coronavirus
A lesson in survival from pre-21st century Marks & Spencer
When I wrote last week about business-to-business pain-sharing for survival, I was naturally thinking first about UK companies. I say…
Covid-19 is giving me hyper-focus on the beauty of spring
We know, because of the lack of widespread testing, that incidences of Covid-19 are under-reported. What is less well known…
Portrait of the week: Boris recovers, flour sales soar and France and India extend lockdowns
Home The number of people with the coronavirus disease Covid-19 who had died in hospitals by the beginning of the…
How did the virus get past my Obsessive Compulsive Corona Disorder?
When two members of my family went down with what appears to be Covid-19, I felt concerned. What I hadn’t…
The keys to ending lockdown – introverts and brown M&M’s
Once we’ve flattened the curve of infection with mass self-isolation, the next debate will concern how to soften the restrictions…
The joy of short stories in these taxing times
From time to time, usually when things are quiet, the government brings on the dancing girls. David Cameron made Carol…
A first-hand account of a racehorse trainer’s battle for survival
Sport may well be ‘the great triviality’ as Timeform founder Phil Bull once put it, and racing as trivial as…
Our puppy has no respect for the two-metre rule
Since the beginning of the lockdown, Caroline has been congratulating herself for having bought a puppy ‘just in time’. She…
The British have bought the lockdown hook, line and sinker
I am a type. I don’t like groups. I maintain few memberships. I question and resist authority, especially enforcement of…
There’s nothing equal about this virus
Filthy germ-laden townsfolk were out and about on the footpaths near my home on Easter Sunday, dragging with them their…
Coronavirus lockdowns are cowardice
This is a piece about death. Obviously death is a serious topic, perhaps as serious as anything you could possibly…
Five measures that could prevent future lockdowns
That the World Health Organisation hasn’t exactly shone in the coronavirus crisis is now well-documented. It should remind us of…
Why is the New York Times shilling for the World Health Organization?
Donald Trump announced this week he intends to halt funding for the World Health Organization over the group’s suspicious relationship…
Trump walks the recovery tightrope
President Trump’s decision to set the United States back on the path to work will be decried as mere politics,…
Leaked US document suggests Covid may be less lethal but more widespread
Have we been vastly underestimating the number of people who have been infected with Covid-19 and correspondingly overestimating its mortality? No…
Who will win the corona wars?
This article is in The Spectator’s May 2020 US edition. Subscribe here to get yours. The Covid-19 pandemic came along just as…
The cashless lobby is cashing in on the COVID-19 crisis
Coronavirus, we have been warned many times, has brought scammers out in force. But lobbyists are not far behind. Their…
Why The Spectator is a true survivor
As print titles battle logistical disruption and falling sales from Covid-19, it’s worth saluting The Spectator’s long-lasting tenacity. It has…
Sovereignty rules
This article is in The Spectator’s May 2020 US edition. Subscribe here to get yours. Washington, DC At the end of…
Saudi may have won an oil truce – but a greater conflict now looms
For the first time in months, the coronavirus panic was briefly demoted as the main news story on Sunday when…
Has Fauci has become the James Comey of the scientific community?
Is the Trump White House fired up? Not exactly. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley tried to douse the speculation that…
The thin facade of authority
The virus will teach us many things, but one lesson has already been relearned by the American people: there are…
Our Easter lamb reveals the miracle of free trade
Easter is heavily associated with lamb. The paschal lamb’s sacrifice is a gift to all but that is not the…
Understanding Covid needs open minds – and vigorous debate
After a career as a scientist and clinical academic, I have been struck by how often they (we!) have very…
I was relishing the lockdown a week ago, but now I need urgent hospital treatment
In France the rule for going for a walk stipulates an hour in duration or a kilometre in distance. We…
