Gavin Mortimer is a British author who lives in Burgundy after many years in Paris. He writes about French politics, terrorism and sport.
The High Court victory of Epping Forest District Council has made news in France. The decision to temporarily block migrants from being housed in The Bell Hotel was covered by newspapers such as Le Monde and Le Figaro. The latter provided some context to the growing tension in England, noting that the migrants in Epping
In the early 1990s, an underground organisation was launched called the Barbie Liberation Movement (BLM). Its mission statement was a ‘commitment to challenging malign systems’, by which it meant the patriarchy. The BLM was inspired by a talking Barbie doll, launched in 1992, who had 270 platitudes, one of which was ‘math class is tough’.
How long it seems since the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared a ‘major incident’ in the Channel on account of the numbers of migrants attempting to cross. In fact, it was December 2018. Javid expressed his deepening concern that 250 people had been intercepted in the Channel between January and November 2018. And the
No Frenchman has been as critical as the recent ‘one in, one out’ migrant deal than Xavier Bertrand. A grandee of the centre-right Republican party (and also the president of the Upper France region), Bertrand has denounced the treaty as ‘bad’ for France. He added that the small boats crisis is ‘the fault of the
Britain’s ‘one in one out’ migrant deal with France takes effect today, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a stark warning to anyone considering making the journey across the Channel. ‘We send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France.’ The ‘one
So far this year France has deported 64 individuals from its database of radical Islamists. More are planned in the coming weeks and months, putting the minister of the interior, Bruno Retailleau, on course to surpass last year’s total of 142. A senior unnamed prefect was quoted in yesterday’s Le Figaro declaring: We are very
Julie Burchill may not have coined the phrase ‘Nepo Baby’, but my Coffee House colleague certainly has established a reputation as a deliciously mordant chronicler of the phenomenon. The babies are everywhere, although as Burchill points out, ‘there are some professions in which the far reach of the dead hand of nepotism strikes me as
When Donald Trump won a second term in the White House last November the response in Europe was one of barely disguised horror. ‘The European Union must stand close together and act in a united manner,’ declared Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The French are demoralised and angrier than ever with their ruling elite Emmanuel Macron
It might at first glance appear odd that this deeply unpopular government is determined to repeal the Northern Ireland Legacy and Reconciliation Act. Britain’s armed forces are one of the last institutions of which the nation is overwhelmingly proud. Why pursue its veterans at the risk of making itself even more unpopular? ‘We want to be
Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognise Palestinian statehood. The French president will make his historic proclamation, the first among G7 countries, at the UN General Assembly in September. In a statement on X, Macron said that ‘there is no alternative’, adding that ‘the French people want peace in the Middle East’. The rhetoric
Heard the joke about the Englishmen, Irishmen and Scotsmen? They have all been selected for the British and Irish Lions squad to face Australia in Brisbane today. At the expense of the Welshman. The fact that no Welshman has been included among the 23 players chosen for the first of three Test matches is further
The Prime Minister of France announced his plan on Tuesday to balance the country’s books: his most eye-catching intention is to scrap two public holidays. In addressing the nation, Francois Bayrou warned that France’s out-of-control public spending has left the country in ‘mortal danger’. It was imperative to reduce the public deficit by 43.8 billion
If France didn’t have enough to worry about right now with its soaring rates of debt, crime and immigration, now comes news of a political comeback. Dominique de Villepin, prime minister between 2005 and 2007, earlier this month launched his political party called Humanist France. ‘I decided to create a movement of ideas, of citizens,
There was a sense of déjà vu to today’s announcement by Keir Starmer that he intends to ‘secure’ Britain’s borders. Standing alongside Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister pledged ‘hard-headed aggressive action on all fronts’ to crack the migrant crisis but warned that there is ‘no silver bullet’. The sceptic might argue that the real problem
Ursula von der Leyen faces the biggest test of her European Commission leadership as MEPs gather to vote on a motion of no-confidence. Today’s vote, the first of its kind in 11 years, has been brought by right-wing MEPs in relation to von der Leyen’s secretive negotiations with a pharmaceuticals boss during the pandemic. But while
The French have so far been underwhelmed by Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain. The late Queen was universally admired on the other side of the Channel. Less so Charles, who in the eyes of the French lacks Elizabeth’s grandeur and wisdom. There are also more pressing issues, such as the spreading wildfire that has
If ever a French president needed a state visit to Britain, it is Emmanuel Macron. All the pomp and ceremony will brighten his soul and help him forget the mess he has made of his own country. This week’s visit, which starts today, is the first of its kind to Perfidious Albion since Nicolas Sarkozy
Labour has reacted with scorn to the news that Zarah Sultana has resigned from the party to create a new movement with Jeremy Corbyn. It’s reported that the MP for Coventry South, who has sat as an independent since July 2024, is still discussing the details of the new party with Corbyn – who is
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On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: John Connolly argues that Labour should look to Andy Burnham for inspiration (1:51); Gavin Mortimer asks if Britain is ready for France’s most controversial novel – Jean Raspail’s The Camp of the Saints (4:55); Dorian Lynskey looks at the race to build the first nuclear weapons, as he reviews
This Saturday is the centenary of the birth of one of France’s most controversial writers. Jean Raspail, who died in 2020, wrote many books during his long and varied life, but only one, The Camp of the Saints, is remembered. Even his admirers and sympathisers admit that the book isn’t a classic in the literary
