Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson must hold his nerve over lifting restrictions
A charge repeatedly made against Boris Johnson over the past 16 months is that he has ‘ignored scientific advice’. But…
Boris Johnson's survival rests on reforming Whitehall
More than 40 years after it was written there are still lines in Yes Minister that are painfully accurate about how…
Follow the science – it's time to unlock
Shortly before Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer were slugging it out in PMQs — debating whether the mass-lifting of restrictions…
Labour's unlocking problem
Labour is unhappy with the government’s plan for unlocking, with leader Sir Keir Starmer calling it ‘reckless’. In the Commons…
Boris's 'freedom day' spells misery for many
The projection from Sajid Javid that Covid-19 infections could surge to a record 100,000 per day in a few weeks,…
Boris Johnson's plan for 'freedom day'
Four weeks later than planned, ministers are preparing to lift nearly all Covid restrictions from 19 July. This afternoon, Boris…
What Merkel's visit means for Brexit Britain
Angela Merkel visited the UK yesterday for the last time as German chancellor – the 22nd visit she has paid in…
Boris bids to reset Anglo-German relations
Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel have just held a joint press conference following their meeting at Chequers. The usual contrast…
It's time for Rishi Sunak to stand up to Boris Johnson
Finally the pandemic fog is lifting and the outlines of post-Covid politics are starting to take shape. While the Government…
The art of Dolly Parton’s bra
New York I hope this is my last week in the Bagel. I plan to fly first to Switzerland and…
Life is about to get harder for Boris Johnson
Covid restrictions are meant to end on 19 July. But parliament will not return to normal until September. The Commons…
The new Covid divide: one rule for the elite, another for the rest of us
Politicians made the rules – so they know how to bend them
A plea from a pollster: stop listening to the public
When Dominic Cummings released his WhatsApp messages with Boris Johnson earlier this month, perhaps the most alarming was the one…
Johnson vs Sunak: The political battle of the autumn?
As ministers grow increasingly confident that they will be able to unlock by 19 July, Boris Johnson is facing a…
Boris shouldn’t write off fossil fuels just yet
At last week’s G7 summit, Boris Johnson pushed his fellow leaders to back his climate finance plan to support large-scale…
The new leviathan: the big state is back
Boris and Biden have placed their faith in the power of big government
Does ‘Johnson’s law’ explain why people won’t work from home?
Even after the one metre rule and the limits on numbers are removed on July 19th, we will not be…
Scrapping English votes for English laws could spell trouble
It has been almost 45 years since Tam Dalyell first asked the West Lothian Question. It is a damning indictment…
Rishi Sunak: I'm a fiscal Conservative (unlike Boris)
When Rishi Sunak told Andrew Neil this evening that he had his eyes on the future, he was ostensibly talking…
Cummings's messages aren’t a ‘bombshell’ revelation
On days like this, I despair of the media-political village where I’ve spent most of my adult life. Because that…
Keir Starmer is alienating both sides in the Brexit debate
What is it with Labour and Brexit? An issue that during Theresa May’s premiership looked like it could rip the…
The cost of delaying 'freedom day'
When Boris Johnson announced that unlocking would be guided by ‘data not dates’ he handed detractors ample scope for derision…
Boris Johnson delays the end of lockdown
Boris Johnson has this evening confirmed that he will delay the lifting of all Covid restrictions by four weeks to…
The lockdown delay has triggered a constitutional crisis
It is not the Battle of Marston Moor, but it strikes me that we are now in something of a…
What Tory MPs fear most about a lockdown delay
As Boris Johnson prepares to announce a four-week delay to the final stage out of lockdown, he faces a mixed reaction.…
