World
Could Balochistan secede from Pakistan?
The rain and the cold in Quetta, the capital of the Pakistani province of Balochistan, did not deter them. Neither…
The apocalypse complex
Just in case there’s an apocalypse, the super-rich are buying bunkers. Big bunkers. Bunkers with swimming pools, indoor gardens, cinemas,…
In defence of repression
There is a modern superstition that for every terrible experience suffered there is an equal and opposite psychological technique that,…
The Tories are to blame for Scotland’s tax mess
Lost amid much of the commentary on Kwasi Kwarteng’s income tax and stamp duty cuts is that they will not…
Leicester’s multiculturalism masks a stark sectarian divide
Leicester, the city where I was born, appears to be a melting pot of different cultures. Until recent weeks, its…
Only Britain can save France from German domination
Are Britain and France at the dawn of a new Entente Cordiale? It’s reported that France will be the destination…
Kwasi Kwarteng’s growth gamble is a risk worth taking
New Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s first ‘fiscal event’ was always going to be quite provocative and exciting. But in the end…
The shameful exploitation of Chris Kaba’s death
Why exactly is it that the journalists and politicians who claim to be most proud of multicultural, multiethnic Britain seem…
This isn’t a return to boom and bust
Massive tax cuts. A huge budget deficit. And a wild dash for growth, stoking a short-lived boom, before it all…
The benefits scandal Kwasi Kwarteng should tackle next
I was at an end-of-summer party for the Centre for Social Justice last night, with some politicians and others interested…
How worrying is the falling pound?
How are markets responding to Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget? A sharp fall in the pound today has plenty of critics arguing…
Can Cambridge decolonise?
News that Cambridge University is to commission an art installation to adorn one of its ancient buildings rarely warrants holding…
The trouble with ‘bourgeois’ environmentalism
The left needs to shake off its ‘bourgeois environmentalism’. It needs to distance itself from the ‘bourgeois environmental lobby’ and…
Why Britain should welcome Russians fleeing Putin's war
As if Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had not already presented quite enough dilemmas for other countries, suddenly there is another…
Truss and Kwarteng borrow their way to tax cuts
Levelling Up secretary Simon Clarke described today’s fiscal event as a ‘game changer’ for Britain’s economy. Was he right? The…
Labour’s debt binge dilemma
Labour has a populist argument against Liz Truss’s spendaholic plans to borrow money from the international money markets and direct…
The audacity of Kwarteng's tax cut for the rich
George Osborne dreamed about it and Rishi Sunak told friends that he’d like to do it if everything went well…
Not all Tory MPs are happy about Kwasi Kwarteng's mini Budget
Rachel Reeves’ response to the not-a-budget was one of the best Budget responses a shadow chancellor has produced in Labour’s…
Truss and Kwarteng's mini-Budget is a big gamble
Kwasi Kwarteng and Liz Truss are a Chancellor and a Prime Minister in a hurry, they know they have only…
The real story of the Putin emigres
‘Russians are fleeing their country in droves’. That’s how Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, partners in life and journalism, sum…
Europe should welcome fleeing Russians
In the wake of Vladimir Putin’s surprise announcement of partial mobilisation on Wednesday, thousands of young Russian men decided that…
Northern Ireland's future isn't Catholic or Protestant
For the first time in Northern Ireland’s history, Catholics now outnumber Protestants. Census data on national identity and religious from…
Why life expectancy is going down in Scotland
Life expectancy is perhaps the surest sign of a country’s welfare, which makes it all the more worrying that Scotland’s…
Is the EU's crackdown on Hungary a bluff?
Brussels appeared to be finally getting serious with a rogue member state this week. A couple of days ago it…
Putin's conscripts won't fix the Russian army's big flaw
Vladimir Putin’s decision to call up reservists is a sign of Russia’s desperation. It is also unlikely to do anything…
