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 in 1968: Moscow crushes the Prague Spring

August 20, 2025

On this day in 1968, Alexander Dubček's experiments in "socialism with a human face" with the Prague Spring were met by the force of Moscow.
Sorry Nigel, appointing business leaders to government never actually works

August 18, 2025

Taking successful people from the business world and putting them in government sounds like a good idea, but history proves otherwise.
On this day: The special relationship is born with the Atlantic Charter

August 14, 2025

On this day in 1941, Churchill and Roosevelt made a joint statement that would come to be known as the Atlantic Charter - and the start of the special relationship.
Small boats deal shows Labour’s technocrats have no clue what they’re doing

August 11, 2025

Labour positioned itself as a party of technocrats, but the small boats deal shows they have no clue what they're doing, writes Eliot Wilson.
On this day: Gibraltar is captured by the British

August 4, 2025

On this day in 1704, Gibraltar was surrendered to the Anglo-Dutch fleet. 321 years later, Eliot Wilson looks at what that means today.
Comparing Nigel Farage to Jimmy Savile marks a new low in politics

August 4, 2025

Invoking Jimmy Savile to attack Nigel Farage over online safety is not just offensive – it exposes a deeper intolerance in political debate. Peter Kyle’s remarks cross a dangerous line, says Eliot Wilson You would think that any mainstream politician would think twice before comparing an opponent to Jimmy Savile. The man police believe was [...]
On this day: the Royal Navy drinks its last daily rum ration

July 31, 2025

On this day in 1970, sailors’ daily rum ration – a tradition dating back to the glory days of the Royal Navy – was abolished, an occasion now known as Black Tot Day, writes Eliot Wilson On this date, 31 July, 55 years ago, at 11am, the Royal Navy performed one of its cherished traditions [...]
Orgreave inquiry is a politically motivated waste of public money

July 28, 2025

The inquiry into a clash between police and striking miners at Orgreave over 40 years ago has more to do with a left-wing grievance narrative than getting to the truth, says Eliot Wilson Last week the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced a public inquiry into “the events at the Orgreave Coking Plant on 18 June [...]
On this day in 1974: US supreme court orders Nixon to hand over Watergate tapes

July 24, 2025

On this day 51 years ago, the US supreme court dealt a serious blow to executive privilege when it ordered to hand over hours of tape recordings relating to the Watergate scandal. It’s interesting to wonder how Donald Trump would respond to such a demand today, says Eliot Wilson Fifty-one years ago, Richard Nixon, President [...]
How much will the Afghan data leak really cost?

July 21, 2025

Many questions arise from the astonishing story of the Afghan data leak, but one is why the government seems to have no idea how much it will cost, says Eliot Wilson The announcement last week by defence secretary John Healey that the government had for two years had a super-injunction to conceal a massive loss [...]

Meta trial lawyer to advise UK as scrutiny of social media design grow

New insurance products for female sports stars must cover fertility care

Why I love hotel restaurants – and two of my favourites

By: Eliot Wilson

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