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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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, [...]
We must not put ourselves into turmoil for a short-lived upper hand on Russia

March 14, 2022

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the security of our energy supply – already volatile over the last few months – has taken on a renewed urgency. It is not a new concern—the “energy gap” has been a hot topic for at least the last decade—but the prospect of disrupting, suspending or severing entirely our economic [...]
The personal touch: why you need a stylist

March 9, 2022

Change comes slowly to the citadels of menswear in Savile Row. There were intakes of breath when the venerable Huntsman and Sons (established in 1849) forged a commercial cinema tie-in with the Kingsman franchise. So the idea of visiting not just a traditional tailor but someone who would offer the services of a personal stylist [...]
A tough crackdown on oligarchs must carry us as far as our rule of law allows

March 7, 2022

It is an uncomfortable truth that the West sorely lacks experience of war. That may seem a peculiar statement, after the long and bloody interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, but those were effectively operations of control and rebuilding. What we are seeing in Ukraine at the moment is quite different: one sovereign nation taking on [...]
Putin’s war in Ukraine must make us wonder about our military capabilities

February 28, 2022

Last week all changed, changed utterly; on the eastern fringes of Europe, a war is now happening. Not a border skirmish or some cyber jousting—the Russian army has invaded Ukraine and men and women are losing their lives in a struggle for territory and power. Taken by surprise by this resurrection of old methods of [...]
Why it’s time to bring back the house party

February 24, 2022

There’s no question that the pandemic, and the lock- down restrictions which were introduced to help control it, have profoundly affected the way we interact so- cially. From wearing masks to the dreaded “rule of six”, we suddenly found our lives governed by regula- tions in a way no-one has experi- enced since (yes, I’m [...]
Khan’s mayoralty is an audition for Labour leader – but it’s at our expense

February 21, 2022

Today was supposed to be an important day for the administration of London. The Crystal, the new home of City Hall in Newham, Royal Docks, was due to open and inaugurate a fresh chapter in our governance: a slimmed-down, more efficient headquarters for the mayor and the London Assembly in the east of the capital. [...]
A defence of the hat: A best friend for your head

February 17, 2022

We are still firmly in the icy grip of General Winter, who gave Napoleon such a beating in 1812. This is London, of course, so gone are the days of the Victorian picture postcard scene with thick, gleaming white snow. The rain is coming down and the mercury hasn’t risen yet. And, as we are [...]
Jo Whitfield’s leave from Co-op is an exercise in privilege as well as change

February 14, 2022

Last week, Jo Whitfield, the head of the Co-operative Society’s food arm, announced she would be taking four months of unpaid leave later in the year to help her sons through their A-level and GCSE examinations. On the one hand, the Co-op was lauded for its progressive and flexible approach to employment, and for allowing [...]
Rishi Sunak’s cost-of-living hand out is a classic example of short-term, overburdened Treasury brain

February 7, 2022

Last week, as the cake crumbs were cleared away and the fizz went out of the champagne, there was a serious announcement from the chancellor, Rishi Sunak. There had been an energy crisis looming, prices set to soar, and the government knew that this would feed into a damaging narrative that the cost of living [...]

Pigment boss: ‘We’re replacing legacy players at the speed of light’

England draw with Ghana worth £20m extra to British pubs

Georgia PM’s Starmer outburst over City AM sanctions scoop

By: Eliot Wilson

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