The parsimony of the past is a rebuke to today’s state spendthrifts
An extra 20 minutes of spending on the NHS, perhaps? A couple of days of the furlough scheme? Another “eat-out-to-help out” week when we all get a…
The country needs stability not delay
The decision of the Metropolitan Police to investigate allegations of lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street was a long time coming. That it was announced just minutes before…
Ominous prospect of war dwarfs a diet of champagne and nibbles
Because that’s a party, said Labour, not a legitimate business – though I have to tell them that for those of us who hate parties, every birthday…
If Boris survives this mess, he needs to start governing as a Conservative
In the old silent movies, the hero used to extricate himself from his predicament accompanied by the words “with one bound he was free”. The phrase could…
Why Taylor Swift is the woman the music industry needs
First, Albarn. What was he thinking? He was asked by LA Times’ pop music critic Mikael Wood about an upcoming concert that would feature just him, a…
Mystery over Glasgow art school fire and the ‘lone figure’ who watched as it went up in flames
“We share the frustration that many will feel that the exact cause of the fire has not been identified,” Penny Macbeth, director of the art school, and…
Blackwell’s book advert called notorious anti-Semitic forgery ‘interesting’ and ‘possibly genuine’
Following pressure from the Jewish community, the bookseller changed the synopsis on its website from saying: “We neither support nor deny its message, we simply make it…
Disney on thin ice as Peter Dinklage criticises ‘dwarfist’ Snow White remake
The planned remake of Snow White follows a string of successful live-action adaptations of animated classics produced by Disney, including Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. But…
Without America, All Creatures Great and Small may never have been born
Whether it’s the dizzying effects of the Marvel universe, or the high-stakes family affairs of Succession, American TV has never shied away from drama. So the news…
The Gilded Age, review: Julian Fellowes delivers his best TV drama since Downton
Julian Fellowes’s long-awaited new series is a gritty take on life in a council block in Luton. Just kidding! The Gilded Age (Sky Atlantic) is, obviously, a…
Boris Johnson kept Cabinet in the dark about Met Police investigation into ‘partygate’
Boris Johnson left his Cabinet ignorant of the Metropolitan Police investigation launched into parties at Downing Street, it has emerged. The Prime Minister convened his most senior…
Government wants court battle with BBC over spy story to be kept secret
The Government is seeking to keep secret its court battle with the BBC over plans by the broadcaster to allegedly identify a spy working overseas. Suella Braverman,…
Explained: What the law says about Covid fixed penalty notices
What is a fixed penalty notice? Fixed penalty notices (FPNs) have been issued to people who have broken Covid restrictions in England. FPNs are an enforcement tool,…
Pressure on Boris Johnson to release full Sue Gray ‘partygate’ report
On Tuesday, Mr Johnson’s fightback – dubbed “Operation Save Boris” – was in full swing, as he met more than a dozen Tory MPs one-on-one for meetings…
The ‘no nonsense’ Met police officers leading Downing Street parties probe
The officer in overall charge of the “partygate” investigation is one of the Met’s toughest operators who has led the force’s response to a string of thorny…
Is Angela Rayner a new ‘Boris’ in the making?
Stepping out on Sunday in leopard-print boots, it is a photograph that brings new meaning to the idea that Angela Rayner is “on manoeuvres”. The image of…
Covid rules broken in ‘most homes’, claims MP defending Boris Johnson over partygate
Conservative whips are said to be telling MPs that they should instead focus on the escalating situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border, and have argued that the party…
Inside Kharkiv, the Ukrainian border city that could be the first target of Russian invaders
Last week, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, warned that Kharkiv could be the first city to be invaded by Vladimir Putin’s forces. The city, which has a million…
Doug Beattie: Ulster Unionist leader to stay despite ‘horrendous and horrific’ tweets
Doug Beattie, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, came under heavy pressure to stand down after facing accusations of misogyny and racism over the content of…
Downing Street parties: The Met decides to finally investigate – Cressida Dick’s statement in full
The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police confirmed on Tuesday that Scotland Yard was now investigating a number of alleged parties in Downing Street and Whitehall. Separate to…
The 1922 coup: How influential Tory backbenchers are mobilising against Boris Johnson
Executive committee members Sir Graham Brady Described the Government’s Covid measures as a “disastrous assault on liberty” and voted against vaccine passports in December 2021. Warned the…
Met Police were wary of a high-stakes pursuit of the PM … but then the evidence became impossible to ignore
Almost two months on, Boris Johnson finds himself at the centre of a criminal investigation after Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, decided she could no…
Boris Johnson attended lockdown birthday party for less than 10 minutes, says No 10
Boris Johnson attended a birthday party thrown in his honour in Downing Street during the first Covid lockdown, despite social gatherings indoors being banned. The event took…
Timeline: All the government parties during lockdown and what Covid rules were in force at the time
A picture emerged in December 2021 showing the Prime Minister, his wife and about 15 members of staff enjoying wine and cheese in the garden of Downing…
Britain will send troops to defend Europe if Russia invades Ukraine, says Boris Johnson
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, will speak with Mr Putin on Friday. He held talks with Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, over EU sanctions against Moscow in…