Diary
The fire and fury of America’s abortion debate
I wonder at times how some of my fellow hacks in America get out of bed in the morning. The…
It takes courage to be vulnerable like me
It has been wonderful to welcome seven refugees – and their four dogs – to my home in Suffolk. I’ve…
How can James Bond survive?
I have just got back from Cannes, where I was the president of a jury, judging TV dramas. I’ve never…
My secret invitation from Michael Gove
As you may have heard (if you haven’t, I’m losing my narcissistically self-promotional touch) my new TV show Piers Morgan…
How do we celebrate Easter in the shadow of war?
This week has been Passiontide, which means lots of wonderful plainsong in the choir of Canterbury Cathedral as my predecessors…
Putin’s war is a disaster for Russia
Strasbourg Europhobes will never have a better argument against European integration than the seat of the European parliament in…
Oscars diary: a jaw-dropping night
Oscar week is intense – and it’s been a while since it’s been as intense. The red carpet is full…
Why I drove a lorry to Poland
‘Why the hell did you hire a lorry without a spare tyre?’ asked Rizvana. Fair question. Luckily we had just…
I'll stick my neck out: Russia may be heading for an outright defeat
Skopje, North Macedonia In the West, it’s tempting to believe that revulsion at Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is…
The courage on Ukraine’s front line
Central to the question of whether or not Ukraine can survive as an independent state is that of re-supply, not…
In Lviv, the mood is inspiring – and fanatical
Lviv, Ukraine On the Ukrainian side of the Polish border, near a place called Shehyni where the refugee crisis…
The West missed its chance to help Ukraine
Yet another east European tragedy is unfolding before our eyes. We have watched this movie for more than 80 years.…
Why I should never look at Twitter
Foreign trips can offer a sense of perspective. Heading to Saudi Arabia, I prepare for my first stint of diplomacy.…
When did artists become the mob?
‘The mob’s going to want a chicken to kill and they won’t care much who it is,’ wrote John Steinbeck.…
Can I really be turning 80?
A princess of Hanover wrote in her diary: ‘My 30th birthday. There must be some mistake.’ Substitute 30th for 80th…
My encounter with Sue Gray
I only voted in one no-confidence motion. The leader was Iain Duncan Smith, and it was a bit awkward. I…
My clash with Maureen Lipman
After my Unapologetic Diaries were published recently, I was apparently accused of offending several people. At a lavish Christmas lunch…
My thoughts on Helen Mirren’s casting
On Monday, I had a whinge-walk with Lizzie, my friend of 47 years. We met at breathing classes for our…
Diary
More than 200 non-US residents stood in the queue ahead of me. A grand total of four Homeland Security officers…
My snogging spat with Boris
I have not given up on my Build Back Boris campaign, which is the most pressing concern facing the UK.…
Sheffield, our great underappreciated city
I was born and raised in Sheffield, a proud steel-making city which drew much of its energy from a sense…
The birth of the culture wars
The last time I wrote for The Spectator’s diary slot, over the summer, theatres were tentatively beginning to turn their…
Europe’s unvaccinated don’t take kindly to being turned into second-class citizens
Amsterdam These are dangerous times in the Netherlands. Anti-lockdown mobs have torched cars, thrown rocks and attacked the police.…
It’s hard not to pity Ghislaine Maxwell
This week, I’m having puppies! First litter! The Johnsons were not doggy as we always moved around too much (my…
How to be a heretic
Two weeks ago, I resigned my post as philosophy professor at Sussex University. For three years, I’ve faced bullying and…
