Published by The Guardian (2nd October, 2018) Conversations in the bars and corridors of political conferences often start with a question about how the event is going. ‘A […]
Politics
Tories should revive the Big Society (but not tell anyone)
Published by The i paper (1st October, 2018) As the Tories gather for their annual conference, they are in dismal shape – angry, divided and struggling to deliver […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
May’s fate could depend on Labour rebels
Published by The i paper (24th September, 2018) Who would have guessed that like Aretha Franklin, all Theresa May wanted was a little respect? Forget the fact her […]
Policy / Politics / Transport
Whoops – there go the railways, says Westminster’s answer to Mr Bean
Published by The Guardian (20th September, 2018) Imagine you were running a business and one of your senior managers left a trail of disaster in their wake. First, […]
Africa / Equatorial Guinea / Politics
Steve Baker and his daft plans
Published by The Guardian (12th September, 2018) Seven years ago I went on one of my strangest journalistic jaunts, when I joined the first western parliamentary delegation to […]
Politics
A proportional response to our broken political system
Published by The i paper (3rd September, 2018) Do you remember a politician called Vince Cable? He was that older bloke who famously foresaw the 2008 financial meltdown […]
Africa / Aid / Politics
May’s view of Africa is blinkered and damaging
Published by The Times (29th August, 2018) Theresa May is making her first visit to Africa since entering Downing Street more than two years ago — and the […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
How a loose-lipped diplomat gave me a glimmer of hope
Published by The i paper (20th August, 2018) Since it has stirred such interest following a couple of tweets, I should start with ‘that conversation’. I had just […]
Politics
Boris on the burka was straight out of Bannon’s playbook
Published by The i paper (13th August, 2018) Put aside, even if just for a moment, the future of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. He is a sad […]
Israel, West Bank & Gaza / Politics / World
Why Corbyn is unfit for office
Published by The ipaper (6th August, 2018) Two years ago I had a drink with a friend who runs a family business and is a prominent member of […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
The Brexiteers are right that this is a terrible proposal – but it’s entirely their fault
Published by The i Paper (16th July, 2018) Alan Bennett started as a satirist but became a national treasure, a writer whose work is flecked with nostalgia yet […]
Politics
Yet again, Boris Johnson has exposed himself as a self-serving charlatan
Published by The Guardian (9th July, 2018) The resignation of Boris Johnson as foreign secretary serves as a perfect metaphor for the tragedy and hypocrisy of Brexit. Here […]