It was a tale of three tributes. The first was rushed out at 12.19pm on Friday by the leader of the Labour Party. ‘Prince Philip dedicated his life to our country – from a distinguished career in the Royal Navy during the Second World War to his decades of service as the Duke of Edinburgh. … Read more
It was the tweet that sent a tremor through No 10. ‘Don’t understand why the House of Commons has been so slow to try to understand what and why things went so catastrophically wrong, but agreed today I’ll give evidence,’ announced the message from @Dominic2306. Downing Street had been breathing easy after the Prime Minister’s most … Read more
He didn’t display the same emotional range and his tone was slightly less sombre. But there was something familiar about last Monday’s response from Sir Keir Starmer to the crisis enveloping the Royal Family. ‘The issues that Meghan has raised on race and mental health are really serious,’ the Labour leader said, ‘and it’s a reminder … Read more
The roadmap to recovery has been successfully delivered. And now, for the first time since the Election, the political pathway for Boris Johnson is clear. Land the budget. Unlock Britain. Complete a bold reshuffle of the Cabinet. Oh, and one other thing. Either build a garret at the top of Downing Street and lock Carrie … Read more
The roadmap to recovery has been successfully delivered. And now, for the first time since the Election, the political pathway for Boris Johnson is clear. Land the budget. Unlock Britain. Complete a bold reshuffle of the Cabinet. Oh, and one other thing. Either build a garret at the top of Downing Street and lock Carrie … Read more
Sammy Cotter has been running his grocery wholesalers for a quarter of a century. But now he’s living day to day. ‘I’ve got £7,000 worth of goods sitting in Manchester,’ he tells me. ‘It was supposed to be delivered on December 21. But I’m still waiting.’ At first glance, his warehouse in Quarry Heights, Newtownards, … Read more
The end is nigh. Or rather, the end is apparently nowhere in sight. Last week, the hardcore Lockdown-Deniers began to deploy a new mantra. ‘Your regular reminder that there is no end to lockdowns,’ declaimed their High Priestess, the broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer. ‘There is no exit strategy, no plan to reopen schools & businesses, to … Read more
At Wednesday’s PMQs, an unusual thing happened. Boris Johnson flattened Sir Keir Starmer. ‘Would the Prime Minister be happy with his kids living on that?’ the Labour leader chided, as he attempted to get some leverage in the row over free school meal parcels. ‘They are an insult to the families who have received them,’ … Read more
Back in 2018, I stood in a draughty aircraft hangar in Huntingdon, West Virginia, watching Donald Trump address his devoted supporters. It was the final week of the mid-term elections, and he was upbeat. His speech began as a standard brew of US new-dawn optimism, mixed with casual slaps at his Democratic opponents. Then it … Read more
You look as fresh as a daisy for someone who’s spent the night counting fish,’ Boris Johnson joked to Ursula von der Leyen as he began the tele-conference that finally brought Britain’s Brexit purgatory to an end. The Prime Minister’s ability to strike up an unlikely rapport with the daughter of one of the EU’s … Read more