referendum

Nordic dream or nightmare?: The Mark, by Frida Isberg, reviewed

7 September 2024 9:00 am

A test has been developed in Iceland to assess a citizen’s sensitivity and potential for anti-social behaviour. Will the looming referendum make it compulsory?

The crushing defeat of Australia’s divisive Voice referendum

15 October 2023 1:37 am

Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, urged his fellow Australians to take ‘the opportunity to make history’ today. And they did,…

Why did Australia vote No in the Voice referendum?

14 October 2023 9:52 pm

I’m in Sydney for the Voice referendum result and was ready to settle in and watch the declarations for each…

Australia’s disastrous indigenous voice referendum

23 September 2023 9:00 am

My partner and I have just returned from the most magical trip. As guests of Western Australia’s tourist board we’ve…

We could learn a thing or two from Swiss democracy

14 February 2022 11:55 pm

There was another referendum in Switzerland over the weekend. This one was about protecting the young from the evils of…

Television, not social media, is fracturing our society

20 June 2021 7:56 am

All it took for the Twitter mob to descend on me was a retweet from Michael Gove. Message after message…

I’m sorry because I failed: An interview with David Cameron

21 September 2019 9:00 am

‘How have you been?’ David Cameron asks, bounding up to meet me. Fine, I say, then make the mistake of…

Must ‘the will of the people’ always be respected?

15 September 2018 9:00 am

I’ve always respected Alistair Darling and cannot imagine him saying anything ill-considered. But listening to him interviewed last Monday on…

Four year terms are a bad idea

24 February 2017 7:13 am

The election of Donald Trump, the vote for Brexit, and the return of One Nation have all threatened the centre-right status…

Leave campaigners aren’t being disrespected. They’re being paranoid

30 April 2016 9:00 am

There are moments when one wonders whether one is seeing and hearing the same things as others. For me such…

A lesson from Italy on the futility of referendums

23 April 2016 9:00 am

As we prepare in Britain for our momentous referendum in June, Italy has just had one. It happened last Sunday…

Portrait of the week

5 March 2016 9:00 am

Home An official analysis by the Cabinet Office said that if Britain left the EU it would lead to a…

Trade comes before trade agreements (but the ‘in’ campaign don’t think so)

5 March 2016 9:00 am

The government, or at least David Cameron’s bit of it, seems to think that trade is something that takes place…

Why does no one in the cabinet admit to being a Europhile?

27 February 2016 9:00 am

One of the oddest features of the cabinet majority for staying in the EU is that almost no one in…

Go back and get more from the EU, Prime Minister

6 February 2016 9:00 am

Throughout his negotiations with the European Union, David Cameron was fatally undermined by his own lack of resolve. He was…

Portrait of the Week: David Cameron’s EU deal and the death of Terry Wogan

6 February 2016 9:00 am

Home David Cameron, the Prime Minister, made a speech in Wiltshire about a letter from Donald Tusk, the president of…

The new sceptics’ case for staying in the EU: it’ll sink soon anyway

30 January 2016 9:00 am

As Tory ministers wrestle with their consciences before the EU referendum, an intriguing new argument for voting to stay has…

What Brexit would look like for Britain

23 January 2016 9:00 am

Life outside the EU would be good for Britain

Charles Moore’s Notes: Are we really going to try Lord Janner’s corpse?

9 January 2016 9:00 am

At the end of next week, a judge will decide whether the ‘trial of the facts’ can proceed now that…

Can Cameron really offer the best of both worlds in the EU referendum?

12 December 2015 9:00 am

By this time next year Britain will, if the government has its way, have voted on whether or not this…

Portrait of the week

17 October 2015 8:00 am

Home Two groups were launched, one in favour of remaining in the European Union and the other in favour of…

Charles Moore’s Notes: Why Labour keeps failing to choose a woman leader

22 August 2015 9:00 am

Watching the very pleasant Liz Kendall on television this week, I was struck by how extraordinary it is that more…

Charles Moore’s Notes: Why the Greek No is a great moment for socialism

11 July 2015 9:00 am

Even if everything goes wronger still, the Greek No vote is a great victory for the left. Until now, the…

(Photo: Getty)

Greeks just want to keep what they’ve got

11 July 2015 9:00 am

We were breakfasting outside on the morning of the Greek referendum. The result could only be guessed at and all…