James Ball
16 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 article31 January 2024
The antisocial Tories’ epic video fail
A misfiring ‘personalised’ video by Rishi Sunak proves that politicians are getting online comms badly wrong
Read the full article30 January 2024
For Fox sake
Right wing controversialist Laurence Fox doesn’t seem to understand why he lost his libel trial. Here’s a little explainer
Read the full article24 January 2024
The dark side of the metaverse
UK police are investigating the first sexual assault in a virtual reality world. Does the future look like this?
Read the full article23 January 2024
Our broken benefits system leaves 28% of children in poverty. But who’s going to fix it?
The Tories treat being poor as a fact of life for many. Labour can’t do the same
Read the full article17 January 2024
This is how the internet ends
Low-quality AIs are already serving up fake information to searchers. If this grey goo multiplies, we’re in trouble
Read the full article16 January 2024
Trump will be the Republican nominee. But could he spring one more huge surprise?
Bringing RFK Jr on board could swing the White House race against Biden
Read the full article15 January 2024
Destroy the Tory party – who cares? Certainly not Sunak
If he gets his own way, the PM will cling on until the very end
Read the full article13 January 2024
Oil and gas will soon be things of the past. No wonder Sunak is drawn to them
The prime minister’s legacy looks even worse with his illogical energy policy
Read the full article09 January 2024
Another Labour own goal from dozy Harry Cole
The Sun political editor’s latest swipe at Starmer isn't just pathetic - it’s against his own paper’s beliefs
Read the full article09 January 2024
Labour must keep it green
Watering down the flagship pledge to spend £28bn on net-zero jobs would be a humiliating disaster
Read the full article04 January 2024
Reform UK’s biggest danger is that it will make the Tories even worse
Richard Tice’s vow to stand in every seat could just be a negotiating tactic
Read the full article03 January 2024
A matter of dishonour: Liz Truss’s lettuce list
Truss being allowed an honours list was a joke. But handing peerages to Tory donors is no laughing matter
Read the full article01 January 2024
Can we trust Sunak’s promise to hold an election in 2024?
Sunak ‘guaranteed’ the next general election would take place next year but it would be a brave man who would bet the farm on a promise made by the PM
Read the full article28 December 2023
2023: The year inaction man Sunak did nothing good
A failed prime minister is blocking progress as the country crumbles around him
Read the full article21 December 2023
Donald Tusk is playing Poland’s populists at their own game
But is the new prime minister brave or foolish - or both?
Read the full article21 December 2023
A US-UK trade deal was always doomed from the off
Animal welfare, Ireland and the US car industry meant the Brexiteers' Stateside ambitions were destined to be thwarted
Read the full article20 December 2023
Now make things clear, Keir
A general election could be just weeks away. But Labour is yet to have crucial meetings about its agenda in power
Read the full article