The roadmap to recovery has been successfully delivered. And now, for the first time since the Election, the political pathway for Boris Johnson is clear. Land the budget. Unlock Britain. Complete a bold reshuffle of the Cabinet. Oh, and one other thing. Either build a garret at the top of Downing Street and lock Carrie … Read more
Sammy Cotter has been running his grocery wholesalers for a quarter of a century. But now he’s living day to day. ‘I’ve got £7,000 worth of goods sitting in Manchester,’ he tells me. ‘It was supposed to be delivered on December 21. But I’m still waiting.’ At first glance, his warehouse in Quarry Heights, Newtownards, … Read more
The end is nigh. Or rather, the end is apparently nowhere in sight. Last week, the hardcore Lockdown-Deniers began to deploy a new mantra. ‘Your regular reminder that there is no end to lockdowns,’ declaimed their High Priestess, the broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer. ‘There is no exit strategy, no plan to reopen schools & businesses, to … Read more
At Wednesday’s PMQs, an unusual thing happened. Boris Johnson flattened Sir Keir Starmer. ‘Would the Prime Minister be happy with his kids living on that?’ the Labour leader chided, as he attempted to get some leverage in the row over free school meal parcels. ‘They are an insult to the families who have received them,’ … Read more
At Wednesday’s PMQs, an unusual thing happened. Boris Johnson flattened Sir Keir Starmer. ‘Would the Prime Minister be happy with his kids living on that?’ the Labour leader chided, as he attempted to get some leverage in the row over free school meal parcels. ‘They are an insult to the families who have received them,’ … Read more
Back in 2018, I stood in a draughty aircraft hangar in Huntingdon, West Virginia, watching Donald Trump address his devoted supporters. It was the final week of the mid-term elections, and he was upbeat. His speech began as a standard brew of US new-dawn optimism, mixed with casual slaps at his Democratic opponents. Then it … Read more
Back in 2018, I stood in a draughty aircraft hangar in Huntingdon, West Virginia, watching Donald Trump address his devoted supporters. It was the final week of the mid-term elections, and he was upbeat. His speech began as a standard brew of US new-dawn optimism, mixed with casual slaps at his Democratic opponents. Then it … Read more
You look as fresh as a daisy for someone who’s spent the night counting fish,’ Boris Johnson joked to Ursula von der Leyen as he began the tele-conference that finally brought Britain’s Brexit purgatory to an end. The Prime Minister’s ability to strike up an unlikely rapport with the daughter of one of the EU’s … Read more
You look as fresh as a daisy for someone who’s spent the night counting fish,’ Boris Johnson joked to Ursula von der Leyen as he began the tele-conference that finally brought Britain’s Brexit purgatory to an end. The Prime Minister’s ability to strike up an unlikely rapport with the daughter of one of the EU’s … Read more
Last week, the long-awaited Home Office report into child grooming was finally published. Commissioned by former Home Secretary Sajid Javid, it was supposed to put the official spotlight on to one of the greatest scandals in British history – the systemic abuse of white working-class girls by Asian men. Instead, it was a whitewash. Literally. … Read more