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…
The Spectator on Britain’s treatment of refugees
The British government has said it will allow in some of Syria’s most vulnerable refugees. The Home Office hasn’t specified…
Courtroom drama in 1828 – courtesy of The Spectator
It’s a real pleasure looking through the first few editions of the Spectator from 1828, where the police reports and…
The wild life and times of Ariel Sharon
When Ariel Sharon slipped into a coma in January 2006, The Spectator was just beginning to rather like him. Days…
Christopher Hitchens and The Spectator: writing full of curiosity, indignation and analytical rigour
After Christopher Hitchens died in December 2011, Douglas Murray wrote in the Spectator that he’d had ‘a talent for making…