Is this the start of a brand new form of party politics?

Is this the start of a brand new form of party politics?

The place names making headlines in today’s British local election results are Nuneaton, Derby, Swindon and the London boroughs of Westminster and Wandsworth. But perhaps the most significant story is buried in another London borough, Richmond. The headline is that...
We must understand the realities of charity aid work

We must understand the realities of charity aid work

It’s absolutely right that we should be scandalised about Oxfam aid workers paying for sex in the places where they were supposed to be alleviating poverty. And the cover-up is in some ways as bad as the original crimes. But the whole debate is missing a vital...
Fame and the echo chamber

Fame and the echo chamber

We’re all vulnerable to settling into echo chambers – being happiest reading and listening to those whose opinions we already agree with, even if we know it isn’t good for our mental stimulus. But are we also guilty of falling into a different kind of echo chamber,...
A display of national arrogance and egoism

A display of national arrogance and egoism

This is the kind of column that will get me into trouble because it expresses an opinion in stark terms. So let me make it clear – it’s expressing how I feel about something. My feeling may not be rational, and I’m very open to discussion about whether what I feel...
A must for fans of tennis, history and broadcasting

A must for fans of tennis, history and broadcasting

As an antidote to the madness of British elections, I found myself at the Wimbledon tennis site today for the annual press conference to announce the prize money and other changes for the fortnight. But while I was there I saw something else which I’d urge all fans of...
The real reason for the snap general election?

The real reason for the snap general election?

Call me a mug, but I always believed Theresa May when she said she never wanted an early general election. Even when she announced that Britain would go to the polls on 8 June, I still got the sense she didn’t really want it, that her hand had somehow been forced. And...
Happy International Women’s Day! (There’s just one thing missing)

Happy International Women’s Day! (There’s just one thing missing)

Happy International Women’s Day! What is there not to celebrate in a day designed to showcase what women have done, are doing, and are capable of? Answer: the fact that missing from the picture is one very important element in the welfare of women. When one looks at...
Set out honest manifestoes – and then trust the voters

Set out honest manifestoes – and then trust the voters

How much should a political party set out who it would and wouldn’t work with after an election? And is too strict a statement ultimately disrespecting the wishes of the voters? I was prompted to wonder this following a packed public meeting in Lewes last week at...