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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Is Keir Starmer trying to hard to be a human being?

November 24, 2025

Starmer’s cringe-making video address to his son for International Men’s Day only served to underline how odd and lifeless a politician he really is, says Eliot Wilson Last Wednesday was International Men’s Day. To mark the occasion – and, because he is a politician, and self-promotion is an intrinsic part of the role – Sir [...]
On this day in 1987: 31 killed in King’s Cross fire

November 18, 2025

On this day in 1987, a dropped match in King's Cross Station set a wooden escalator ablaze, costing 31 lives. Eliot Wilson looks back.
Labour: what the hell is going on?

November 17, 2025

Against a backdrop of catastrophic briefings and an upcoming Budget doom, contenders are vying to challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership – but none of them have any idea how they would do things differently, says Eliot Wilson Last week was not a good one for the Prime Minister. With the latest opinion poll [...]
On this day: Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web

November 12, 2025

On this day in 1990, physicist Tim Berners-Lee circulated a memo for a relatively modest information sharing proposal that would go on to revolutionise commerce, writes Eliot Wilson At 35, Tim Berners-Lee was a fellow at the particle physics laboratory CERN. A physicist by training, he had become interested in computer networking and how organisations [...]
Prince Harry’s love letter to Britishness is thin gruel

November 10, 2025

Prince Harry has never posed as a deep thinker, but his paean to “banter” written from his mansion in Montecito is beyond a joke, says Eliot Wilson If immigration is one of the most contentious subjects in contemporary British politics, then British identity is in turn one of its knottiest elements. What does it mean [...]
On this day: The Gunpowder Plot

November 5, 2025

Remember, remember… on this day in 1605 Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament was foiled Today 420 years ago was supposed to see the State Opening of the Parliament for its second session. The 100-day first session had been frustrating and fruitless: a new king from a [...]
Is Nigel Farage right about Bank of England independence?

November 3, 2025

Nigel Farage’s economic policies are neurasthenically inconsistent, but he has opened the door to a debate we need to have about whether Gordon Brown’s settlement for the Bank of England is fit for purpose, says Eliot Wilson Nigel Farage is a practised veteran at grabbing the headlines with a provocative-sounding but ultimately empty remark. Speaking [...]
Why are we even considering China’s ‘super-embassy’?

October 27, 2025

One day the story of China’s “super-embassy”, whether it is built or not, will be the subject of book-length investigative reporting that wins prizes, writes Eliot Wilson.
On this day: Big Bang hits the Square Mile

October 27, 2025

On this day, 27 October 1986: Big Bang hits the Square Mile, and changes the City forever. Eliot Wilson takes us through it.
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 [...]

London local elections 2026: Who will win in the City of Westminster?

Stormzy doubles down in £5.5m Padel Social Club fundraising round

Alex Dilling: Mastering the art of French cooking

By: Eliot Wilson

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