World
Will the Tories’ ‘carrot and stick’ benefits plan work?
Rishi Sunak wants to frame a benefits crackdown in tomorrow’s Autumn Statement in compassionate terms, with ministers saying people with…
David Cameron charms the Lords
To the rarified surroundings of the Upper House, where the newest member of the government took his place on the…
Will Zarah Sultana quit Labour if it is ‘institutionally racist’?
Anyone who’s ever had a conversation with a Corbynista will know it’s impossible to talk to these people about anti-Semitism.…
Scotland doesn’t need a ‘non-binary action plan’
Scotland’s government has plenty of things on its to-do list: tackling inflation, dealing with unemployment and cleaning up the mess…
Bailey pours cold water on hopes of inflation falling quickly
Should we bother taking any notice of what Andrew Bailey says about inflation, given that he and his colleagues on…
Why is the UN speaking up for two jailed Just Stop Oil activists?
We shouldn’t be surprised that Ian Fry, the United Nations’ rapporteur for climate change and human rights, has waded in on…
The ugly side of the European left
Dutch politics got a blast from the past on Monday when a right-wing politician was assaulted. The country goes to…
Argentina’s president is unlikely to trouble the Falklands
Javier Milei, Argentina’s anti-establishment, pro-dollarisation and pro-privatisation president, is already making a splash. Milei, who won a surprise victory in…
Are the richest 1 per cent really to blame for climate change?
Oxfam used to be a worthy charity through which donors in wealthy countries could help fund famine relief in developing…
Can Jeremy Hunt cut taxes in good conscience?
When the government announces a range of tax cuts tomorrow, it has pledged to do so in a ‘sustainable’ way.…
Patrick Vallance and the politicisation of Covid science
Throughout the Covid meetings, Sir Patrick Vallance was scribbling almost as much as Michael Gove, leading Boris Johnson to assume…
What could be announced at the Autumn Statement?
Jeremy Hunt will tomorrow present his second Autumn Statement to the House of Commons. The Office for Budget Responsibility is…
David Cameron and the triumph of fence-sitting politicians
David Cameron is the king of the wishy-washy compromise. Cameron has never looked happier than when he appeared in the…
What’s the truth about Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital?
Last week’s military operation in Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital was mired in controversy. According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the…
How to solve Rishi’s Rwanda dilemma
Rishi Sunak has promised to respond to the Supreme Court’s judgment that the Rwanda policy is unlawful by agreeing a new…
Was JFK any ‘good’ as a president?
How should we assess the value of a US president? In the case of John F. Kennedy, who died sixty…
Inside David Cameron’s meeting with Tory MPs
David Cameron addressed Tory MPs this evening at a meeting of the 1922 committee following his shock return to government…
Why have Sunak and Hunt suddenly decided they want tax cuts?
The government’s transition on taxes has taken place at lightning speed. We’ve gone from chancellor Jeremy Hunt hinting at tax…
In defence of Ofsted
When it comes to Ofsted, people often like to trot out the old adage that ‘you don’t grow a pig…
Was Eat Out to Help Out really behind the second wave?
Did Eat Out to Help Out increase Covid? It’s a conclusion the inquiry and lockdown’s cheerleaders seem keen to push.…
Firing Sam Altman has thrown the AI race back open
Until this week, OpenAI seemed like an unstoppable force. In the space of little more than a year, the San…
Why climate activists love to hate Israel
Climate activists have been busy since 7 October. The demands for ‘action now’ on global warming continue, but affairs in…
What France gets right about assimilation
Among the crimes of Suella Braverman, the now former Home Secretary, was a speech she gave in Washington at the…
Sunak makes more pledges – but what happened to his last five?
In his speech in north London his morning, the Prime Minister confirmed that tax cuts are coming this Wednesday, as…
Sunak changes his tune on tax cuts
Tax cuts are around the corner. That was the message from Rishi Sunak when he addressed hacks this morning in…