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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Sadiq Khan could be leading the way in deserting the foolish war on drugs

May 16, 2022

Those who like to think they take the long view of history will tell you that the “war on drugs” started in 1971, when Richard Nixon declared illegal narcotics to be public enemy number one. Yet its lineage extended far further back than that: in the US, Congress banned alcohol for nearly 15 years from [...]
We must design tech legislation fit for free markets and open trade rules

May 9, 2022

Late last month we saw a grand statement of principles by a global coalition of economic powers. The United States, the 27 member states of the EU, the United Kingdom and 32 other countries around the world signed the Declaration for the Future of the Internet, a rather ornately presented summary of the philosophical approach [...]
Westminster has much to learn from the resilience of post-pandemic London

May 3, 2022

Last week the City AM Awards 2022 were held in the Guildhall, the ancient seat of government for the City of London. There was an air of celebration, and many dinner jackets and evening gowns were being worn for the first time in months, if not years. There was unanimity on the message which everyone [...]
Priti Patel’s single minded focus on the Channel has let talent leave our shores

April 25, 2022

Immigration is an issue which cuts through. We have seen this with the firestorm following the announcement about how future migrants crossing the Channel will be diverted to Rwanda. The Home Office has pursued it with distinctive single-mindedness, precisely because of its political pull. One of the most powerful slogans of the Brexit referendum campaign [...]
Boris Johnson’s political survival could come at the cost of Britain’s rule of law

April 20, 2022

Last week epitomised a favourite phrase of political pundits: it was a “bruising week” for the government. This one, so far, isn’t shaping up to be much better, after the Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis compared fines handed out to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to speeding tickets. The partygate fines have been fraught [...]
Rishi stole the crypto thunder with an NFT as Whitehall fights to go digital

April 11, 2022

Last week, away from the grinding tragedy of the war in Ukraine and the ongoing fears over rising costs of living, Rishi Sunak unveiled an eye-catching plan. The Royal Mint is set to launch its own non-fungible token (NFT), marking the beginning of the government’s plans to wade into the cryptocurrency sector. NFTs have been [...]
Corbin & King has fallen: What does it mean for The Wolseley, Zedel et al?

April 7, 2022

You can be forgiven for not following the corporate intricacies of the hospitality sector, but last week was significant. On Friday, it was announced that Corbin & King, the restaurant group founded in 1981 by the eponymous Chris and Jeremy, had been bought out of administration by Minor International, the vehicle of American-born Thai billionaire [...]
As we cosy up to Qatar, the West must face the moral maze of the Middle East

April 4, 2022

Last month I wrote about the prospect of Dubai challenging London’s place as a great global financial centre. But Britain’s delicate dance with the Middle East does not end there. The emerging relationship between Europe and the United States on the one hand and the oil-rich emirate of Qatar on the other poses a multitude [...]
Sunak gives with one hand and takes with another to paint a positive veneer

March 28, 2022

LAST week’s spring statement—the chancellor’s mini-budget, and a significant opportunity to lay out priorities and plans—was a big event for Rishi Sunak. While Covid cases persist and people are still dying, there is a broader feeling that the pandemic is now under control, and that the country can now think about moving into a post-virus [...]
As London faces off threats to its global status, Dubai is waiting in the wings

March 21, 2022

Since the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum on our future in the world and beyond the single market, one of the issues which has caused most angst and speculation has been the status of London as one of the world’s greatest financial centres. With the end of free movement of goods, services and people, [...]

Will Burnham take the pressure off business? Don’t bank on it

Exclusive: Bordeaux Begles to compete in London rugby sevens tournament

Beyond the Tour de France: How Girona became a cyclist’s paradise

By: Eliot Wilson

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