The West can’t afford disunity over Ukraine
One of the arguments advanced for electing Joe Biden as US president was that he represented a safe pair of hands after the apparent chaos of the…
A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe review: a moving tribute to Aberfan – but not a great novel
Aberfan is a story that Britain will, and should, find difficult to forget. A natural disaster, caused by official negligence, that took 116 children’s lives; photographs of…
Insomnia, panic attacks and death by drone – inside the ‘dirty work’ powering America
Early on, Press decided not to go undercover. Recently, there has been a spate of books in which writers have embedded themselves in unlovely areas of society….
What Eric Zemmour actually believes – according to his books
Who is Éric Zemmour? The 63-year-old French presidential candidate has been fined again for hate speech, after comments he made last September regarding unaccompanied immigrant minors. He…
Belfast, review: Jamie Dornan shines in Kenneth Branagh’s tale of growing up in the Troubles
The young boy stares up at his father on the social club stage. Crooning along to ‘Everlasting Love’ in his shirtsleeves and tie, the man looks for…
Nightmare Alley, review: not even Bradley Cooper can save Guillermo del Toro’s stiff, synthetic thriller
Early on in Nightmare Alley, when Bradley Cooper’s aspiring con artist is being schooled in the mind-reader’s devious art, his tutor (David Strathairn) gives him an indispensable…
10 of the best Great British gardening brands to support in 2022
This tool manufacturer traces its roots back to 1730, when a business was founded in Sheffield’s industrial heartland making sheep shears, scissors and knives. The turning point…
M&S urges Boris Johnson to end Northern Ireland border checks
Marks & Spencer has written to Boris Johnson urging him to use new technology to end physical border checks in Northern Ireland. In a joint letter with…
Downing Street parties were bad for democracy, admits Sajid Javid
Mr Javid’s position suggests a hardening of government messaging on the issue, with ministers now avoiding answering questions about whether Mr Johnson should resign. On Sunday Oliver…
Boris Johnson can survive ‘partygate’ by cutting taxes and ditching ‘fluffy’ policies, says ally
His intervention cames as Tory rebels switched their attention to the Conservative whipping operation and accused whips of “blackmail” over “partygate”. William Wragg MP, a vocal critic…
Germany’s governing Greens facing criminal investigation over coronavirus bonuses
Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into leaders of the German Green Party over coronavirus bonuses they paid themselves. Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, and Robert Habeck,…
Ukraine crisis: Vladimir Putin is sabre-rattling at the West’s moment of maximum weakness
Nato military assistance thus far – even the short-range anti-tank missiles delivered by the UK this week – does not seriously challenge Russia’s military dominance. But the…
Joe Biden plays Trump card by claiming upcoming US elections could be ‘illegitimate’
Democratic senators had attempted to scrap the filibuster, an arcane rule requiring 60 out of 100 senators to pass certain legislation, in order to advance their voting…
Boris Johnson ‘is damaged beyond recovery’ and will go, says senior Scottish Tory
His intervention came after Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, claimed rebel Tory MPs are getting “closer and closer” to the 54 letters needed to trigger a…
Meet Sue Gray: The former publican who could call last orders on Boris Johnson
In the 1980s, Sue Gray briefly paused her stellar civil service career to buy a pub in “bandit country” in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. If Boris…
Chief knife-wielder David Davis proves Parliament is not just for backstabbing
The Eeyores of British politics insist dolefully that the institution of Parliament is in steady decline. Gone are the Speaker’s wigs and noteless speeches. Even the political…
Boris deserves one last chance, but he may be incapable now of taking it
How surprised can we really be about Boris Johnson’s No 10 shenanigans? He has always been a rule-flouting, outrage-inducing politician – that’s why he managed to deliver Brexit,…
Labour’s Rachel Reeves: It’s the wrong time to raise taxes … but I’m going after buy-to-let landlords anyway
Labour would instead fund the levy “by taxing the incomes of landlords, and those who buy and sell large quantities of financial assets, stocks and shares”, he…
Tory defector Christian Wakeford must call by-election, say cabinet ministers
But raising the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday, the Tory MP Joy Morrissey said there should be a debate on the “democratic mandate” in…
Sue Gray finds all-important email said to confirm objections to Downing Street lockdown party
The email pushing back on Mr Reynolds’ invitation could complicate Downing Street’s defence because it suggests there was some opposition internally. However, given that the message appears…
We will not be silenced, vow peers who were labelled ‘bigots’ for speaking out over trans prisoners
The complaint came after Lord Blencathra proposed an amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that violent and sexual offenders should be housed in prison…
War on the whips as Tory rebels threaten police action amid blackmail claims
Mr Wragg also alerted Sir Lindsay Hoyle to the allegations, with the Commons Speaker warning ministers that the claims, if proven, would amount to contempt of Parliament….
Inside the Tory whips’ office: How flailing enforcers are pushing MPs away from Boris Johnson
Many blame Covid for the “disconnect” between the current crop of new MPs and their whips, with lockdown restrictions having put paid to the face-to-face interaction they…
Want to retire at 55? Here’s how big your pension pot needs to be
Carla Morris, of Brewin Dolphin, said anyone planning to retire early would need to ensure they had made informed financial decisions, which include maximising their pension contributions…
Questor: what happens if we tip a trust, but your broker will not let you buy it?
It’s hard to imagine a more frustrating experience for a reader who decides to follow one of our tips than to be told by their broker that…