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 : Reagan declares: “We begin bombing in five minutes”

August 11, 2026

On this day in 1984, a lighthearted quip from Ronald Reagan nearly sparked World War Three, writes Eliot Wilson Ronald Reagan was an old pro. By the summer of 1984, it was more than 50 years since he had made his radio debut as a sports broadcaster for WOC in Davenport, Iowa, commentating on baseball [...]
On this day: ‘We begin bombing in five minutes’ – Reagan’s accidental broadcast

August 11, 2026

On this day, 11 August 1984, a risqué joke from Ronald Reagan accidentally made his weekly radio broadcast, writes Eliot Wilson.
‘Good growth in every postcode’ is a woeful catchphrase

August 10, 2026

Burnham and co's bid to 'back British' and generate 'good growth' everywhere is a bid to fool voters with their own money, writes Eliot Wilson.
The forgotten masterpiece that helped shape the modern English language

August 5, 2026

As our new Education Secretary rethinks how we learn about language, Eliot Wilson on one of the most forgotten and seminal English texts Five hundred years ago this year, the first copies of an English translation of the New Testament appeared in London. The brilliant young theologian and linguist William Tyndale, then studying in Germany, [...]
On this day: the birth of press freedom

August 5, 2026

On 5th August 1735 John Peter Zenger was acquitted of seditious libel on the basis that the criticisms of the government he has printed in The New York Weekly Journal were true. It was a judgement that established the basis of press freedom on which western democracy still depends, writes Eliot Wilson By the end [...]
Jonathan Reynolds’ industrial strategy is straight out of the 60s

August 3, 2026

Jonathan Reynolds, the new business secretary, has set out a vision for publicly owned services, with private sector partnerships, still under public control – a baffling vision from some eccentric economic bestiary, says Eliot Wilson Andrew Murray Burnham has been in Downing Street for two weeks now. He promised – new Prime Ministers always promise [...]
People read less: Do we still need the Booker Prize?

July 30, 2026

The world and it’s reading habits have changed – but has the Booker Prize changed too? And what purpose does it fulfil, asks Eliot Wilson What is the point of literary prizes? The longlist for this year’s Booker Prize was announced on Tuesday, 13 works of long-form fiction by writers of any nationality, which must [...]
Breaking up the science department is a setback for Britain’s AI ambitions

July 27, 2026

Spreading AI across four different departments is a mistake Andy Burnham will come to regret, says Eliot Wilson Last Tuesday, on his first full day as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham killed the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. That has set back the UK’s approach to science policy by several years, for reasons which are [...]
On this day: the birth of Michael Foot

July 23, 2026

On 23rd July 1913, Michael Foot was born. He would go on to become a Labour leader known for his eloquence, his rigid socialist ideology and his jackets. What lessons does his career offer for Andy Burnham? Asks Eliot Wilson Michael Mackintosh Foot was born on this day in 1913 in Plymouth. He would rise, [...]
Victory wasted: The cautionary tale of Keir Starmer

July 20, 2026

Keir Starmer sold himself as a non-politician, and proved again and again why political skills matter, writes Eliot Wilson.

Modella pulls out of race to buy Poundland

Manchester City must face justice for sake of Premier League and Uefa, says Tebas

Paper Tiger review: Adam Driver and Miles Teller star in gritty gangster thriller

By: Eliot Wilson

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