Forget Michael Gove or the rise of the Remainers. The reshuffle is about the march of the moderates
Michael Gove will get all the headlines, and there is something darkly ironic about his appointment. Theresa May may be…
In praise of Nick Timothy
First, some caveats. This article isn’t about Fiona Hill. That’s not a comment on her. It just reflects the fact…
To survive, Tories must compromise with Remainers – and Corbynism
Regardless of who leads it, the Conservative Party now has the opportunity to cling to office, possibly even for the…
Jeremy Corbyn has transformed into a ruthless political operator
Jeremy Corbyn says that if he was Prime Minister, he would authorise the police to use ‘whatever force is necessary’…
Ignore all the bluster, the Tories will still win
This is the first general election since 1997 where I have not primarily been employed as a journalist, covering the…
Corbyn wants a kinder politics. Try telling that to some of his fans
Jeremy Corbyn must be furious about his interview with Emma Barnett on Woman’s Hour. Not because of the contents of that…
U-turns matter less than journalists think, especially if voters like the result
This is the latest in a series of posts that could be entitled ‘things I could never say when I…
Forget Brexit. What really matters is rubbish
Pardon the heresy, but I have a suggestion to make about the general election, and politics in general: Brexit isn’t…
It’s time for a real Department of Housing, with a minister to match
‘I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and I intend to spend it’. That was how George W Bush…
Where I’m from in Northumberland, the Tories don’t win – until now
The story of a council election decided by drawing straws isn’t the most remarkable thing to happen in Northumberland today,…
What journalists know, but can never admit: election campaigns don’t matter
I love election days. Some of that is just the simple, wondrous glee that democracy deserves but doesn’t get enough…
Britain needs Blairite optimism – but it won’t come from Tony Blair
We all have different ways of realising we’re not as young as we were. I still remember the first time…
Nigel Farage will always have more power outside Parliament
It’s easy to mock Nigel Farage over his decision to turn down an ‘easy win’ in Clacton or some other…
Theresa May will campaign as being tough on Brexit, but soft on society
A Brexit election, then. Theresa May will win and claim that victory is all the mandate she needs for whatever…
United Airlines prove Corbyn’s point about bad business
The French have their uses, don’t they? They offer us their food, their wine and their bankers, and they also…
The National Trust could teach Theresa May and the Tories a thing or two
What drove Theresa May to break off from a trade trip to the Middle East to chuck a half-brick at…
Remainers must learn from the optimism of the Brexiteers
In an age when people pride themselves on their cynicism, it’s almost touching to remember that one of the most…