Opinion

Alastair Campbell’s article on sado-populism has struck a chord with this reader

A reader explains how the EU referendum stripped him of his Britishness

MITCH BENN offers four good reasons to feel proud of England’s footballers and to look forward to the World Cup despite their Euro final defeat to Italy By the time you read this, several days will have passed since England’s defeat (on penalties, inevitably) at the Euros final on Sunday.  How are things going, up there […]

ROB HUGHES examines England’s near-miss at the Euros and finds that for all their advantages, a change of mindset is necessary at the top So near, and yet so far. England released itself from the European Union, but remain far from the world-beaters some fans imagine it is their birthright to be as the motherland of […]

Critics of the government’s re-opening strategy need more than just carping. They need to offer their own analysis

Editor-at-large ALASTAIR CAMPBELL on a concept that helps explain the politics of Boris Johnson

It has been a gloomy week on the sunlit uplands of sovereign Britain as we learned exactly why “Liz Truss” rhymes with “mistrust”. While Brexit continues to deliver more empty shelves for consumers, more carnage to our food and fishing sectors and more chaos to the people of Northern Ireland, the eternal sunshine of our […]

One spectator sport this summer has been watching politicians try to tie their fortunes to the England team. Such efforts are as doomed to failure as, ultimately, Gareth Southgate’s team was.

Some modern misunderstandings are a consequence of changes that have occurred in the English language over the last 300 years A regrettable and embarrassing incident has occurred in the West Midlands of England. An 11-year-old schoolboy was referred to the government’s so-called counter-radicalisation programme after the teacher asked his class what they would do if they […]

Keith Floyd’s charm turned him into a caricature. SOPHIA DEBOICK thinks that, instead, he should be remembered as the nation’s culinary pioneer “Pick young, small, un-flowering dandelion leaves. Wash and dry them carefully. Serve with olive oil, salt and sherry vinegar and cubes of hot fried bread.” This was the delicious simplicity of Floyd’s Food, […]

Theresa May has been rated as one of the worst two post-war prime ministers in a survey of UK university academics specialising in British politics and contemporary British history.

Herbrand Sackville, the 9th Earl of de la Warr, was ahead of his time in his belief that art could breathe new life into a town. A century on, RICHARD HOLLEDGE looks at the must-see art of the east coast

It might have had five years to sink in, but for those with deep roots on the continent, the pain of Brexit still feels raw – particularly at this time of year Before the apocalypse, this was the time of year when thoughts turned to the great migration from northern Europe south for the summer. A feeling […]

The arrangement comes with many advantages, even for Unionists who hate it the most.  Northern Ireland’s Unionists are extremely angry right now, with some reason. A Conservative government and indeed movement with which many sympathised – just trying to ‘get Brexit done’ – has ended up building a trade barrier down the Irish Sea. That […]

Michael Horovitz, poet, born April 4th, 1935, died July 7th, 2021 The euphoria that accompanied England’s victory against Denmark to reach the Euro final was deadened by the news the following morning that Michael Horovitz, one of the greats of British poetry, had succumbed to brief illness after a fall. A devoted Arsenal fan and a […]

The 1946 British Lions’ rugby league tour of Australia was one of the most unusual chapters in sporting history The officer of the watch heard the splash and the shouts. A man had gone overboard into the shark-infested waters off Port Said. It’s no mean feat to stop and bring about a 23,000-ton aircraft carrier […]

The city is seriously considering proposals to seize apartments from landlords to resolve its housing crisis. Is it an extreme throwback to its communist days, or a bold move that could offer a solution to other European cities? Sunset on a summer’s day in Tempelhofer Feld, the former central Berlin airport that’s been turned into a sprawling […]

Nowhere are the tensions between tolerance and intolerance felt more acutely than in Poland, where some areas have tried to introduce 'LGBT-free' zones

In a special report, JOHN KAMPFNER explores the failure of the US, Europe, China and Russia to work together on global vaccine provision, and how the developing world can exploit their rivalry Relations between the major powers are at their worst for decades with cooperation thin on the ground, and Covid-19 having deepened suspicions further. In April, […]

England’s success at the Euros tournament has stirred emotions Boris Johnson can only wish he could achieve

The former health secretary’s other misdeeds may have attracted more headlines, but the use of private email and WhatsApp for government business is a serious concern

This was meant to be its moment but across the continent, populism has peaked. So what is replacing it?

This week marks five years since the launch of The New European, a symbol of one of the few upsides to emerge from Brexit, says IAN DUNT

Established a pop-up paper in 2016 due to last only four issues, The New European turns five this week. Former editor of the Financial Times LIONEL BARBER explains why it has found a niche and how it can help shape European debate

Bonnie Greer reflects on living in central London during Covid protests and explains what lies behind the manhandling of chief medical officer Chris Whitty If you appear on TV, even from time to time as I do, one of the facts of life is this: people will come up to you on the street. Most […]

MITCH BENN wants an end to gossip about the divorce of Brexiteers Michael Gove and Sarah Vine HEARTRENDING HUMAN DRAMA OF THE WEEK The parallel universes of politics and newspapers were rocked  with the news that the UK’s leading “power couple”, journalist-turned-perennial political survivor Michael Gove and journalist-turned-Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine, have separated and are […]

Ireland’s former ambassador to the UK BOBBY McDONAGH says political tensions mean many of his compatriots have found it much tougher to lend their support this time When the president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, made a state visit to the UK in 2014, he expressed the hope that the England football team would “go all the […]

England's footballers have brought joy to the nation. Nonetheless, ROB HUGHES explains how our opponents still have much to teach us

Scotland fan ALASTAIR CAMPBELL on his texts with Gareth Southgate, meeting Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling – and why he’s found England so easy to like this summer I wouldn’t overstate my England football credentials, but I have seen Harry Kane naked but for his underpants (more later); and Raheem Sterling has given me a guided tour of […]

The Faroe Islanders are in the process of connecting up their archipelago with a series of breathtaking tunnels. Could they be setting an example for the UK to follow?

Control of the UK’s borders helped drive the Brexit vote. Now, Priti Patel must hope for European co-operation for her immigration clampdown The desire to have control over the UK’s borders was one of the strongest arguments for the Leave side to win the EU referendum. Now, five years on, the British government is determined to […]

Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi’s EU workers disaster shows that the Brexit chickens are coming home to roost It has been a gloomy week on the sunlit uplands of sovereign Britain, and for all the talk of football, one thing we can be certain of coming home are Brexit chickens to roost. As the consequences of […]