Kirsty Brimelow
Liberty in lockdown
Is it time to release democracy from quarantine and resuscitate the rule of law?
The fallacy of soft power
The world runs on cold national self interest, not cultural capital
Who judges the judges?
Judges, whatever their gender, need sufficient judgement to maintain neutrality and political impartiality
The Post Office scandal
Legislation to resolve the injustice is not as straightforward as it seems
The unromantic truth about tortured poets
Taylor Swift is idealising the grim realities of the lives of poets
Talk of conscription is pure fantasy politics
We do not have the forces, the seriousness or the need for a major ground war
The joy of pets
Pet ownership is one of life’s simple pleasures, but it also lifts the soul
Therapy is making children ill
What would really help children’s mental health is talk about resilience
Don’t just do something, stand there!
Three new books resist the modern cult of busyness
Venice’s tortuous tourist tax
How much public money has been wasted on a scheme which will be quietly retired?
How the internet killed The Simpsons
Nicholas Clairmont has avidly viewed more than 750 episodes of the comedy about the residents of Springfield — but won’t be watching any more