World
Sunak introduces the ‘Triple Lock Plus’
Another day, another big policy pledge from the Tories – and this time it’s a pitch for the grey vote.…
Tory MP suspended for backing Reform successor
It never rains but it pours for poor Rishi Sunak. After a difficult start for his election campaign, the Prime…
Which seats are the Scottish Tories targeting in the election?
The Scottish Conservatives were facing a difficult election this summer but SNP leader John Swinney may have thrown them a…
Tory backlash grows over Sunak’s national service pledge
The Conservative campaign pledge to introduce mandatory national service is still dominating the news two days on. Many of Monday’s…
The good news about the left’s growing resort to intimidation
It has not escaped the attention of media observers that the current outbreak of violent campus demonstrations is but the…
Private schools can’t complain about Labour’s VAT raid
Of course Labour’s policy of charging VAT on private school fees is all about throwing a bit of red meat…
Why is Rachel Reeves so proud of working at the Bank of England?
We don’t know much about what taxes she will impose. Nor do we have many clues as to how she…
Starmer’s ‘why Labour’ message needs to get slicker
Keir Starmer has been considerably less discombobulated by the election announcement than the party that made it, but he still…
The grandstanding against the Hay Festival is short-sighted
When the country’s largest literary festival parts ways with its main sponsor, it is not usually a cause for rejoicing among writers,…
France has become Europe’s Wild West
New Caledonia must not become the ‘Wild West’ declared Emmanuel Macron last week during his flying visit to the Pacific…
There’s trouble ahead for Taiwan’s new president
Not many inaugural ceremonies bring together dragons, dancers, rappers, and a 10-metre-high blue horse breathing steam out of its nostrils.…
Tories race to find 160 candidates
The decision to call a snap election last Wednesday caught many in Tory and Labour high command by surprise. Both…
Kim Jong Un’s catchy propaganda revamp
Think of North Korean propaganda and you might think of old-fashioned revolutionary marches praising the Supreme Leader, denouncing the United…
The logic of national service
It would be hard to argue that the Conservatives have had a flawless start to the 2024 general election campaign.…
‘No mow May’ isn’t long enough
There’s one way of getting the look of the Chelsea Flower show winner, Ula Maria’s forest bathing garden, and that’s…
Could Scotland decide the election result?
The starting gun for the general election has been fired. This 2019 parliament is over and we will have a…
My father’s trunk reminds me of one of my earliest Memorial Days
Perhaps we all have our first memories of celebrating Memorial Day. Mine comes from 1945 when my father returned from…
Tories and Labour go to battle on TikTok
The digital election battle is heating up. Just a few days ago the Labour party joined TikTok, the social media…
Should presidential candidates pledge to free Assange?
Washington, DC WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a hero to libertarians. As is Ross Ulbricht, the founder of now-defunct Silk…
Young people are right to resent national service
Young Britons like me have already done our fair share of national service. For two gruelling years, we sacrificed the…
Will Labour raise taxes?
What is Labour’s tax-and-spend agenda? This is an outstanding question the party needs to answer before polling day – and…
Sunday shows round-up: Farage brands national service plan ‘a joke’
Today saw the first set of Sunday shows since the election was called on Wednesday. Rachel Reeves was interviewed by…
This national service plan is a patronising gimmick
The idea of bringing back national service to knock into shape teenage tearaways and long-haired layabouts was a staple of…
Sunak’s national service may end up backfiring
The idea of bringing back national service has been kicking around British politics for about five times longer than the…
Are Sinn Fein heading for an election triumph?
Bankrupt councils, the imminent collapse of Thames Water, prison overcrowding and a row with unions over public sector pay are…
