Conservatives

Even Ukip don't dare break the unhealthy consensus on the NHS

3 January 2015 9:00 am

There’s an irony about Ukip’s rise. Nigel Farage party’s popularity is driven by a widespread sense that the main parties…

What Angela Merkel really wants (it's not good news for Dave)

8 November 2014 9:00 am

The German Chancellor has a lot in common with David Cameron – which is why she can’t afford to help him very much

Ukip’s Patrick O’Flynn on the ‘genius’ Nigel Farage and why Douglas Carswell’s votes won’t set party policy

8 November 2014 9:00 am

Patrick O’Flynn praises ‘genius’ Nigel Farage, and puts Douglas Carswell in his place

How to fight Ukip

1 November 2014 9:00 am

In the 2005 general election this magazine supported the Conservatives, with one exception — we urged voters in Medway not to…

It’s not just Ukip that’s changing Cameron’s mind about immigration

25 October 2014 9:00 am

It is easy to mock David Cameron on immigration. Under pressure from the public and from Ukip, he’s having to…

How Cameron could make the EU a winning issue (and why he won’t)

25 October 2014 9:00 am

I don’t think the PM will really campaign for an EU exit. But he still has the best chance of getting one

Ukip is in the middle of the most cynical political repositioning ever

18 October 2014 9:00 am

I think I’ve cracked it. If you want to springboard your minor political party into the mainstream and take British…

Why are the Lib Dems duffing up the Tories? To ensure another coalition

11 October 2014 9:00 am

The last Liberal Democrat conference before the general election has been dominated by denunciations of the ‘nasty’ Tories. Lib Dems…

Who are Ukip’s new voters? The kind of people who decide elections

11 October 2014 9:00 am

An opinion poll to be published next week will reveal that Labour leader Ed Miliband is slightly less popular with…

Must MPs always vote before we go to war?

4 October 2014 9:00 am

Jesse Norman was permitted three minutes for his speech to the Commons in last Friday’s debate. But the contribution from…

Nigel Farage’s class war

4 October 2014 9:00 am

I initially thought Nigel Farage had made a mistake in unveiling Mark Reckless on the final day of his party…

When the Welsh go it alone, blame me

13 September 2014 9:00 am

Oh dear. I think I may have inadvertently contributed to the dissolution of Great Britain. I’m not claiming sole responsibility.…

Here comes Boris! The next Tory leadership fight has just begun

9 August 2014 9:00 am

The next Tory leadership battle has just begun

For Boris, choosing the right seat will only be half the battle

9 August 2014 9:00 am

Choosing the right seat is only half the battle for Boris

Which party has the most MPs’ children in Parliament?

26 July 2014 9:00 am

Commons inheritance Emily Benn, granddaughter of Tony and niece of Hilary, has won the right to stand for Labour in…

Could Michael Howard be the next EU Commissioner?

12 July 2014 9:00 am

In recent weeks British government visitors to Berlin have been confronted with a persistent question: when will David Cameron make…

What is David Cameron’s big idea?

10 May 2014 9:00 am

In almost a decade as Conservative leader, David Cameron has tended to avoid talking about his political philosophy. He has…

Meeting George Osborne at Waterloo

10 May 2014 9:00 am

The defence of Hougoumont is one of the great British feats of arms. If the farmhouse had fallen to Bonaparte’s…

The lefty liberals may be losing their hold over the arts world

26 April 2014 9:00 am

If you happen to be reading this column at breakfast, I’d recommend you skip to something more agreeable like Dear…

White, blue-collar, grey-haired rebels

5 April 2014 9:00 am

In the 2010 general election, Ukip gained nearly a million votes — over 3 per cent — three times as…

Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and the return of Tory wars

15 March 2014 9:00 am

From the moment he took his job, Michael Gove knew that he would make energetic and determined enemies. The teachers’…

I’m scared to admit to being a Tory in today’s C of E

1 March 2014 9:00 am

Believe me, it’s not easy to be a Tory in today’s C of E

If David Cameron can't get the floods right, all his hopes will wash away

15 February 2014 9:00 am

It is all hands to the pump in Downing Street. The entire No. 10 operation from the Prime Minister down…

The Tory rebels have two choices: shut up or lose the election

1 February 2014 9:00 am

Things could scarcely be going better for the Conservatives. Every week seems to bring more news of the recovery. High…

What the NHS owes the Tories

25 January 2014 9:00 am

Pinned to the wall of Jeremy Hunt’s office in the Department of Health is an A1 piece of paper detailing…