Published by The Independent (27th April, 2015) With a general election looming, it seemed a good time to see a political play. So on Friday night I went […]
United States / World
The Democrats could do better than another Clinton
Published by The Independent (13th April, 2015) It is not exactly surprising, but Hillary Clinton has confirmed what everyone already knew: she wants to be president of the United States. […]
Politics
There is nothing funny about Farage
Published by The Independent (6th April, 2015) For a moment, I thought it was shocking honesty from Nigel Farage. ‘I’m really very posh,’ he told the Sunday Times […]
Politics
Campaign starts with two main parties trapped in comfort zones
Published by The Independent (30 March, 2015) The phoney war is over. Today, the general election campaign finally begins. David Cameron is expected to drive to Buckingham Palace […]
Housing / Policy
Why is Green Belt so sacrosanct?
Published by The Independent (23rd March, 2015) It’s official: Britain has a housing crisis and everyone agrees that something must be done. Just look at last week’s rally in London to […]
Immigration / Policy / Politics
Immigration as a vote-winner?
Published by The Independent (16th March, 2015) Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh grew up in a Conservative family. Her father was the first Asian councillor elected in Scotland and as a […]
Africa / Libya
Was it wrong to support the overthrow of Gaddafi?
Published by The Independent (9th March, 2015) There are few historic sites more wondrous than the ruins of Leptis Magna, a Roman city once home to 80,000 people, […]
Politics
An end to patronage and the salvation of politics
Published by The Independent (2nd March, 2015) As the fat cats emerged blinking in the spotlight, they were forced to confess corporate guilt over helping wealthy clients cream […]
Europe / Immigration / Italy / Policy / World
Imagine if Isis was approaching and safety just over the sea
Published by The Independent (23rd February, 2014) The statistics and stories are so extreme they barely register any more. In just five days, 4,200 migrants were plucked from […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Good result for Vladimir the Terrible
Published by The Independent (16th February, 2015) On a dank day last March I was chatting to tense Ukrainian officers besieged in their Crimean base by Russian armed […]
Politics
Don’t flirt with the Greens – expose their daftness
Published by The Independent (26th January, 2015) It was another bad weekend for Ukip. First one of its MEPs quit for the Tories, fuming that party leader Nigel […]
Africa / Nigeria
A change of fortune for Nigeria’s president?
Published by The Independent (17th January, 2015) Lawrence Ebele Jonathan was a canoe-maker, struggling to survive in the Delta region of southern Nigeria. Yet despite his humble background he […]