Leading article
Cutting the cost of government is the only solution to this crisis
A little over a year ago, The Spectator printed a cover story about the risk of inflation. Britain, we argued,…
Politicians caused the Rwanda deportation debacle
The problem with the bishops in the upper chamber is not that they speak too much, but too little. The…
Airlines must accept the blame for the travel chaos
If you have a flight booked in the next few months, it’s time to worry. A new era of air…
God save the Queen: the monarchy has become more valuable than ever
Rarely has a public figure taken a promise so seriously as the vow that Her Majesty the Queen made on…
Boris Johnson’s guilt
An ability to survive narrow scrapes has been one of Boris Johnson’s defining qualities. The pictures of Downing Street’s lockdown…
Sanction Gerhard Schröder
From the start of the war in Ukraine, the democratic world has shown striking unity in the economic boycott of…
The problem with Macron’s vision for Europe
The Ukraine crisis has transformed international affairs, forcing countries the world over to rethink their alliances and interests. New patterns…
Can anything save Boris Johnson?
As Boris Johnson faced the possibility of a no-confidence motion earlier this year, a large number of Tory MPs decided…
Brexit’s potential is beginning to be realised
The purpose of Brexit was to strengthen Britain’s ties with both the world beyond Europe and with Europe itself, but…
Britain and the West must step up support to Ukraine
The first few weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine went so badly that it was tempting to see the withdrawal…
The French election should be a warning for Boris
In just over a week’s time, Emmanuel Macron will most likely win a second term. He has the opponent he…
To survive, Boris Johnson must do more than pose as a war leader
Attending an impromptu birthday party in the office is not the most heinous of crimes, and of course Britain’s fixation…
What happened to Tory radicalism?
Whatever advantages money may have brought Rishi Sunak as he rose to become Chancellor of the Exchequer, his wealth has…
Boris Johnson and the partygate hangover
Afew weeks ago it seemed that the issue of Downing Street parties over lockdown had been usurped by a more…
The return of fiscal conservatism
Next month, Rishi Sunak will break a Tory manifesto pledge by increasing National Insurance as the tax burden heads to…
The soft censorship of the Online Harms Bill
The arrest of a reporter who held up a poster during a Russian news broadcast criticising the war in Ukraine…
It’s time to drop the net zero agenda
For years British energy policy has been an exercise in wishful thinking. We’ve been living in a fantasy world in…
Britain must give Ukrainians an unconditional right to asylum
During the Cold War, any citizen of a Soviet bloc country who made it to Britain and claimed asylum was…
Abolishing Covid restrictions now is bold, brave – and necessary
Shortly after Covid emerged, our civil liberties were suspended. The government took control of when and for how long we…
Andrew, Harry and the enduring prudence of the Queen
Prince Andrew’s decision to settle his case with Virginia Giuffre means he will be spared the potentially humiliating ordeal of…
Why Putin wins
Did Vladimir Putin ever intend to invade Ukraine? Or were his troop manoeuvres just a game — another test of…
What's the point of Boris?
The anger against the Prime Minister for failing to observe the rules which he imposed upon the rest of us…
What Boris must do now to survive
When Omicron struck, Britain was already the most boosted country in Europe. Our programme was so advanced that 80 per…
After Omicron: there’s no longer a case for restrictions on liberty
Covid-19 is in decline in Britain, with Omicron cases now falling as fast as they rose. The booster programme —…
Now Boris must make another admission: lockdown was a mistake
On 20 May 2020, the Metropolitan Police issued a statement on social media which summed up the conditions in the…
