World
Beware the COVID-19 nannies!
COVID-19 has suddenly made much of the western public health establishment effectively redundant. Unused to dealing with infectious disease, we…
What happens if Trump gets the coronavirus?
The White House has announced that everyone coming into range of President Trump will be tested for COVID-19. Trump, meanwhile,…
What will a coronavirus 'exit strategy' look like?
At the daily press briefings of senior ministers, the medical and the scientific advisers, there is a reluctance to talk…
The problem is a lot bigger than Trump
It’s incredibly easy to blame President Trump for the coronavirus hell we’re all living in. The president doesn’t help himself…
Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for coronavirus tests
Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests after having a continuous temperature for 10 days since testing positive…
A rare speech from an isolated Queen
Once upon a time, a speech by the Queen had the capacity to surprise. Only a handful of her trusted…
How Keir Starmer's message was pitch perfect
It was not the acceptance speech he could have anticipated making when the campaign for the Labour leadership began many…
Four of the best Spectator pieces I've ever read
One of the things that lockdown allows you to do is not just to read but to re-read. Obviously the…
Questioning coronavirus origins is not a conspiracy
The exact origins of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, remain unknown. We know only that it began in the Wuhan province…
Italy gave China PPE to help with coronavirus — then China made them buy it back
China has tried to restore its image after lying to the world about the seriousness of its coronavirus outbreak, but…
How many people have Covid-19 and don’t even know it?
Just how many of us have Covid-19 and are not even aware of it? It’s a question at the heart…
How will Keir Starmer use his 'huge mandate' to lead?
After both his victories in the two Labour leadership elections he faced, Jeremy Corbyn boasted about his ‘huge mandate’ from…
Keir Starmer's first challenge as Labour leader
As expected, Sir Keir Starmer has been announced as the new leader of the Labour party. The former shadow Brexit…
Could coronavirus lead to Frexit?
Is France flirting with the idea of Frexit again? Coronavirus is currently provoking a chorus of ‘reprendre le contrôle’ (take…
Ventilators aren't a panacea for a pandemic like coronavirus
‘More ventilators!’ criedthe journalists on Twitter. ‘Yes, more ventilators!’ replied the politicians. ‘Where are the ventilators?’ demanded the journalists, now screaming on television.…
The truth behind 'do not resuscitate' orders
Coronavirus is revealing many good things about our society: the number of people willing to volunteer to help tackle the outbreak…
Coronavirus could hasten secession
Americans enjoyed a tremendous sense of solidarity in the days following 9/11. People gathered on street corners, at subway stops,…
Coronavirus has again exposed the euro’s fatal flaw
Rising death rates. Economies closing down. People forced to stay at home. The coronavirus is a health, social and economic…
Jews have always been blamed for plagues - coronavirus is no different
History has not usually been kind to the Jews. But even by its low and morbid standards, the 14th century…
Liberté, égalité and fraternité are being put to the test in France
When I left my apartment for my morning run today I saw that someone had scrawled on the courtyard in…
Matt Hancock and Rishi Sunak show why we need professional politicians
Coronavirus commentary often takes a familiar form, which can easily be parodied thus: ‘Why the Coronavirus crisis justifies the thing…
Corbyn’s leadership has been a success and a failure for Labour
When he was elected Labour leader on 12 September 2015 opinion was uniquely divided as to what impact Jeremy Corbyn would…
A Brexit delay could last longer than you think
Here’s something Brexiteers might want to keep an eye on. While the country’s attention is welded to the Tesco delivery…
Finally, we have hope in my father's fight against coronavirus
I just spoke to my father for the first time in 16 days. He wasn’t able to speak back but…
Life and death in New York City
No matter where in the apartment I am, if I sit very still, I hear a siren. Over the 18…
