Politics & Comment
I comment regularly on British and American politics, with a broad focus on foreign policy. I also maintain a particular expertise in the internal workings of the Conservative Party. I have contributed columns to most major British newspapers, starting my career at The Spectator, and am currently most likely to be found at The Financial Times and The Guardian, as well as number of US outlets. I have recently joined the Board of Index on Censorship.
In addition to my perspective as an intellectual historian, I also have a strong hinterland in the Anglican church, and write regularly on issues of faith and ethics. Much of my insight into British politics has been shaped by my time as part of the team responsible for establishing Bright Blue, the think tank associated with the Tory modernisation agenda. In 2014, I published a collection of essays with Ryan Shorthouse on the future of the Conservative Party, entitled The Modernisers’ Manifesto, for Bright Blue.
I have also made available here the three articles I wrote in late 2017 about Damian Green MP, which formed part of the #metoo movement and eventually led to his resignation as First Secretary of State. Originally published behind paywalls, they were widely reported in more sensationalist terms and it is important to me that my own words on the matter are publicly available.
Like most people who write for newspapers, I have no control over the headlines added to my articles. So I sometimes post articles here with my own choice of headlines, when I feel strongly that the published headlines are inappropriate.
Theresa May is more of a young Victoria than Queen Elizabeth I
written for The Telegraph, 30 August 2016 Ever since Theresa May arrived in Downing Street, friends and enemies have sought to find another woman to whom we can compare her – and each time come up with Margaret Thatcher. Now the PM has caused a stir by citing Elizabeth I as a role model in a carefully...
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Don’t kick sponsors such as BP. They make art accessible
‘Thunderer’ column written for The Times, 2nd August 2016 A post-grad on a tight budget recently solicited tips for his first trip to Paris. I made a few suggestions, including the Louvre. On his return I asked how he’d enjoyed it. Ah. There was a problem. He and his friends turned up on...
Read MoreHaving Theresa May in charge will perpetuate the Tory lie that the party is a great place for women
written for NewStatesman, 13th July 2016 It’s a funny life, being a Tory woman. A few years ago, I was at the Thatcherite Centre for Policy studies, celebrating a book launch by a major figure on the eurosceptic right. After the speeches and general congratulation, a whiskered old codger next to me...
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Theresa May: White van man will be delighted
written for The Guardian, 12th July 2016 part of a panel of responses published together on Theresa May’s leadership victory Civil libertarians have long been wary of Theresa May. As Gaby Hinsliff writes, a decade carefully cultivating the Tory right sits uncomfortably with May’s early promise as...
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Cameron’s Notting Hill boys made policy on the sofa – but under Theresa May, things will get formal
written for Independent, 12th July 2016 Just over a year ago, I stood in Conservative Campaign Headquarters and watched as David Cameron arrived back in triumph, gleaming with sweaty delight. It was the morning of 8 May 2015, and the re-elected Prime Minister was on top of the world. Beside him, beaming...
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Andrea Leadsom is a revolutionary, but she has no vision for the future
written for The Guardian, 8th July 2016 Shortly before the EU referendum campaign began in earnest, Michael Gove and his wife, Sarah Vine, took a trip to New York. Amid the usual holiday treats – chocolate pizza, reconnections with old friends – they had seats to the hottest cultural ticket in town....
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