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: Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar

October 21, 2025

On This Day, 21 October 1805, Britain’s greatest ever naval hero proved conclusively that Britannia rules the waves… and died in the process, writes Eliot Wilson Today, 21 October, in 1805. It is a Monday, shortly after 5.30am, 25 miles off the coast of southern Spain. As dawn breaks, the skies are mostly clear, the [...]
Inflation has doubled under Reeves and she has no plan to bring it down

October 20, 2025

Inflation is the unseen robber that diminishes our savings and makes a mockery of our plans for the future. Reeves must explain what she plans to do about it before it gets out of control, says Eliot Wilson When Lord Gove hinted in The Spectator last month at parallels between contemporary Britain and Weimar Germany, [...]
On this day in 1814: The London Beer Flood

October 17, 2025

On this day in 1814, the perils of drink would show themselves in an unexpected but deadly way in the London Beer Flood, writes Eliot Wilson.
Don’t raise a glass to Starmer’s plan for pubs

October 13, 2025

Keir Starmer claims he has a plan to save the struggling hospitality sector, but the detail is thin and all his other actions – like banning vapes and junkfood advertising – suggest his every impulse is to control people’s behaviour, says Eliot Wilson “Pubs and bars are the beating heart of our communities. Under our [...]
On this day: Fox News hits our screens

October 7, 2025

On this day in 1996, Rupert Murdoch launched Fox News Channel and changed the American news landscape, writes Eliot Wilson.
Conservative Party Conference: What can we expect?

October 6, 2025

Despite the naysayers, party conferences are not meaningless, so what can we expect from the Tories at Conservative Party Conference 2025?
On This Day: Britain asks the IMF for a loan

September 30, 2025

49 years ago today, sterling crashed to its lowest ever point against the dollar. Denis Healey stared down his socialist opponents and asked the IMF for a loan – paving the way for Margaret Thatcher’s election victory, writes Eliot Wilson Denis Winston Healey, chancellor of the Exchequer (1974-79) and Labour’s indomitable intellectual brawler, soaked up [...]
On this day: The Bill of Rights is set in motion

September 29, 2025

On this day in 1789, the Bill of Rights was sent to the states for ratification. With the right to free speech still hotly contested 300 years later, Eliot Wilson goes back to the start.
Could Andy Burnham actually unseat Keir Starmer?

September 29, 2025

Andy Burnham has made a bold threat to Keir Starmer, but could he actually unseat the Prime Minister? Eliot Wilson takes a look.
On this day: Profumo proves the cover up is always worse than the crime

September 26, 2025

62 years ago today, Lord Denning published his verdict on the Profumo affair – a minor sex scandal made far worse by subsequent lies. What lessons does the ensuing collapse of Harold Macmillan’s government have for politicians today? Asks Eliot Wilson Today in 1963, the Master of the Rolls, Lord Denning, published his 70,000-word report [...]

Anthropic’s new AI legal tool wipes billions off European data stocks

NFL chiefs back Bad Bunny Super Bowl LX show amid Trump protest fears

American Psycho musical at the Almeida review: Bloody brilliant

By: Eliot Wilson

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