All the latest analysis of the day's news and stories
Were there a Most Beautiful Parliamentary Constituency in the UK award, Brecon and Radnorshire would be a very plausible contender. But Conservatives may be struggling to appreciate the aesthetic appeal of this large chunk of rural mid-Wales today. The by-election there overnight has reduced Prime Minister Johnson’s effective parliamentary majority – that is, including the
Frank Field has announced today that he is forming the ‘Birkenhead Social Justice Party’ to stand at the next election. Field resigned from the Labour whip in July last year. In December he spoke to Lynn Barber and explained why he’s used to doing things differently: Frank Field was given a standing ovation when he
As expected, the Liberal Democrats have won the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election – thereby reducing Boris Johnson’s majority to one. The news ought not to come as much of a surprise. Ahead of the vote, the Tories appeared to be doing everything they could to lose it. The by-election itself was triggered following a recall petition after
Boris’s new government abounds with good people and good ideas to boost business – and we are already reaping the rewards. Liz Truss, as the new President of the Board of Trade has announced today that once we leave the European Union, the UK will be a global free trader, with freeports and safe harbours
For the latest competition you were invited to submit a short story entitled ‘The Last Bumble Bee’. The buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, was once voted Britain’s favourite insect, and this challenge seemed to strike a chord, inspiring stories that ranged from the topical to visions of a near-future of drone pollinators and enforced entomophagy. Congratulations
Former Vice President Joe Biden had a gentle plea for Sen. Kamala Harris before the debate even began. As the two clasped hands and greeted one another with a cheerful hello, Biden asked Harris if she could do him a favour: ‘go easy on me, kid.’ The remark was made in jest; Biden is a
It is both very stupid and a criminal offence to drive whilst using a hand-held mobile phone. The reason is obvious: it is distracting and dangerous. On 19th August 2017 Ramsey Barreto was driving past the aftermath of a serious accident in Ruislip when a police officer saw him holding up his phone and using
Last week Boris Johnson’s younger brother Jo was appointed universities and science minister, recapturing the brief he held from 2015 to 2018. His appointment raised some eyebrows, mainly because only eight months ago he resigned from May’s government so he could back a second referendum, and issued a stark warning about the ‘untold damage’ that no deal
With Boris Johnson currently refusing to meet with any EU leaders for Brexit talks unless they agree to abolish the ‘undemocratic’ backstop, speculation is rising that the UK is on course to leave the EU without a deal. However, should the new Prime Minister manage to silence his critics and win a concession from Brussels
It seems the New York Times has decided to continue its bizarre crusade against Britain, which culminated in last year’s outlandish claim that the nation lives on a diet of mutton and oatmeal (although, given current reports that the government is considering buying up Welsh lamb in the event of a no-deal exit, this strange
It’s well known that all good Silicon Valley billionaires these days have one issue that is firmly at the top of their agenda. So it’s no surprise that when the owners of the tech behemoth Google hosted their seventh ‘Google Camp’ – a private, three day conference for the rich and famous on the southwest
The elderly lady’s face is red with rage as she screams with all her might at police. Leaning firmly on her walking stick, her head doesn’t even clear the top of their riot shields. Her grey hair tied back in a ponytail, her worn T-shirt is in bitter contrast with the army green and black
Beto O’Rourke needed a wing and a prayer. The second Democratic presidential debate was an opportunity for the 46-year old Texas congressman to shut down the naysayers and speculators who were doubting his candidacy after a less-than-optimal fundraising stretch and a 2.8 per cent ranking in the polls. The game-plan for the former boy wonder of
This week, The Sun instructed Remain Conservative MPs to unite behind Boris Johnson or see Jeremy Corbyn’s desire to ‘turn Britain into an experiment in 21st century Marxism’ become reality. It need not have bothered: the threat of a ‘Marxist’ Corbyn government is one of the few things about which all Conservatives agree. But what kind
It’s a strange beast, the internet. On Monday night, I was slightly reluctantly dragged onto Newsnight to discuss Brexit. Attentive readers will know that I very rarely write or speak about the subject. There are many reasons for this, one of which is that I said most of what I had to say three years
Boris Johnson’s senior adviser Dominic Cummings has found himself in the news today after a video clip emerged of him suggesting most Conservative MPs ‘do not care’ about ‘poorer people’ or the NHS. Now in No. 10, Cummings appears to be on a mission to change that – with a focus on applying the Johnson ethos
I’ve never voted Conservative and I never will. Having been raised in a working-class home, I can’t get past the fact that had the Labour party not come into being, the Tories would have kept my people serfs for as long as inhumanly possible. But I’m also an extreme Brexiteer; far from the past three
If Labour were serious about stopping the most right-wing Conservative government within living memory, it would revolutionise its approach to politics. Clearly, it would have to remove Jeremy Corbyn as leader. Ideally, Corbyn would remove himself. He would not allow the struggle to force him out to waste precious time. He would look at his leadership
Does Momentum do requests? If so, any chance they could deselect Yvette Cooper as a priority? Her dull, maudlin tones are bad enough when she’s lamenting a no-deal Brexit, a prospect she has done more than most to aid, but when the subject is the Labour party her funereal strains bear some of the most
Lots and lots of optimism. Some can-do spirit. A dash of hope, a sprinkle of belief, some added willpower and a pinch of positive thinking. Oh, and in case you forgot, some more optimism (and a few rays of sunshine as well). A whole week into his premiership, which is longer than some of the
Prince Harry’s revelation that he intends to only have two children for the sake of the planet is woke politics at its worst. As his critics have readily pointed out, if he truly believes that having fewer children will save the planet then why not stop at one child? As much as Harry might like
Bokan was designed to make the most of the striking views. Panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows flood all levels with daylight and paint an incredible picture of all London’s major landmarks. The cityscape is further brought into the venue through the use of antique mirrors, ensuring that no matter where you are, you will always experience an
The PM’s partner has one of the toughest jobs in politics even though it’s not a political appointment. That’s the nub of the difficulty. The role is undefined and unpaid. And whatever the partner does can be labelled a blunder and used to attack the prime minister. I’ve just written a play, ‘Cherie – My
During the 2016 referendum battle, I consistently said that leaving the EU would make the UK poorer, though probably not as poor in the short term as George Osborne was arguing. But – as I always added night after grinding night on the News at Ten and in a couple of Tonight films I made
It’s less than four years since Jeremy Corbyn’s hard-left sect seized control of the Labour Party, and yet already its anti-Semitic views – so alien to Labour tradition – seem too deeply rooted to eradicate. Today’s ‘Holy Smoke’ podcast puts this sinister development in the broader context of the ‘Red-Green’ alliance – the love affair
Boris Johnson has appointed a former Daily Mirror Chicken as his chief spin doctor, the paper’s front page revealed today. Lee Cain, Boris’s new communications director, donned the infamous costume during a stint at the Labour supporting newspaper and began ruffling Tory feathers during the 2010 general election, when he pursued David Cameron round the
In yesterday’s Evening Blend newsletter – to which you should sign up – Katy Balls concluded that ‘If the Conservative party is going to continue to prosper in Scotland’ Boris Johnson and Ruth Davidson must, between them, ‘find a way to pitch a pro-Union, pro-Brexit message – and fast.’ Well, indeed. The problem, though, is
Jeremy Corbyn was in Blackpool today, where he joined a protest against the fracking firm Cuadrilla and launched his ‘Green Industrial Revolution in the North West’. On his trip to the seaside, Corbyn was joined by local Labour politician Chris Webb, who is currently vying to become the MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys. Webb certainly seemed to
Does the arrival of Boris Johnson in Downing Street signal the end of the politics of branding and the beginning of the politics of principle? Can we already see in the announcements and actions of the Johnson Government a new style of politics? The early signs would suggest so. Boris’s first speech outside No.10 was
Two Spectator contributors were invited on to the BBC’s Newsnight last night to discuss the prospect of Britain leaving the EU without a deal on 31 October. Matthew Parris and Doulgas Murray joined Emily Maitlis in the studio, as the pair discussed the nature of no deal, whether the vote to Leave in 2016 was a true mandate
I had forgotten how much I disliked cannabis until I found myself under its influence, in the rain, trying and failing to find Toronto’s Union Train Station so I could get to the airport and go home. The plan had been to enhance my mood for a long journey, floating back to the UK in
Boris Johnson is sometimes compared to Winston Churchill, not least by the man himself. Unfortunately for Britain’s new Prime Minister, most of these comparisons are fatuous. But there are some similarities. Both are politically fluid and both share an enormous sense of ambition propelling them in unexpected and contrary directions. So far, we have had two
Boris Johnson’s Downing Street is being quite clear that if the EU wants to talk then it needs to be prepared to reopen the withdrawal agreement. If the EU isn’t prepared to budge on this, the message is that there will be no deal. The EU isn’t inclined to take this threat that seriously right
Now that Boris Johnson’s new ministers are in place and the key players in his administration firmly established, the curtain has been decisively drawn over the May era. But who has lost the most and been cast aside in the transition to Boris’s new ‘golden age’? Mr S. presents his pick… Alan Duncan Alan Duncan,