The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales took seven years. Its chair, Prof Alexis Jay, was the fourth person to take up the role after three previous appointees resigned. Some survivors’ groups lost confidence in the process and dec... More »
The arts have taken such a battering in the UK over the last decade that they sometimes seem like an old ship holed beneath the waterline, with an orchestra valiantly continuing to play on deck. Nobody really knows what to do apart from bailing out water, firi... More »
I am not sure that people do die – if dying means annulling, disappearing or being extinguished. Rather, I believe they live on, in the memories of those who knew and loved them, every bit as vitally as if they were still alive. Indeed, they can be more alive ... More »
On 7 May, I tweeted that swifts had appeared in the skies over the shed where I write on the same day in 2022, and predicted, if they kept to their schedule, they would leave overnight on 7 August. My excitement was short-lived. I’ve seen no more than three or... More »
Does the UK’s fast-rising minimum wage mean it’s mission accomplished on low pay?Having surged from £3.60 an hour in 1999 to £10.42 today, our wage floor is now among the highest in the world. Rapid increases since the national living wage’s 2016 introduction ... More »
‘Yesterday afternoon, shattering the moorland peace of Inverard, in North Argyll, powered jets burst into action. For the second time in two months a space ship took off, its fiery trail vanishing wisp-like into the blue autumn sky.”Thus Angus MacVicar began h... More »
Tina Turner, the trailblazing singer who was hailed as the queen of rock’n’roll, survived so many personal and professional challenges that some of her fans might have believed that she was going to live forever.Her death last week at the age of 83 brought hom... More »
It is almost a year to the day since it finally dawned on most Conservatives that Boris Johnson would ultimately have to go. And yet, a whole two prime ministers later, it’s almost as if he never left.This time last May, he was trying to bluster his way out of... More »
What luck for the king, with the coronation done and years of featureless ruling ahead, that Ethiopia should be offering him another chance to shine. The descendants of an Ethiopian prince, Alemayehu, who was removed to Britain and died there aged 18, have ren... More »
Normally, I’m keen for this column to be widely read. This time, though, I hope not too widely. I’d be happy if it doesn’t catch the attention of Jacob Rees-Mogg or of government officials.I’m due to give a talk to civil servants later this year. If anyone wer... More »
Foot-dragging, indecision and fearfulness have characterised Joe Biden’s off-screen approach to Ukraine since Russia invaded 15 months ago, compounding doubts about the durability of US support as the 2024 presidential election campaign kicks off. The contrast... More »
It has been a week of bad economic news. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics confirmed that inflation has fallen in the UK, but to 8.7%, slightly higher than had been predicted. This triggered a strong reaction in the bond markets, pushing ... More »