A slow Burnham
Andy Burnham is not from London. Have we mentioned that he is not from London?
The big crunch
How university expansion failed to prepare Britain for the future
Against Northernism
“Northernism” is a superficial form of cultural branding, not a serious political project
Ice and fire
Ben Stokes has had a truly exceptional career
Haskel’s challenge
Andy Burnham does not have much time to kickstart growth
The ties that bind
A revived society tie has raised thousands for hedgehogs — and reminds us what Britain has lost with the decline of the club tie
The hitch with the Hitch
How Christopher Hitchens brought me back to Christ
In praise of the English football fan
No one likes them, they don’t care — and good for them
The SNP is in a Peter Murrell muddle
The Peter Murrell case has exposed the rot at the heart of the SNP’s political culture
Tasty tunes
The Chocolate Soldier, Opera della Luna, Wilton’s Music Hall
Election objections
Andy Burnham doesn’t need a general election mandate
Burying their heads in the ash
The battle against the illicit tobacco market has not been won
Will Andy Burnham be a literary leader?
Burnham is a rare politician who reads books — but how will they affect his premiership?
An indefensible defence policy
Why the country’s strategic ambitions are incompatible with our welfare bill
Keeping us on message
The UK’s secret government propaganda unit dedicated to praising multiculturalism
A massive cross-party achievement
The new V&A East Museum has surpassed all expectations
It’s time to see Brexit through
The next government must finally drag Britain out of the European Union’s tractor beam
Scotland’s biggest legal scandal
Hundreds of men could have being denied their right to a fair trial because of a justice system that rules important character evidence inadmissible
Dear Prudence
A reflection on the Tory Party’s historic suspicion of interventionism
The Cup and me
My lasting World Cup memories have nothing to do with England
One deuce of a decider
This is it, when you look into the abyss and the abyss looks back into you
All the Mendelssohn you will ever need
Mendelssohn: Symphonies and Oratorios (Deutsche Grammophon)
Murders for July
Your summer holiday reading is sorted here
The intractable problems pulling modern Britain apart
When does upholding free speech become an act of self-sabotage?
The errata of history
Misprints are just one in a catalogue of literary disorders
DeepMind delusion
The superstar Demis Hassabis is on a mission to create a God-like superintelligence
Eulogy for rural life
A growing sense of gloom pervades Starmer’s Britain
Baddiel shoots, he doesn’t score
If you want to understand English football, you will get better answers knocking on doors in Burnley than Hampstead
Fisticuffs over the fourth movement
When did classical music become so disturbingly polite?
Wilde times at the country house
Gerald Barry’s outrageous The Importance of Being Earnest manages to overmatch the virtuoso original
Confessions of an aging pop queen
Madonna once assured us that being an adult woman was something to aspire to
The summer chill
Cool soups for hot days
The praises of a neglected vegetable
Summer calls for cold cucumbers
Rewatching a TV show from a lost world
In River Cottage, a chef escaped to Dorset from London in search of the good life
Unusual summer reds
Think exotic spices, maraschino cherries and curly shoes