Jacob Rees-Mogg has helped Theresa May in her quest for a consensus on Brexit
- 2 May 2018
Interviewed on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Jacob Rees-Mogg made two very important comments which will have brought relief and delight to No 10. First, he resolutely condemned attacks on Ollie Robbins, the Prime Minister’s senior Brexit advisor and negotiator as...
Brexit is not utopia but it can be a great opportunity for the UK
- 27 Apr 2018
In a week when the economy showed signs of faltering, the government lost several key votes in the House of Lords, the fallout out around ‘Windrush’ continued and the local government election campaign entered its final full week, Brexit continued to dominate the political age...
Finally the beauty of mathematics has been made clear to me
- 25 Apr 2018
My father, an Edinburgh university prize-winning mathematician and life-long teacher of the subject, tried very hard to explain mathematics to me – its beauty, importance, as well as its utility, but I was a poor student and the subject has always been a complete black hole fo...
The Queen has done us proud – again
- 20 Apr 2018
As the leaders of the 53 Commonwealth nations gather at Windsor Castle today, the Queen can reflect with quiet satisfaction on a job – her job – well done. She has presided over the largest gathering of Commonwealth Heads of Government in history, and they seem likely to appro...
Syrian intervention needs careful consideration and a war aim
- 12 Apr 2018
As the evidence of the latest atrocity continues to mount in Syria, the UK. Prime Minister, Theresa May, is mulling what part, if any, Britain might play in an overt military intervention. Special Forces and the RAF have been carrying out operations for a while in the area, b...
Prime Ministers: Who was the greatest of them all?
- 11 Apr 2018
Book Review: 'Gimson's Prime Ministers - Brief Lives from Walpole to May' takes us on a whistle-stop tour of PMs past and present How many British Prime Ministers can you name? How many of them have done something that has made a lasting impact on the country? Be honest, it...
Book Review: Reimagining Britain by Justin Welby
- 16 Mar 2018
Reimagining Britain Foundations for Hope Justin Welby Bloomsbury £16.99 Thirty-three years ago this autumn the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, oversaw the publication of the report Faith in the City. Commissioned by him in response t...
A reflection on Justin Welby’s first five years as Archbishop of Canterbury
- 16 Feb 2018
On the 21st March Justin Welby will mark the fifth anniversary of his enthronement as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. It is a significant moment for both him and the Church of England. Justin Welby has certainly brought energy, dynamism to the job, but aspects of his tenur...
Boris clears the path for Cabinet agreement on a Brexit deal
- 15 Feb 2018
In a week’s time, the Cabinet will gather for the key meeting to agree its position on the Brexit deal Britain will try and strike with the European Union. It has been a long time coming, but a Cabinet position being on the horizon is to be welcomed. Heralding the arrival of t...
Oxfam and the political challenge
- 11 Feb 2018
There are two qualities essential for being a successful Cabinet Minister – 1. how effectively you roll out the policy of the government in your department, and, 2. How well you respond to the inevitable but unpredictable crisis that will hit you, demand an immediate response ...