James Ball
25 April 2024
Is Rishi Sunak about to call an election?
Westminster gossip says the prime minister is planning to go to the country on Monday
Read the full article24 April 2024
What is Sunak smoking?
The prime minister saw a cigarette ban as his final chance to write a positive legacy. Then more Tory chaos left his relaunch in tatters
Read the full article22 April 2024
Sunak’s misleading sick note numbers
The PM implied that 1.35 million were off work because of depression or anxiety. That’s not true
Read the full article17 April 2024
Truth Social, Don’s new con
As Trump goes on trial, his fans are already paying the price for buying into his social network
Read the full article17 April 2024
The Mail and the Tories' regretful attack on Rayner
It just shows how desperately out of touch they are
Read the full article15 April 2024
Liz Truss, the pub bore
The humiliated ex-PM has nothing worthwhile to say - and she says it loudly
Read the full article14 April 2024
Stop going on about your bloody air fryer
Convincing us to buy smaller versions of appliances we already own is one of capitalism’s big cons
Read the full article11 April 2024
Has the ECHR overreached on climate change?
A case brought by Swiss pensioners could be a turning point for the court
Read the full article10 April 2024
Slovakia’s populist shift could spell fresh trouble for Ukraine
Presidential victory for an ally of pro-Russia PM Robert Fico gives Zelensky and the EU a new headache
Read the full article07 April 2024
The trouble with Tesla
Elon Musk’s car company has hit a rough patch of road - and things could be about to get even worse
Read the full article06 April 2024
The politics of the spinning door
Scores of Tory MPs are standing down before an expected election mauling in the hope of getting a new job. What does that mean for Westminster?
Read the full article05 April 2024
The uncomfortable truth is that the UK is powerless to stop Israel in Gaza
Ending arms sales to Netanyahu would be a cathartic but ultimately cosmetic act
Read the full article30 March 2024
The smoke-and-mirrors secrets of Trump’s new fortune
If the former president cashes in on Truth Social’s ludicrous valuation, it will be at the expense of his biggest fans
Read the full article25 March 2024
Every time Elon Musk acts, another bit of Twitter dies - and he’s fine with that
The billionaire tech bro is no longer trying to save the company he paid $44billion to own
Read the full article23 March 2024
The case against payouts for the WASPi women
Pensioners who have benefited greatly from the triple lock should not get more at everyone else’s expense
Read the full article20 March 2024
Banning landlords is wrong
Crippling rent rises are fuelling calls to abolish landlords. But this so-called ‘easy fix’ must be resisted
Read the full article20 March 2024
The price of British politics
There is an easy way to stop scandals over political donors – by getting rid of them altogether
Read the full article16 March 2024
May 2 is out - but these election dates could be even worse for Sunak
Not even the prime minister knows when he’ll put the country out of its misery
Read the full article13 March 2024
Is James Timpson the best boss in Britain?
Timpson’s high street company mends shoes, cuts keys and helps prisoners rehabilitate. Is it all too good to be true?
Read the full article07 March 2024
Is Michelle Donelan’s political career worth £15,000? Apparently not
A cabinet minister gives a masterclass in how not to handle a crisis of her own making
Read the full article06 March 2024
Paul Marshall, creature of the right
The investor has served up a hateful diet of culture war and conspiracy theory at GB News. Now he’s eyeing up the mainstream Tory media
Read the full article05 March 2024
The Budget conjuring trick that’s wrecking Britain’s economy
The UK’s main fiscal rule encourages reckless chancellors to pile on debt and let others deal with the consequences
Read the full article01 March 2024
George Galloway is back... but not for long
His return to Westminster is unwelcome - but the voters of Rochdale will soon see through him
Read the full article28 February 2024
The Hunter Biden witch hunt
The US media seemingly cannot resist even the most obvious of bait when it is delivered by the Republicans
Read the full article17 February 2024
Shrinkflation is pure political cynicism
Politicians love jumping on niche ideas that make them look in tune with the real world. Don’t fall for it
Read the full article16 February 2024
The Tories are sleepwalking towards oblivion
No one in Westminster dares to say it – but the Tories are heading for an extinction-level event
Read the full article14 February 2024
Carlson/Putin: an interview with a jilted man
Dictators are boring, as the US journalist Tucker Carlson belatedly discovered when he met Vladimir Putin
Read the full article13 February 2024
Labour’s creaking machine
The mishandling of antisemitism allegations is the second gaffe by Starmer’s operation in as many weeks. Is his media team up to the job?
Read the full article08 February 2024
Labour’s green climbdown shows Starmer must stop letting the Tories dictate his strategy
This episode bodes ill for the party in an election campaign - and in government if they win
Read the full article07 February 2024
Rooting for the anti-hero: Taylor Swift for president?
Spurred on by fear of her endorsing Biden, the US right is turning on the singer and her gridiron star boyfriend. Bad move
Read the full article06 February 2024
The Popular Conservatives – neither popular nor conservative
A very strange group of people gathered together in London today to promote a political agenda that nobody wants
Read the full article02 February 2024
Labour’s green energy climbdown raises questions about Starmer
There is still a feeling that we don’t know who he really is
Read the full article