Category: Culture

As any pigeon knows, things happen when you turn your back. Like the farmer intent on ploughing while Icarus falls from the sky in Breughel’s famous painting. I’d switched on…

I came across an extraordinary simile the other day: ‘my pen makes a noise like a goose eating grass’. Immediately, you hear the scritch-scratch of an old-fashioned nib scraping away…

Last year I was asked on a panel what I believed was the greatest threat to the safety and security of this country. I considered some of the immediate and…

Society  Crime on Britain’s railways increased by 12% in 2018/19 (68,313 cases), with more violent and sexual offences reported. The previous year, some 60,867 crimes were reported. Source: British Transport…

‘Vermin and trash’: abused at the hands of the CyberNats   George Robertson   I often joke that after my four-year stint as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, everything…

Society  Only one in five UK homeowners get on with their neighbours more now than they did five years ago. Source: Co-op and Neighbourhood Watch. When asked if they thought…

For the many people among us who look forward to a 2022 with depressed resignation about the state of our democracy, there might be some comfort to be drawn from…

Society  48% of the public feel that community spirit in their local area is strong. When taking the UK as a whole, however, just 27% feel that a strong community…

Society  When asked whether passports should or should not have an ‘X’ category for people who do not identify as fully male or female, 48% of Brits said they should…

Campaign strategists, PR and media types who believe they were put on earth to wield the Sword of Truth – directing us on how to think, feel and vote –…