Published by The Spectator (13th March, 2014) Vladimir Putin still swears that there are no Russian troops in Crimea, so their mission is to say as little as […]
Africa / Mali
Africa’s Afghanistan
Published in The Spectator (July 13th, 2012) For centuries, the people of Timbuktu have sought guidance from their Sufi saints. They took pride in the mausoleums of these […]
Aid
The aid business has grown fat. It’s time there was proper scrutiny
Published in The Spectator (February 18th, 2012) Such a simple question: should Oxfam spend a couple of hundred pounds a month opening up the swimming pool at its […]
Arts / Music
Another top ten albums of 2011 list
Published on The Spectator website (December 18th, 2011) Picking my favourite albums this year reminded me of three things about the current state of music. First, the obvious […]
Health / Policy
The ongoing NHS scandal
Published in The Spectator (October 13th, 2011) Shock! Horror! Another report reveals the shameful care given to the elderly in British hospitals. People in the twilight of their life […]
Arts / Music
Spotify Sunday: Shuffle…
Published on The Spectator website (April 16th, 2011) Like many music fans, I could spend months pondering a playlist and coming up with dozens of variations. Since I […]
Arts / Books
Hell or high water
Published in The Spectator (January 24th, 2011) Unbroken: An extraordinary true story of courage and survival by air, sea and land by Laura Hillenbrand (4th Estate) As his […]
Arts / Books / Politics
The making of the coalition
Published in The Spectator (December 4th, 2010) 22 Days in May by David Laws/5 Days to Power by Rob Wilson (both Biteback) David Cameron was despondent on the […]
Arts / Books
That turbulent decade
Published in The Spectator (October 23rd, 2010) No such thing as society: a history of Britain in the 1980’s by Andy McSmith (Constable) On 2 January, 1980, a […]
Arts / Books / Kashmir
Caught in the crossfire
Published in The Spectator (July 24th, 2010) Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer (Harper Press) Maqbool Sheikh dreaded hearing a knock at the door of his home. For he […]
Disability / Health / Politics
The hell I share with David Cameron
Published in The Spectator (October 22nd, 2005) My daughter suffered two seizures the other night. One was shortly after midnight, the other a couple of hours later. Having […]
Health / Policy
Set us free to pay
Published in The Spectator (May 11th, 2002) During the phoney war before the last general election I attended a lunch with William Hague. He was in fine form, […]