Politics

Can a dose of moral earnestness revive Tory fortunes? This is the question raised by Rory Stewart’s recent memoir, Politics on the Edge: A Memoir From Within, which sits on top of the bestseller charts more than three months after it came out. Another question the book raises is this: is Stewart’s brand of moral earnestness the right one? His politics is rich in old-world honour, like that of a John Buchan hero. The reader half expects him to uncover a plot to sell Britain to China, and then be chased by soulless technocrats through moonlit moorland. On one level, it didn’t work: when he stood for the leadership against

Oh dear. It seems that those strategic geniuses in the SNP have done it again. This week saw the ban on XL bully dogs come into force in England and Wales, following a string of violent attacks by the pugnacious breed. But up in the people’s paradise of Humza Yousaf’s Scotland, ministers there decided that they knew best. In November, the SNP government formally rejected a request from Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, to introduce similar measures ‘in light of the threat to public safety’, and to avoid the obvious risk of ‘creating a potential dumping ground for dangerous dogs’ in Scotland. Two months on and – quelle surprise! –

Anyone who wants to strike at the heart of the Iranian regime would be hard-pressed for a more symbolic target than the memorial site for Qasem Soleimani, the senior commander who was assassinated by the United States four years ago. The memorial represents everything that the Tehran regime stands for. That’s why the bomb attacks today, reported to have killed more than 100 people and injuring scores more, will have dealt a significant blow to a regime that relies on projecting an image of total control. Tehran blamed ‘terrorist attacks’ for the two explosions in the southern city of Kerman. The blasts hit crowds gathering to commemorate the fourth anniversary

Reform UK is the great enigma of right-wing British politics. Despite lacking a memorable name, leader, policy platform or record of electoral success, the party is polling just shy of 10 per cent – two points off the Liberal Democrats. The party held an eagerly awaited press conference this morning at which Richard Tice set out his plans for the forthcoming general election. All the familiar hallmarks of the Ukip and Brexit party playbook were present: talk of defections, disgruntled donors and plans to ‘punish’ the Tories, set in the familiar haunt of the Hilton Hotel in Westminster. Unlike 2019, Tice pledged, there would be no pacts with Conservative MPs,

Ukraine’s parliament will soon vote on much-needed conscription regulations which would draft an extra half a million recruits into the army. The categories of eligible men will be expanded, the draft age will be lowered from 27 to 25, and any man caught attempting to evade it will face harsh sanctions or imprisonment. Volodymyr Zelensky has stopped talking about victory coming any time soon. His New Year’s message was grim: everyone must either fight or help through work. Ukrainians are braced for another year of war. But talk of ‘peace’ or ‘compromise’ is still seen as code for a surrender which would reward rather than punish Vladimir Putin’s atrocities, cede