James Ball
05 March 2026
Whisper it, but Starmer might be getting it right on Iran
In a highly personal column, our writer argues that, though Starmer’s policy may look indecisive, he might be more in tune with the public mood than critics suggest
Read the full article03 March 2026
Spring Statement: a speech out of date before it was delivered
The economic projections in the chancellor’s statement today have been made obsolete by war in Iran. Rachel Reeves would have won sympathy if she had acknowledged this. She didn’t
Read the full article27 February 2026
Labour tried to become the nasty party. Big mistake
The Labour strategy in Gorton and Denton backfired disastrously, and drove its core voters towards the Greens. If it doesn’t change course, the same thing could happen at the general election
Read the full article25 February 2026
The awful truth: why America hates white women
They’re the single largest demographic group in America and arguably the most politically influential – yet they seem to attract the ire and contempt of political figures from all sides
Read the full article20 February 2026
Bari Weiss is crying all the way to the bank
Weiss made a career by playing the media outsider. But now she’s running CBS – and despite declining audience and newsroom turmoil, there’s no way she can lose
Read the full article19 February 2026
Sorry America, but China makes better electric cars than you
For a while it looked as if Elon Musk would dominate the world of electric cars – but then he turned out to be a basket-case. Now there’s a new global leader in town
Read the full article16 February 2026
Tony Blair’s never-ending legacy tour
A new documentary reminds us of what a consummate politician he was - and how much his achievements are tarnished by Iraq
Read the full article14 February 2026
Matt Goodwin, Zack Polanski and Lucifer: the fight for Gorton and Denton
The Green candidate – a local plumber – is convinced she can win. But does a Labour-Green fight risk splitting the vote on the left, and handing the seat to Reform?
Read the full article09 February 2026
Keir Starmer fights to the bitter end
A permacrisis premiership is finished. A Labour defeat in the Gorton & Denton by-election would signal even deeper problems for his successor
Read the full article08 February 2026
McSweeney’s exit leaves the PM hanging by a thread
Keir Starmer’s path has always been a lonely one. Now, he is out of friends and nearly out of a job
Read the full article06 February 2026
Starmer: a politically-dead man walking
Labour MPs have had enough. They want to see the back of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s closest adviser, followed by the PM himself
Read the full article02 February 2026
Mandelson is finished. Who else is going with him?
As more disturbing details emerge from the Epstein files, the scandal is returning to the door of No 10
Read the full article31 January 2026
The expensive boredom of Melania
Amazon’s $75m documentary about the first lady is a shameful waste of time and money
Read the full article28 January 2026
Labour’s best hope in Gorton & Denton? Matt Goodwin
This by-election was supposed to be a referendum on Starmer - but it could turn into one on Reform’s divisive populist
Read the full article26 January 2026
Burnham’s problem isn’t Starmer. It’s Burnham
The PM had no choice but to block a leadership rival - and Greater Manchester’s mayor must share the blame
Read the full article22 January 2026
Burnham’s bye-bye by-election for Starmer
A challenge in Gorton and Denton guarantees Labour washing its dirty laundry in public all the way up to the local elections - and beyond
Read the full article21 January 2026
Carney spoke to the world. Trump rambled to himself
The US president and the Canadian PM’s speeches at Davos showed the contrast between bluster and leadership
Read the full article21 January 2026
Kemi Badenoch’s clear run.. without a map
Robert Jenrick’s defection presents the Tory leader with an opportunity that she gives no sign of being able to take
Read the full article19 January 2026
Elon Musk’s green light for paedophilia
First Musk embraced the global hard right and now, by failing to limit images of child sexual abuse on X, he has added child abusers to his list of fellow travellers
Read the full article14 January 2026
Can MAGA tech firm Palantir be trusted to run Britain’s data?
It's wildly overvalued, politically extreme and puts Trump first – but somehow has £1bn of deals to run Britain's tech infrastructure
Read the full article08 January 2026
ICE are now murdering people in the street
The shooting dead of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis is the fault of Trump, Noem, and the bullshit conspiratorial ecosystem they’ve built around themselves
Read the full article06 January 2026
Shut down Musk’s AI porn
Grok is churning out sexual images on an industrial scale – some of teenage girls – and pleading free speech. If the UK and Europe don’t act now, they never will
Read the full article31 December 2025
The May elections will be Starmer’s cliffhanger moment
The coming year will be full of intrigue, but the aftermath of the local elections will be the moment Labour rebels will try to oust the PM. Who can replace him?
Read the full article29 December 2025
Calls to remove el-Fattah’s UK citizenship are dictatorial
Yes his tweets were disgusting, possibly criminal, yet it should not be possible for politicians to revoke someone’s national identity just because they dislike their views
Read the full article24 December 2025
We’ve all been playing Monopoly wrong
The board game shouldn't go on forever if you stick to the real rules
Read the full article19 December 2025
Is 2026 the year that Britain’s universities go bankrupt?
Immigration crackdowns are cutting revenues from overseas students - and now some institutions are on the brink
Read the full article17 December 2025
Why are they such damned liars?
Everyone knows No 10 briefs against members of the cabinet, but Starmer told the Commons it doesn’t. That, in a nutshell, is why political trust is dying out
Read the full article15 December 2025
Bondi Beach and the politics of meeting hate with hate
Politicians and activists must do better than using slaughter to justify their points of view
Read the full article09 December 2025
A letter to Donald Trump, from London
You don’t seem to like London very much, or our mayor. But people around here live longer than Americans, and we’re much less likely to get murdered. As for your Sharia law claims - have you ever actually been here?
Read the full article07 December 2025
Why are we funding pathetic, vengeful Liz Truss to lie about Britain?
The failed PM gets £115,000 of taxpayer money per year to spread poison about the UK on her new online show
Read the full article05 December 2025
Please shut up about your Spotify Wrapped
In fact, it’s a total abomination, dreamed up by the company’s marketing department as a way of appealing to your inner narcissist
Read the full article03 December 2025
The crazy right will never be satisfied about migration
Keir Starmer slashed net migration as the Mail and Farage demanded - and still got hammered for it
Read the full article