisted dying was supposed to be one of the easiest reforms for Keir Starmer’s government. To many, including…
The Roman roots of the Dulwich Wood Penis Gang
If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise… in Dulwich Wood – a charming…
The Football Governance Bill should be kicked out
What will this government be most remembered for? Ed Miliband’s wind turbines? Assisted dying? Farm bankruptcies? No: rather, I suggest…
