Who knows what patriotism will feel like if Scotland becomes independent
If Scotland goes independent in September, who knows what patriotism will feel like. This may be a last chance to…
Nadine Gordimer, 1923-2014
Spectator reviewers over the years have had a difficult time with Nadine Gordimer’s books. Gordimer (1923 – 2014), who won…
Should public servants go on strike?
David Cameron has promised to change the law to make it harder to go on strike if he wins the…
The eternal allure of the Caliphate
There’s nothing like a caliphate to rally disparate groups. The Sunni Islamic organisation ISIS has recruited fighters from all over…
Tracey Emin’s knickers – a short history of contemporary British art
Tracey Emin’s bed is to be sold at auction this summer with a guide price of £800,000 to £1.2 million,…
Celebrating the death of smallpox – and a short history of vaccination
The World Health Organisation is voting on whether to destroy the last few remaining samples of the smallpox virus. Smallpox…
Europe – from hope to scepticism
In the lead up to next week’s European elections, voters seem to be disenchanted with the European Union. Around a…
Britain’s debate on women’s education
More than 200 Nigerian girls are missing after being abducted from school by Boko Haram militants nearly a month ago.…
Is democracy flourishing in South Africa?
This week South Africa has held events to mark 20 years of democracy. Simon Jenkins, writing after the first election…
Evangelically wishy-washy
David Cameron has said Christians should be more evangelical “about a faith that compels us to get out there and…
The Irish Question, as recorded by The Spectator
As the Irish president is making the first visit to the United Kingdom by an Irish head of state, some…
A short history of ‘conscious uncoupling’
There have been some rocky relationships in the news this year. As well as Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s conscious…
An infuriated cat, a ‘missing’ nose that isn’t – it’s screwball comedy in the courtroom
The jury at Max Clifford’s trial have had a tough time of it trying not to get the giggles, as…
Remembering the decimation of Crimea’s Tatars
Crimea’s Tatars are nervous after Russia’s annexation of the territory. The Tatars, Sunni Muslims who account for 12 per cent…
The Spectator: on popes and poverty since 1828
A year ago, a relatively unknown Argentine cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope. A few days later he announced…
The Spectator: on 150 years of punishing Russia
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine has left western diplomats scrabbling for sanctions that won’t backfire on to the rest of…
The Spectator – on 400 years of unease between Ukraine and Russia
Ukraine declared independence from the USSR in 1991, but Moscow has made sure it’s remained heavily involved in Kiev’s affairs…
The Spectator – on the purpose of the Olympics
When the idea of a modern Olympic Games began to be discussed, Spectator writers couldn’t really see the point. ‘Beyond…
Shirley Temple, 1928 – 2014, remembered in The Spectator
Shirley Temple has died in California at the age of 85. She was known as America’s little darling after she…
The Spectator – campaigning for the rights of the insane since 1828
Talking to Barbara Taylor about her new madness memoir this week, it’s clear that Britain does not have a glorious…
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