Ennobling your mates maintains the finest tradition of the House of Lords August 4, 2020 Britain’s upper chamber is a place of tradition: the Woolsack, the ermine, the outrage over who a Prime Minister has placed there. Boris Johnson’s latest ennoblements have been no exception. Since the honours were announced last week there has been much said about both the size and content of this newest cohort. Yet really, his [...]
With its own Magnitsky Act, Britain can make it clear that international wrongdoers are not welcome here July 10, 2020 The new government sanctions regime, which has seen restrictions imposed on around 50 individuals accused of orchestrating human rights abuses, is a major step in Britain’s post-Brexit place in the world. Dubbed the “Magnitsky Act”, after the Moscow lawyer murdered after uncovering a massive tax fraud, this approach allows the UK to pursue a new [...]
Coronavirus crisis is putting the public good back at the heart of commerce March 26, 2020 Conservative chancellors are not usually known for their inspirational quotes. Rishi Sunak, however, channelled the mood of the nation when he unveiled his bold package to tackle the coronavirus crisis. Ending his speech on a stirring note, he set out how history would judge our response, highlighting the acts of kindness and decency that would [...]
The Covid-19 crisis can move us past the politics of easy answers March 13, 2020 The Black Death begat the end of feudalism and the start of the Renaissance. In the seventeenth century a golden age of architecture and science emerged from a London ravaged by fire and plague. Pestilence can be the cradle of creative destruction, and perhaps it can move us past the age of populism and the [...]
If we want better immigration policies, we first need better immigration debates February 25, 2020 It seems odd to suggest that we should talk more about immigration. It is the policy area which attracts perhaps the most wide-ranging and outraged of political commentary, and was undeniably a key driver in the vote to leave the European Union. Yet the quality of the debate, concerned primarily with numbers and rules, has [...]
Reshuffling the deck: Loyalty, not merit, is the key to a promotion February 14, 2020 Politics may be show business for ugly people, but cabinet reshuffles have more of a feel of football’s transfer deadline day. Ambitious and hopeful MPs keep their phones close by, hoping to see a withheld number and hear the words “Downing Street for you”. Hacks and politicos watch on the sidelines, tracking who is in [...]
We must not let fear of terror attacks compromise our human rights February 7, 2020 The recent attacks in London Bridge and Streatham have highlighted clear flaws in the management of terror offenders. Both were perpetrated by convicts still under licence conditions, released automatically halfway through their sentences. The government is now urgently looking to address this — as it undoubtedly should. However, it should be wary of trampling civil [...]
Til divorce do us part: advice for couples considering separation January 16, 2020 Christmas is meant to be a relaxing time, but for many people it’s also a period of stress, tension, and tribulations — especially for married couples. The financial burden of the holidays plus the pressure to have a “perfect Christmas” and the familiar strain of dealing with in-laws can lead to squabbles and even full-blown [...]
How the Tories pulled off the best campaign of a generation December 19, 2019 One week on, post-election commentary continues to be dominated by analysis of Labour’s woes. In plummeting to its worst defeat since the Second World War, the party now faces an identity crisis, and the fear is that things can only get worse. This focus on Labour’s existential spiral, however, ignores one side of how the [...]
Whoever wins this election, our politics will remain in flux December 10, 2019 Nothing except an election lost can be half so melancholy as an election won. That’s what the Duke of Wellington might have said after he swapped the battlefield for politics. Come Friday morning, each of the major parties will be reckoning with the result — and may find pain in victory as well as defeat. [...]
