Politics

Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.

Friday

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Ben Wallace’s weird war of words

Just what is up with Ben Wallace? The Defence Secretary is widely thought to have had a ‘good war’ in Ukraine, receiving much praise within parliament and outside it for the way he’s handled Britain’s response. Yet Mr S can’t help but wonder about some of the Lancashire MP’s recent rhetoric. Just this week he publicly claimed that Vladimir Putin is a ‘lunatic’ suffering from ‘small man syndrome’: hardly diplomatic, given Britain’s stated position is explicitly not regime change in Russia. In April of course he also said it would be ‘legitimate under international law’ for Ukraine to hit logistics targets in Russia, even though this would, er, significantly escalate

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Tory staffers’ fury over Pincher

Another glorious day for our great democracy. Chris Pincher’s resignation has unleashed a deluge of anger, despair and frustration in the Tory WhatsApp groups today. One backbencher texted Mr S to remark darkly of Dowden and Pincher that ‘at least they’re freeing up jobs for the reshuffle.’ Another asks ‘How on earth was he put in the Whips’ Office in charge of MPs’ welfare?’ The mood among their staff is little better too, as shown by the liberal use of the phrase ‘shit-show’ in current conversation. Now, though, some are standing up and demanding change. Five weeks ago, several parliamentary assistants came together to launch the ‘Conservative staffers for change.’

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Neil Parish attacks Chris Pincher

The Tories are in crisis, standards are in peril. So who do you turn to for ethical advice? Step forward Neil Parish, the tractor-loving, porn-perusing former MP for Tiverton. Parish, whose constituency is now, er, represented by a Liberal Democrat thanks to his resignation, was asked for his views this afternoon on Christopher Pincher. Barely concealing his resentment, Parish piled in on the former deputy chief whip who, incidentally, was part of the team which took the decision to suspend him from the Tories in April. Asked if the whip should now be removed Pincher too, Parish replied: Definitely from Christopher Pincher. The first thing they did to me, and

Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

Tony Blair is too good for British politics

Tony Blair was the headline act at his day-long talking-shop in London yesterday. The crowds attending the Future of Britain Conference had to sit through hours of speeches and panel discussions before the old groover himself popped up at 4pm for a 30-minute chat with Jon Sopel. ‘I’m so grateful to everyone for hanging about to wait for me,’ he quipped. And he admitted that he’d suffered a wobble the previous night: ‘There was a time in the early hours when I thought, God, another of your bright ideas.’  Blair showed little appetite for a personal return to Westminster. He seems to be enjoying himself too much Who did he

Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

Has Tory sleaze hit a new low?

15 min listen

Last night Chris Pincher resigned from his role in the government – after ‘drinking far too much’ and ’embarrassing himself’. Witnesses reportedly saw the deputy chief whip ‘groping’ men at the Carlton Club in London. Also on the podcast, today is the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China. Can the government keep its promise to protect Hong Kong? Cindy Yu is joined by Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Why the Chris Pincher scandal will keep running

The Chris Pincher situation is much worse for the government than the Neil Parish one was. Parish was a backbencher, Pincher was – until his resignation – the deputy chief whip and had played a key role in the shadow whipping operation which shored up Boris Johnson at the start of the year. Given the nature of the allegations against Pincher, it is hard to imagine that he will not have to give up the Conservative whip. Already, senior Tory MPs are publicly calling for him to lose the whip while this matter is investigated. No. 10 is making a mistake by sticking to its line that Pincher’s resignation is a sufficient

James Kirkup James Kirkup

Pity the doctors fighting for their £1 million pensions

As inflation rips into living standards, everyone is feeling the pinch and many are looking for help. Some people are asking for more from the state. That really means help from their fellow taxpayers, because sooner or later, that’s where public money comes from. We all have our own views about which groups merit that help: working-age parents in the lowest income bracket are at the top of my list. Readers will doubtless have their own thoughts on which marginalised and disadvantaged people are most deserving. Amid the tumultuous national conversation about the cost of living, there’s always a danger that some unfortunate souls might be overlooked. So, I’d like

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Boris’s awkward Erdogan encounter

Boris Johnson has never been afraid of expressing himself but he might well have regretted his verbosity yesterday when he had a rather awkward encounter at the Nato summit in Madrid. As Johnson sat at the summit table, a tall figure loomed over him and gripped the Prime Minister’s back. Johnson turned around to be greeted by Turkish President Recep Erdogan, with whom he, er, has some previous history. For back in 2016 when Boris was a humble backbencher, The Spectator ran an offensive limerick competition. Its aim was to poke fun at Erdogan who, at the time, was trying to prosecute a German comedian over a rude poem. Johnson

Tom Goodenough Tom Goodenough

Will Chris Pincher remain a Tory MP?

Chris Pincher remains a Tory MP this morning, but how long will that be the case? The Conservative deputy chief whip resigned from the government last night, following allegations that he groped two men at a private members’ club on Wednesday evening.  In a letter to Boris Johnson, Pincher said he ‘drank far too much’ and ’embarrassed myself and other people’. But while the Prime Minister accepted Pincher’s resignation from the whips’ office, it is believed that Downing Street is reluctant to kick Pincher out of the party because of the speed with which he admitted what he’d done. In a letter to Boris Johnson, Pincher said he ’drank far too much’ and ’embarrassed

Robin Ashenden

Will Putin succeed where Stalin and Khrushchev failed in Ukraine?

A few weeks after Putin’s war against Ukraine began on 24 February, an infamous article was published in RIA Novosti, a leading Russian state mouthpiece. Written by Timofey Sergeytsev, it was entitled ‘What Russia should do with Ukraine’ and was full of ideas. These included ‘ideological repression’ and ‘strict censorship’ for their neighbour country, not only in the political sphere but in culture and education as well. The information space (the media) should become Russian, and all school materials containing ‘Nazi’ (i.e. pro-Ukraine) ‘ideologies’ be confiscated. The ‘Nazi’ government should be ‘liquidated’ while those not ‘subject to the death penalty or imprisonment’ for their ‘Nazi’ activities could, to rebuild an

Katy Balls Katy Balls

The Anne-Marie Trevelyan Edition

33 min listen

Anne-Marie Trevelyan is the Secretary of State for International Trade and the MP for Berwick-Upon-Tweed. In the episode, she tells Katy about what it was like to join the City in the 90s, what she calls ‘the mysterious management by the civil service of its ministers’ and what she makes of the rumours that she could be sacked in an upcoming reshuffle. Produced by Natasha Feroze and Oscar Edmondson.

Thursday

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Tory deputy chief whip resigns

Oh dear. It looks like Pestminster 2.0 is rumbling on. On Thursday, Chris Pincher, the deputy chief whip quit after allegations were reported in the Sun. The newspaper reports that the MP, first elected for Tamworth in 2010, has written to Boris Johnson, claiming that: ‘Last night I drank far too much. I’ve embarrassed myself and other people which is the last thing I want to do and for that I apologise to you and to those concerned.’ The Sun adds that he was at the Carlton Club, home of Tory MPs for more than 100 years, and that he is now accused of having ‘assaulted two fellow guests’. In his

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Labour love-in with Russia supporters

Sir Keir Starmer is very keen these days to prove that Labour can be trusted on defence and foreign policy. Tweets, statements, Union Jacks galore: nothing is too over the top in the party’s efforts to distance itself from its recent Corbynista past. So Mr S was intrigued to see what one of his backbenchers was up to earlier this month when she was billed to appear on a panel with a range of foreign politicians and activists with, er, some interesting views. Liverpool’s Kim Johnson MP helped organise a conference three weeks ago with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Western Sahara, on which she serves as vice-chairman. Speakers billed

Lara Prendergast Lara Prendergast

Cold War

41 min listen

In this week’s episode:Can Russia turn off Germany’s gas?Wolfgang Münchau and Katja Hoyer discuss Germany’s looming energy crisis (0.51).Also this week:What are relations like between Boris Johnson and Prince Charles? The Spectator’s diary editor, James Heale joins Camilla Tominey from the Telegraph talk about the growing tensions between the Prime Minister and future King (19.56).And finally: Are sex parties becoming a cliché?Emma Sayle, CEO of Killing Kittens and James Innes-Smith, talk about the rise of sex parties and why they’ve become an open secret. (27.48)Hosted by Lara Prendergast & William MooreProduced by Natasha FerozeSubscribe to The Spectator today and get a £20 Amazon gift voucher: www.spectator.co.uk/voucher

Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

Is the privileges committee a kangaroo court?

11 min listen

After an eight-day world tour, Boris Johnson is back on British soil to face Tory MPs for the first time since the two by-election defeats. Meanwhile, the privileges committee begins with Harriet Harman as its chair. Critics have suggested this inquiry into whether the Prime Minister misled parliament over partygate risks becoming a ‘kangaroo court’. Will this allow Downing Street to disregard the outcome of the inquiry? Also on the podcast, food tariffs might be cut in order to curb the cost of living crisis. But what difference will this make? ‘You’ll have to eat an awful lot of olives for this to make a difference’ – James Forsyth. Cindy

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

The Blob is back with a vengeance – and the Tories aren’t ready for it

In what I supposed we should see as a sign of progress, the government has decided not to destroy its own school reforms, by revoking the first 18 clauses of the recently-published Schools Bill. I disclosed two weeks ago in the Daily Telegraph that many ex-ministers were up in arms at what they saw as the revenge of ‘The Blob’, the bureaucratic forces that have been against school reform. My concern is that rushing out legislation that is not ready shows a wider government meltdown, happening at quite a pace The Schools Bill said that, rather than be self-governing, academy schools would lose control over the ‘nature and quality of

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Foreign Office slashes China centre funding

Liz Truss has been in Madrid this week, talking tough on Taiwan. In the face of continued Chinese aggression, Truss is keen to support the island republic, such as by boosting arms sales there. Yet when pressed this morning on LBC, Truss struggled to add more detail, suggesting that ‘the defence that Taiwan need is already being provided through commercial providers by a variety of nations.’ It comes after a mixed performance at the Foreign Affairs committee on Tuesday, in which Truss appeared baffled about reported delays to the UK’s China strategy, which was supposed to be passed to the cabinet last week. Her top official, Sir Philip Barton, claimed

Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

What Sadiq Khan and the SNP have in common

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and his four deputies submitted themselves to a public grilling last Tuesday. The State of London debate was chaired by James O’Brien and broadcast live on LBC. ‘I will endeavour to speak as little as possible,’ quipped the garrulous radio host who maintained his line of larky, locker-room banter throughout. ‘Sadiq Khan and the deputies,’ he said, ‘It sounds like the most rubbish band of all time.’ And he ribbed the mayor for ‘dancing like a crazy man’ at the premiere of Abba Voyage in the East End. Clearly a tight and cosy friendship there. Khan opened with a sermon about how ‘humbled’ he

Gareth Roberts Gareth Roberts

The sinister side of Pride

So we come to the end of Pride month. We’re all now familiar with the rituals: the rainbow flag plastered across everything from sandwiches to mouthwash, the vapid statements of obeisance from big businesses and institutions. 2022 has seen a bumper crop of these. Rainbow bullets displayed on Twitter by the US Marines. Central London bedecked with the ‘progress Pride’ flag and its ever-expanding mysterious arrows and circles. Even the Halifax piled in, suggesting its customers close their bank accounts if they oppose a policy allowing staff to display their personal pronouns on name tags.  This week, protesters gathered on Whitehall to declare that ‘Boris Johnson is a fascist’, presumably in response