Culture
In praise of the fruit of the barley
This is an enthusiastic and fluent guide to the world of beer, with an understanding that what makes it such a joy is to do with how it makes us feel
The Trojan Horse of Stonewall
Why did the BBC give money to a pro-trans lobby group in the first place?
Light and shade of a complex Eden
Rodgers and Cavendish gamely and colourfully attempt both to tell the stories and capture Granada’s long-standing mysterious appeal
Round Midnight: Dutilleux, Merlin, Schoenberg (Erato)
This is razzle-dazzle entertainment; keep it by your bedside
High art
Serenhedd James heads to Burlington House for the RA’s summer show
Studio: Dubrovnik
Anthony Daniels visits the War Photo Limited gallery in Dubrovnik
Truly global view of World War II
Richard Overy has done a signal service with this compellingly written, impressively researched book
Beethoven, Birtwistle: A bag of bagatelles (Wergo)
Those who listen to music with an open mind are going to have a ball with this
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be
It’s not that life is perfect — it just isn’t the 70s
The satisfaction of small pleasures
The most anticipated book of the year, a Booker Prize nominee and a posthumous release: John Self on three new, big releases this month
The golden age of criticism?
There are good reasons why serious writers no longer review in the national press
The EU is leaving Britain behind on immigration
The continent is waking up to the need for solutions, and Britain must wake up as well
Is this what winning looks like?
Reform UK supporters are growing weary of infighting and weak rhetoric
The new equality bar
Is the Bar Standards Council really fit to enforce a proposed raft of new equality rules?
Season’s bleatings
Christmas is almost here, but our MPs are not in the festive spirit
The Conservatives must reject Human Quantitative Easing
It has been a disaster for the party and for the nation
The Church of England’s race to the bottom
The Church of England should not be putting ideology before history
An open letter against assisted dying
118 academics oppose the Leadbeater Bill
People of Colour television
How to unpick the progressive contradictions of colour-blind casting
Hoop dreams
Football turned out to be a poor way of shirking parental duties
How H&W hit the iceberg
The opportunism and ineptitude that brought Belfast’s shipbuilding industry to its knees
