John Swinney
Don’t bet against the SNP
The complete ineptitude of their rivals has kept them at the top of Scottish politics
Scotland’s cold and durable fire
John Swinney is proving that in politics what matters most is simply showing up
Most Read
Why they hated Ann Widdecombe
Fair-minded people could agree or disagree with her opinions. Left-wing bigots hated her for not abandoning them
Gary Stevenson is wrong about wealth taxes
The popular economist is irritating, but more importantly he is mistaken
Solent mean
Solent PhD student frozen out after introducing Roger Scruton into seminar
Tame Impala fails to impress
unconquered by a
taste of Crusader food
A chaplain’s vindication
The case of Dr Bernard Randall has exposed the rot in our institutions
Stella Creasy hates questions
For many politicians, being disagreed with is proof that they are right
Sport’s regime changes
Canadian snooker has gone the way of Hungarian table tennis
Light my fire
A perfect spy requires a spark for his cigarette
Wit as well as social conscience
Avril Quartet: Claires Obscures (Etcetera)
Lebanon’s finest
Henry Jeffreys savours some reds and whites from the Bekaa valley
Venice Biennale 2026
Collected detritus of Biennales past, left available for recycling when there’s space to fill
Labour’s Gagging Acts
Labour is taking inspiration from Pitt the Younger when it comes to curbing speech
Peston’s Inbox
Burnham: “Ay up! I’m a northerner”
Dancing with death
The rush to judge Liam Scarlett was cruel and unjust
The hitch with the Hitch
How Christopher Hitchens brought me back to Christ
Why a wealth tax would fail
Wealth taxes have been tested in various countries and have been abandoned for very good reasons