Weekly Highlights
By Michael Gove
For this week’s cover piece, Tim Shipman and James Heale write a 2,500-word deep dive on Reform UK. They explain how the party got to where it is and what comes next. Nigel Farage reveals he is talking to potential Blue Labour defectors, shifting his leadership style and offering a ‘less is more’ approach on policy. Essex and its resident Tory big beasts – Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Priti Patel – are a major focus. Over the next six weeks Reform will focus on crime, immigration and living costs after a mega poll suggested 72 per cent of Reform-curious voters say energy bills are the expense ‘they’d most like politicians to address’. Like the shark in Jaws, Reform hopes to swallow the Tory vote come the 2029
election – ‘As long as Nigel is ahead of Badenoch,’ an adviser notes, ‘the Tory vote will disintegrate overnight.’
Elsewhere in the magazine, I consider who is the real wartime prime minister (clue: it’s not Keir Starmer), Charles Moore thinks Iran has no chance of winning the war and Rod Liddle warns that regime change may make matters worse. J.G. Fox furnishes readers with a map of London’s horrors alongside a warning from Angus Colwell to tech bros planning a move here, Christopher Caldwell thinks we may be watching the end of Trumpism and Mary Wakefield finds a glaring flaw in Starmer’s ‘cohesion plan’. Lara Brown suspects there may be no point in going to university, Michael Rose fears that our army has lost its
fighting spirit and Ruaridh Nicoll awaits the arrival of Kneecap to Havana.
In Books & Arts, Philip Hensher finds Alan Bennett increasingly reflective, Michela Wrong concludes that colonialism’s most abiding legacy has been psychological and emotional, Richard Bratby meets the cellist of the world’s finest string quartet before he retires and Mike Pitts enjoys a profit-seeking exhibition mounted by an entertainment business.
To finish, Olivia Potts serves the perfect chocolate mousse, Nicholas Farrell’s favourite beach is stolen by highly trained nudists and Louis Theroux tells Toby Young he’s ‘unbelievably stupid’. I hope you enjoy the issue.
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Features
Tim Shipman and James Heale
How the army can rediscover its fighting spirit
Michael Rose
The perils of London: a beginner’s guide
Angus Colwell
Christopher Caldwell
Inside blockaded Cuba, life is getting odder by the day
Ruaridh Nicoll
The hidden truth about our failing universities
Lara Brown
Is my book about Meghan and Harry a ‘deranged conspiracy’?
Tom Bower
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Columnists
Keir Starmer has surrendered to Ed Miliband – and we are all paying the price
Michael Gove
The only living being on our banknotes should be the monarch
Charles Moore
The latest Guardian attack on Nigel Farage is desperate stuff
Douglas Murray
Can the special relationship survive Trump?
Matthew Parris
Trump should ditch the faux concern for the people of Iran
Rod Liddle
The glaring flaw in Keir Starmer’s ‘cohesion plan’
Mary Wakefield
Has Rachel Reeves secured a rare victory for growth?
Martin Vander Weyer
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A message from our sponsor, Henry Poole
Henry Poole marks 220 years on Savile Row. From military uniforms in 1806 to creating the original dinner suit for the Prince of Wales, discover the stories, patrons and craftsmanship behind one of Britain’s most influential tailoring houses. Step inside two centuries of heritage, innovation and enduring Savile Row style.
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‘When I was young Reform were really popular.’
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Upcoming debate
Editorial errors, ideological bias and partisan presenters – what has happened to the BBC? Watch Charles Moore, who was fined after refusing to pay his licence fee, and Allison Pearson go up against Michael Gove and Jon Sopel to debate if we should defund – or defend – this once great institution.
Tuesday 24 March, London
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Books & Arts
Meet the world’s finest string quartet
Richard Bratby
Lazy: America is Beautiful, Chapter 1 reviewed
Lloyd Evans
Toni Servillo’s face cannot bore: La Grazia reviewed
Deborah Ross
Thoughtful fantasy: Travel Light, by Naomi Mitchison, reviewed
Oliver Soden
Charming: The Other Bennet Sister reviewed
James Walton
A revival of Alan Bennett’s early work is long overdue
Philip Hensher
Will colonialism’s psychological legacy ever cease to be a source of pain?
Michela Wrong
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Spectator Club: 30% off entry to Arundells House and Gardens
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Watch and listen
Is Keir Starmer running out of time? – Labour turns against him
The Tory Dilemma: deal or no deal?
Starmer’s oil nightmare – why he’s running back to the EU | Coffee House
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Spectator Life
The sinister future of AI toys
Matthew Wilcox
The rise of grey market peptides
Ivo Delingpole
Club culture has moved to the kitchen
Esme Gordon-Craig
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