Politics Archives

Sunday

6 Oct 2024

Why you should worry about gallium

You will be forgiven for not having heard of, let alone given much thought to, a raw material called gallium. So, to explain: it’s a by-product of the bauxite-to-aluminium smelting process, it’s used in semiconductors and it is vital for the latest missile defence and radar technologies. Israel’s Iron Dome and the US Patriot Missile system rely on materials such as gallium to guard the skies against Iranian drones and Russian cruise missiles. The only problem is that 98 per cent of the world’s gallium comes from China. ‘Mineral diplomacy’ can now be added to the long list of ‘diplomacies’ governing relations between China and the West. (See ‘vaccine diplomacy’,

Steerpike

Kemi Badenoch wins a surprise endorsement

It’s just four days to go until the next round of voting for Tory leader. So, with the various candidates pulling out all the stops from now until Wednesday, Kemi Badenoch has today decided to unveil her latest star supporter. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has thrown his support behind the shadow housing secretary, just days after ex-Australian premier Tony Abbott did the same. Looks like Kemi’s time at Trade was well-spent… In a video released this morning, the onetime Republican candidate for President says that he is ‘pleased to endorse’ Badenoch for leader because of the pair’s work together on a ‘great trade agreement between Florida and the United Kingdom’.

Ross Clark

Private schools should be cheaper

Independent schools are an asset to the education system and they have been singled out by Labour for a tax rise which has as much to do with pressing the right buttons for the party faithful as it does with raising revenue. But really, those schools could do with better PR. Whoever thought it a good idea to suggest to the i newspaper that private schools will be putting plans for new swimming pools, astroturf pitches on hold, and doing away with frills like personalised ring binders, in reaction to the imposition of VAT on their fees? They have succeeded only in feeding education secretary Bridget Phillipson with an attack

Leon Aron

Putin’s cannon fodder: an anthem for Russia’s doomed youth

Many were killed. Others hid in the fields, forests and basements, sometimes for days, before surrendering to the Ukrainian forces. Frightened, ill-equipped and with very little – if any – training, hundreds of Russian conscripts (prizyvniki) have been captured in the two months since Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region began. Yet another of the innumerable tragedies of Putin’s criminal war, the plight of conscripts is a window into Russia’s ability to conduct a ‘long war’. When neither the army’s relentless press-ganging nor its exorbitant sign-up bonuses and soldiers’ salaries appear to attract enough men to make up for the staggering casualties on the front, it is these boys who

Robin Ashenden

The 1990s were Britain’s sunset years

A myth seems to be developing about the 1990s. In a recent programme on Disney Plus called In Vogue: The 90s, a series of talking heads rhapsodise about the decade. ‘God, the 90s just changed everything,’ oozes Hamish Bowles, a fashion journalist. ‘It was a great time to be alive, it really felt like a revolution was underway,’ says model and actor Tyler Beckford. ‘Wow – what does the 90s mean to me?’ asks Naomi Campbell, suggesting it’s almost too vast a question to answer. Outside the programme, others seem to agree. ‘The 90s were the best decade ever – a time of real fun, freedom and abandon,’ says a

Saturday

5 Oct 2024

James Heale

Where is the Brexit dividend? Live at Conservative conference

37 min listen

In this special Saturday shots we hear from a panel discussion on Brexit, originally recorded at Conservative Party conference. Four years on there are successes to point to, namely eliminating the cost of membership, new trade deals and the speed of the vaccine rollout. Yet the prevailing sense is that the full potential of Brexit has not been realised. Where do we go from here? The Spectator’s James Heale speaks to former MEP Lord Hannan, Telegraph columnist Sherelle Jacobs, Iain Duncan Smith MP and Tom Lubbock, co-founder of JL Partners.

Fraser Nelson

Fraser Nelson, Cindy Yu, Mary Wakefield, Anthony Sattin, and Toby Young

31 min listen

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Fraser Nelson signs off for the last time (1:30); Cindy Yu explores growing hostility in China to the Japanese (7:44); Mary Wakefield examines the dark truth behind the Pelicot case in France (13:32); Anthony Sattin reviews Daybreak in Gaza: Stories of Palestinian Lives and Cultures (19:54); and Toby Young reveals the truth behind a coincidental dinner with Fraser Nelson and new Spectator editor Michael Gove (25:40). Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Mark Nayler

Can David Lammy solve the Gibraltar dispute?

The British government is preparing to lodge a formal complaint with Spain over Gibraltar. Spanish military aircraft have twice flown over the Rock in the past ten days: once on 27 September, reportedly while a commercial British Airways flight was taxiing on the local airport’s runway, and then again on 30 September. These flyovers (thought to have been by Spanish Air Force cargo aircraft) might seem harmless – but the British government disagrees. The timing of the flyovers couldn’t be worse. They come shortly after the latest round of talks in Brussels between Spain, Gibraltar, the UK and EU about the Rock’s post-Brexit status. Of central importance to these negotiations

Patrick O’Flynn

The case for – and against – James Cleverly

When is the best time to hit the front of a Tory leadership contest? In the final chain of the final furlong after coming up unseen on the rails, obviously. As charismatic front-runners from Michael Heseltine to Michael Portillo have found out, Conservative leadership battles are brutal for the established heir apparent. There is something about the Tory tribe, or perhaps the Tory disposition, which creates a mania for dragging them down. It’s far safer to do a John Major and be christened as the best ‘Stop X’ or least-unpalatable-option candidate at the last by the party establishment. So congratulations to James Cleverly for gaining momentum so deep into the current

Gavin Mortimer

Macron’s EU gloom is well placed

Michel Barnier was interviewed on prime time television on Thursday night and not once in his 45 minutes of conversation did he mention the name Emmanuel Macron. There was an indirect reference to the president of the Republic, when Barnier described himself as the ‘anti-Jupiter’ Prime Minister. ‘Jupiter’ was one of the nicknames bestowed on Macron when he came to power in 2017 – and the world, albeit briefly, was fooled into thinking this was a man of rare talent. The French media appear to be taking their lead from Barnier. There was scant coverage of the president’s visit to Berlin on Wednesday when he spoke at a Global Dialogue

Freddy Gray

What is Melania Trump up to?

For eight years, Melania Trump has done a brilliant job of keeping us all guessing. Is she, as gossips have long suggested, secretively estranged from her errant husband? Does she hate politics? Or is she, behind closed doors, the real force that drives the Trump family’s remorseless ambition? Nobody seems to know and that has only added to her allure. The former and perhaps soon-to-be again First Lady has been a smoking-hot riddle and people of all political persuasions seem to adore her for it. Now, however, at arguably the crunch moment of the American presidential election cycle, Melania is busy promoting Melania, her new autobiography – and suddenly her

Ross Clark

Is there really a private school exodus?

Will Labour actually gain some revenue for slapping VAT on school fees, or is it heading for fiscal embarrassment as so many private school pupils are decanted into the state sector that the taxpayer will suffer a net loss? The question has been batted around for months as everyone ponders a great unknowable: how many parents would throw in the towel when faced with a higher bill for educating Barnabus and Fenella, and send them to the local comp instead? An early indication has been provided on Friday by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), which claims that the number of pupils enrolled in independent schools (or at least those affiliated

Friday

4 Oct 2024

Freddy Gray

Is the enlightenment over?

Amy Wax is a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania, known for her views on race, culture, and social policy. Recently, Amy faced suspension from her teaching duties following remarks that sparked debates over academic freedom and the limits of discourse in the classroom. Amy joins Freddy Gray on the Americano show to discuss her recent suspension, what is behind the feminisation of institutions and how school teaching should return to the 50s.

Steerpike

Scottish Tories fume over leadership rivals snubbing Scotland

Back to the Tory leadership contest which is gathering pace post-conference season. In a matter of days, MPs will cast their votes to leave just two contenders in the race, before the membership gets its say. But there is consternation about the final two among the Holyrood group – which only appointed a new leader itself last week – after growing frustration about some of the frontrunners having snubbed Scotland. How very interesting. Half of the Scottish Tory crowd – which only appointed a new leader itself last week – have publicly thrown their weight behind Tom Tugendhat, who has the backing of 16 of the party’s 31 MSPs. The

Constantin Eckner

Germany’s plot to face off Chinese car tariffs has failed – for now

Germany has voted to oppose a proposal by the European Commission to introduce additional tariffs on electric cars imported from China. This was no surprise: in the days leading up to today’s meeting, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and other government officials in Berlin had made clear that they had instructed the country’s representative not to vote in favour of such tariffs, widely described as ‘punitive’. Alongside Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Malta and Slovenia voted against the introduction of the tariffs. A majority of states representing at least 65 per cent of the population in the EU – or 14 of the bloc’s members states – would have been needed to stop

Julie Bindel

Is this wife killer jumping on the Post Office scandal bandwagon?

Robin Garbutt is serving life in prison for murdering his wife, but is he innocent? His supporters say so. They insist that evidence from the Horizon IT system and the Post Office which helped convict him of the killing of Diana in 2010 was flawed. Garbutt, they claim, is another victim of the Post Office scandal which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted. Diana’s mother is sceptical and has said she believes her son-in-law is guilty. Garbutt, she said, was ‘jumping on the Horizon bandwagon’. The jury saw through Garbutt’s story It’s right to treat Garbutt’s appeal with scepticism. Every year, many men are convicted of murdering their partners. The

Steerpike

Could Starmer sign away the Falklands too?

When Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that the UK will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, he was met with widespread outrage. Opposition politicians were quick to blast the Prime Minister over the move, pointing to the strategic importance of the land, with ex-PM and one-time foreign secretary Boris Johnson slamming the decision as ‘total nonsense’. Questions have been raised about it all – with Guido Fawkes yesterday pointing out that Starmer’s close friend Philippe Sands KC happens to be Mauritius’ chief legal adviser and a longtime campaigner for the country to control the land. How very interesting. And on the issue of other British overseas territories,

Ross Clark

Ed Miliband’s ‘new era’ for energy policy is anything but

How the ground is shifting now that Labour finds itself in government and is actually responsible for UK energy policy. This morning, workers at a glass factory on Merseyside were treated to an unusual visit from the threesome that is the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Energy Secretary. Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband had travelled up to announce the latest twist in the government’s energy policy: a £22 billion investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS). This, apparently, is an inspired policy to create jobs, help us accelerate to net zero and boost our economy. It is also extraordinarily similar to an announcement that the previous government made in

Oscar Edmondson

Assisted dying and Chagos row overshadow Starmer’s carbon capture pledge

17 min listen

What Keir Starmer wants to be talking about today is his landmark £22 billion investment into carbon capture. Flanked by Ed Miliband and Rachel Reeves, his speech was an unusually personal one where he spoke about the impacts of deindustrialisation. But how new is this policy? And what does this huge investment mean for the £20 billion black hole? What Westminster seems more interested in talking about is the news that assisted dying is back on the agenda and the fallout of the deal to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Is there a degree of inevitability about these two stories resurfacing? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and James

Steerpike

Fifteen top takes from Boris Johnson’s memoir

Boris Johnson’s new memoir Unleashed is to be published next week, and with the highly-anticipated account promising to be the ‘political memoir of the century’, Mr S was rather interested in what exactly it contains within its pages. Steerpike has put together a list of the top 15 things we learned from the former Prime Minister’s lengthy memoir… Partygate stories ‘grossly exaggerated’ First to one of the most prominent scandals of Boris Johnson’s career: the matter of Partygate. In his 800-page tome, the former PM insists that he was told by his adviser that the pandemic parties broke no lockdown rules. Johnson admits he put it down as ‘desperate nonsense