Diary

Oscars diary: a jaw-dropping night

2 April 2022 9:00 am

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

26 March 2022 9:00 am

‘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

19 March 2022 9:00 am

  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

12 March 2022 9:00 am

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

5 March 2022 9:00 am

  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

26 February 2022 9:00 am

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

19 February 2022 9:00 am

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?

12 February 2022 9:00 am

‘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?

5 February 2022 9:00 am

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

29 January 2022 9:00 am

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

22 January 2022 9:00 am

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

15 January 2022 9:00 am

On Monday, I had a whinge-walk with Lizzie, my friend of 47 years. We met at breathing classes for our…

Diary

8 January 2022 9:00 am

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

18 December 2021 9:00 am

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

11 December 2021 9:00 am

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

4 December 2021 9:00 am

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

27 November 2021 9:00 am

  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

20 November 2021 9:00 am

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

13 November 2021 9:00 am

Two weeks ago, I resigned my post as philosophy professor at Sussex University. For three years, I’ve faced bullying and…

Why I didn’t get a hug at COP26

6 November 2021 9:00 am

COP26 is not your typical power summit, because world leaders, NGOs and hacks are all in the same scrum. Outside…

My night of nostalgia with Boris and co.

30 October 2021 9:00 am

Rishi Sunak had a pre-game Twix and a Sprite to prepare for this week’s impressive Budget. I used to have…

Why won’t the US media talk about trans issues?

23 October 2021 9:00 am

The wonderful thing about woke narratives is that you only have to wait a while until they collapse. The core…

In defence of King George III

16 October 2021 9:00 am

I’m on a book tour which involves 65 speeches in 60 days in Britain, Washington, Philadelphia, Virginia, Mexico, California and…

The true enemy of political interviews

9 October 2021 9:00 am

The rhythm of the big party conference leader interviews is a strange one. First come days of slow, repetitive, detailed…

There’s one upside to having Parkinson’s disease

2 October 2021 9:00 am

I am just back from my final salmon fishing trip of the year. I have never had a worse season…