World
Social media is making it harder to hear legitimate criticism
When was the last time you were in a Twitter mob? We know these maelstroms of anger so well now,…
Why was a finals student disqualified for criticising halal meat?
We have to talk about the schoolgirl who was disqualified from a GCSE exam on the grounds that she had…
Joe Biden won’t win
Joe Biden has led Democratic polls since day one, holding the kind of consistent lead within his party that Donald…
The Mooch, Bill Kristol and the NeverTrump quest for relevance
If The Onion didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent it. The self-described ‘omnipotent’ purveyor of current-events satire may…
The magic and mystery of English cricket
Nothing in cricket is quite as visceral, even quite as primeval, as the confrontation between a batsmen of the highest…
Give Hong Kongers real security: a British passport
We seem to be building up to a second Tiananmen Square, 30 years after the first. This time the venue…
Was I wrong about Boris Johnson?
The Conservative commentariat does not march in step. Myself, along with Matthew Parris, Max Hastings and Simon Heffer are proud, stiff-necked…
The battle cry of the politically homeless
Like millions of other Americans, I’m exhausted. But I’m not tired from #Resisting or tired from screaming at a MAGA…
Joe Biden isn’t ‘gaffe-prone’, he’s losing his mind
‘Gaffe?’ Who invented this nonsensical term? Its only common usage seems to be among political journalists and pundits, as a…
Trump takes New Hampshire
‘They say he’s not going to win re-election,’ blurted a tank top-wearing twenty-something as he scanned the crowd outside SNHU…
Boris Johnson is the EU’s nemesis. But could he be Europe’s saviour?
It is a curious and rather moving experience to see someone you have known for thirty-five years standing in front…
Alexander Waugh is the Brexit party’s most illustrious candidate
At the next General Election, the lucky constituents of Bridgwater and West Somerset will find an illustrious name on their…
Why October 10th is Boris Johnson’s best bet for a snap election
Boris Johnson thrives on risk. His political life so far has consisted of a succession of gambles that have paid…
Is it time for some 2020 Democrats to put party over country?
Would the Democrats be better off losing the presidency in 2020 and winning the Senate? If you think that the…
Why Boris Johnson needs an election to deliver Brexit
What more-or-less all Tory MPs seem to have missed is that Philip Hammond, the ex-chancellor who has become the anti-no-deal…
The real reason Corbynites turned on Caroline Lucas and the Greens
Caroline Lucas’s plan for an all-female emergency Cabinet to stop a no-deal Brexit is a fantasy, with no prospect of success.…
Trump’s massive shadow cabinet
If President Trump secures re-election next fall — a prospect growing less likely by the day — it won’t be…
In praise of the bands that said no to Greta Thunberg
My faith in rock music has been temporarily restored. According to the manager of The 1975, the execrable essay/song that…
Hong Kong protesters are following the wrong script
What do you call a global hub without an airport? Hong Kong. No other city can lay claim to this…
A US trade deal is good news for Britain
Now that America is offering a trade deal – or as John Boulton says, a series of mini deals – can…
It’s time David Cameron returned to fix his Brexit mess
In private moments of exasperation with rebellious Tory MPs, prime minister David Cameron used to complain that “too many of…
Is it illegal to mock this drug dealer’s haircut?
Is it a crime to mock a criminal’s unfortunate hairstyle? Police in South Wales seem to think so. Last week, Gwent Police…
Hong Kong protesters are making things easy for China
The world is watching Beijing as it watches Hong Kong. There are nervous expectations that troops will be deployed in…
How renewable energy makes power cuts more likely
At 16 minutes past four on Friday a press officer at National Grid put out a tweet which seemed to…
Donald Trump isn’t to blame for America’s mass shootings
The BBC’s flagship news and current affairs programme wasn’t in any doubt about who to blame for America’s latest bout…
