Portraits
Frans Hals’ sense of fun
A delightful display of portraiture at the National Gallery
What survives of love
A splendid exhibition explores the history of romance
The Boris cult lives on
What his new portrait says about him
Painting Queen Elizabeth
The painted surface of monarchy is everything
Most Read
The martyrdom of Young Bob
On ebbing power of the political influencer
Grooming gangs and the truth
We should not give ammunition to deniers of the grooming gangs scandal
Why has Keir Starmer been so unpopular?
He was the perfect embodiment of a failing system
Babies need women
Leaving children with only men who are not their parents is foolish and dangerous
Stop ignoring the Islamisation of our democracy
The British state is bending to Islamism, not attempting to defeat it
The Book of JO’B
James O’Brien’s aggressive incuriosity is becoming ever more embattled as his worldview crumbles
The roots of hatred
Antisemitism, an ancient subject, has once again become a hot topic
American crusades
Populism is susceptible to foreign lobbies and crusading delusions
Legal curiosities
The pursuit of justice in small or atypical jurisdictions has sometimes led to some unusual legal quandaries
Ant & Dec: heroically bland
Clear separation between private and public selves is faintly refreshing
Escape to the country
Some tractor-acceptance meditation might help with moving day
The hollow men
T. S. Eliot understood contemporary politicians better than they understand themselves
Failing to face the facts
The Tories’ rosy view of their recent election drubbing reveals a reluctance to have the tough intellectual debate needed to secure the party’s future
Unholy war
The Kremlin’s actions contradict its image of itself
The EU is changing on immigration
A firmer stance is being taken — but will it be enough?
Questionably loyal opposition
A “rainbow coalition” between Conservatives and the Greens raises questions about the state of the Tories