Archives
The W-word
The idea that the sex of a person is simply a matter of choice is a giant ideological lie
Marshalling India’s maharajahs
Dethroned: The Downfall of India’s Princely States by John Zubrzycki
Michael Gove’s new definition of “extremism” is extremely silly
We cannot define such a vague term with such vague terms
What are our cathedrals for?
Changes to the management of cathedrals have obscured the very point of their existence
The Roman Republic is worth thinking about
The life and death of Tiberius Gracchus illustrate the virtues of populism
Irish politicians have lost touch with the people
The failed “modernisation” of the Constitution may not be a one-off failure for Irish liberals
Venice’s tortuous tourist tax
How much public money has been wasted on a scheme which will be quietly retired?
How to destroy football
“Blue cards” will only add to the confusion and subjective rulings we’re now seeing
Very naughty boys
Progressive parenting is all very well but sometimes misbehaviour needs a firmer approach
Introducing Critical Mash
Our new arts podcast, broadcasting from the frontline of the (high) culture war
Most Read
How religion shapes football fandom
The meaning of football is intertwined with the meaning of faith
Why has Keir Starmer been so unpopular?
He was the perfect embodiment of a failing system
Can Russell T Davies write “terfs”?
In Tip Toe, Russell T Davies is more nuanced than one might expect — much to the dismay of gender ideologues
Labour’s mercurial kingmaker
The eventful career of Josh Simons, the man who gave up his seat for Andy Burnham
In defence of Lara Bird
There is nothing weird or dishonest about having a dual existence
Life for petty theft?
IPP sentences are a shocking stain on the criminal justice system that the Prime Minister would do well to kill off
North Korea’s rogue state development
How Kim Jong Un is embracing the modern world
A new town versus an old estate
Development in the heart of rural Oxfordshire will change the ecology of the surrounding area
Why do we still have social housing?
A decade working in Social Housing taught me that the sector’s perverse incentives guarantee the perpetuation of the very poverty it exists to eradicate
What is anger for?
If young women are going to be radical, they need to make it worth it
The praises of a neglected vegetable
Summer calls for cold cucumbers
The Islamopopulist march continues
Overshadowed by the Reform and Green surges, the Muslim vote continues a long march through the corridors of power
A failed war on fags
The black market has taken over the tobacco trade Down Under
Cloaked Crusader
Richard I: valiant hero of Romance but also a perfidious, self-serving lord
Venice Biennale 2026
Collected detritus of Biennales past, left available for recycling when there’s space to fill
Itamar Ben-Gvir, heel
The Israeli demagogue is a bleak but interesting model of a modern politician