By: Eliot Wilson

Eliot Wilson is a writer, commentator and contributing editor at Defence On The Brink. He was formerly a clerk in the House of Commons and writes regularly on politics, defence and international security, and Parliament and the constitution, including for The Spectator, The Hill, The i Paper and CapX

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On this day: the nationalisation of the Bank of England

Opinion

The Bank of England Act 1946 came into effect 80 years ago today, formalising a compact and a degree of cooperation between the Bank and the Treasury which had been developing for years, writes Eliot Wilson The Bank of England is the second-oldest central bank in the world. Only the Sveriges Riksbank in Stockholm, which [...]
On this day: The collapse of Barings Bank

Opinion

On 26 February 1995, 31 years ago today, Baring Bank, one of the City’s most venerable institutions, was declared insolvent after a massive fraud by one of its employees, Nick Leeson, recalls Eliot Wilson In the 1990s, following the wake of Big Bang and the influx of brash but wealthy, “Greed is good, greed is [...]
What really makes a London members’ club work?

Life&Style

Creating a successful private members’ club is hard. If it weren’t, everyone would do it, and the Hospital Club and the House of St Barnabas would still be in operation. Yet new contenders keep emerging, each proclaiming its unique offering which will be the key to its survival and prosperity. Later this year a new [...]

The Monarchy will survive Andrew’s arrest

February 23, 2026

If Andrew is found guilty of misconduct, or if he is proven somehow to be a sexual predator of the worst kind, the law will take its course, as the King has indicated. Embarrassing? Undoubtedly. But not terminal, says Eliot Wilson It was an historic event. At 8am last Thursday, his 66th birthday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor [...]
On this day: Thomas J Watson, father of IBM, was born

February 17, 2026

On 17 February 1874, the man who would go on to found the largest industrial research organisation on the planet was born in the tiny town of Campbell, writes Eliot Wilson The town of Campbell, New York, in the Appalachian Mountains had a population of less than 2,000 in 1874. Thomas John Watson, born this [...]
Nigel Farage’s war on working from home is vibes-based politics

February 16, 2026

Nigel Farage's attack on working from home is designed to increase headlines, not productivity, writes Eliot Wilson.
On this day in 1996: the IRA bombs the Docklands

February 9, 2026

30 years ago today, two men were killed in a massive explosion at Canary Wharf – and the IRA proved that you can bomb your way to the negotiating table, writes Eliot Wilson At around 5.00 pm, 30 years ago today, a blue Ford Iveco Cargo truck was parked 80 yards from South Quay DLR [...]
Peter Mandelson: The anatomy of a fall

February 9, 2026

Mandelson’s fall is now another stick with which to beat a vulnerable and useless Prime Minister, writes Eliot Wilson.
On this day in 1637: The tulip bubble bursts

February 3, 2026

Tulip fever is still remembered as a parable about the evils of capitalism and mass hysteria, but what really happened? Asks Eliot Wilson It is one of those half-remembered, quarter-understood facts to illustrate the ineffable foolishness of human nature. In the first half of the 17th century, the zenith of the Dutch Golden Age, the [...]
Starmer’s Chinese takeaway leaves a nasty taste

February 2, 2026

The Prime Minister returns from China a rather diminished figure. His vaunted commitment to human rights and international law rings very false when he kowtows to the regime in Beijing, and even the likely modest economic impact of his visit cannot offset that, says Eliot Wilson We need to talk about Sir Keir Starmer. The [...]

Oil prices spike as City braces for ‘weeks of uncertainty’ amid Iran tensions

Why Nike’s split with Raducanu is a conscious uncoupling

Ministry of Sound: ‘industry is on the up’ as it reveals brand new take on The Box

By: Eliot Wilson

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