‘What if a blind person falls over an e-bike?’: The untenable rise of whataboutism Opinion Rowing about hypothetical dangers like e-bikes on pavements is turning London into a febrile City, scared of progress, writes Michael Martins.
Donald Trump won’t annex Greenland – this is part of his standard playbook Opinion Trump has a standard political playbook, and his Greenland threats are right on script, writes ex-US Embassy specialist Michael Martins.
The secret to Reform’s rise? They don’t put their out of offices on Opinion Reform used the summer holiday vacuum to further their cause, and it's made all the difference, writes Michael Martins in today's Notebook.
Rachel Reeves’s caution could prove as damaging as Liz Truss’s recklessness November 18, 2025 Reeves is trying her best to avoid any comparisons to Truss's infamous mini-budget, but her excessive caution could prove just as damaging.
UK needs a minister for drones to prepare for modern warfare October 21, 2025 As autonomous warfare spending edges towards a quarter of the MoD’s budget, it makes sense to appoint a dedicated minister for drones.
The Notebook: I was a control officer during President Trump’s last state visit – here’s what to expect this September 16, 2025 The overriding priority during this week’s state visit by Donald Trump will be ensuring nothing goes wrong, unfortunately that means different things to both sides, says Michael Martins During President Trump’s last state visit, I was the landmark on Downing Street to show where the President’s car, the Beast, should park. That was the plan [...]
Boots on the ground in Ukraine? Brits don’t want to fund it August 19, 2025 With an electorate that doesn't back higher defence spending, Healey's promise to put troops in Ukraine looks like political grandstanding.
In Starmer’s Labour, it’s backbenchers that hold the power July 15, 2025 Labour needs backbenchers who fight for growth, not just block spending cuts, writes Michael Martins in today's Notebook.
Are Brexit Britain and Carney’s Canada a dream match? June 17, 2025 As Carney balances political principles with market realities, post-tariff Canada could learn from Brexit Britain, writes Michael Martins.
European leaders talk of war, but I keep getting out of offices May 20, 2025 Europe talks a hard game on defence, so why is the ministry of defence more concerned with horse dentists, asks Michael Martins.
