History
Alfred Sherman: the original Downing Street maverick
The rise and fall of Dominic Cummings recalls the role of another eccentric who changed British politics
Citizen of nowhere
Street names go woke, David Brent gets his wish, a historian quotes the past and The Vicar of Dibley takes the knee
It’s more than just a bag
The V&A’s new exhibition demonstrates that a handbag is indeed much more than its function
What do detective novels tell us about the period in which they were written?
Professor Jeremy Black sifts through the evidence with Graham Stewart
Ignorance on the Cam
The latest issue of University of Cambridge’s Alumni Magazine encourages ignorant rejection of Britain’s past
The nation’s favourite: why Coronation Street matters
As Coronation Street celebrates its diamond jubilee, is it time to take it seriously as the chronicler of our times?
The lives of philosophers
British philosophy has become much more interesting, but they just don’t make philosophers like they used to
Mapping the past
The new edition of Tom Harper’s ‘Atlas: A World of Maps’ is an instructive as well as attractive volume
The danger of rewriting history
There is a concerted attempt to reconstruct what children are taught about their history
Most Read
The establishment is still living in an immigration fantasy land
It is influential left-wingers, not the broader public, who have deluded themselves on mass migration
American strategy in Iran is wiser than it seems
President Trump’s intervention will leave the world safer than it was
Saint Nicola
Nicola Sturgeon wants sympathy for her husband’s crimes—but after years spent avoiding awkward questions, her latest reinvention may be the hardest sell yet.
On Britain as a capitalist command economy
It is neither neoliberal nor socialist but a secret third thing
Rewatching the English
English identity has become too surreal and discomfiting to define
Why we should explore space
Space exploration lifts the human spirit: rather than asking “Why?”, we should ask “Why not?”
The poetry of Easter
Reason cannot entirely account for the particular and the mysterious
The EU is changing on immigration
A firmer stance is being taken — but will it be enough?
Shining a light on the culture wars
Without the reintroduction of liberal ethical standards, the sacred purpose of academia cannot survive
A below-par Riley is still better than most
The Palm House by
Gwendoline Riley; My Death by Lisa
Tuttle; Still Talking by Lore Segal
The EU is getting worse
Ursula von der Leyen’s left-wing managerial agenda is failing
Why are doctors special?
Doctors have a lot less to complain about than other workers
The Farage flounce
A joke that worked, and an exit that didn’t.
Dining in a different world
Transported by a restored institution
Where is Britain’s vision?
Modern Britain has acquired a lack of national purpose, except for policies that are self-harming
Chopping The Onion
It is neither brave nor clever to portray dissenting women as insane