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The story of the old lieutenant’s wristwatch
Harold was 24: tall, amiable, clever, handsome, with one of those silky moustaches that heroes affected in war stories. After he’d looked at it a dozen times, Second Lieutenant Harold Simpson’s...
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Nap pods: unproductive gimmick, or a lifeline for increasingly sleep-deprived...
The napping industry is booming in cities and offices. But is it actually good for our health and productivity? Humans have been doing it since the beginning of our existence, yet the topic of sleep...
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The one where she turns into a USB stick: the worst uses of tech in films
The new film Worst Tinder Date Ever will join a long tradition of poorly-thought-through tech storylines. News just in from Hollywood: someone is making a film about Tinder. What will they call it?...
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The Chilcot report left many questions concerning the UK's role in torture...
Chilcot may have closed the book on the Iraq war; but for the survivors of torture and their families, closure must seem like a distant prospect. On 6 July 2016, seven years after it was commissioned,...
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Angela Eagle drops out of the Labour leadership race
Owen Smith will be the challenger to Jeremy Corbyn. Angela Eagle has pulled out of the Labour leadership race, leaving Owen Smith as the sole challenger to Jeremy Corbyn. The former shadow Business...
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SRSLY #51: Ghostbusters / Orange is the New Black / The Silent Woman
On the pop culture podcast this week: the new Ghostbusters reboot, series four of Netflix original Orange is the New Black and Janet Malcolm’s book about Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, The Silent Woman....
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Turkey's failed coup: President Erdoğan unleashes his political foot soldiers
The signs for a stable democracy are not good. Phase one of the Turkish coup attempt was its surprise inception on the streets of Istanbul and Ankara. Phase two saw its almost equally surprising...
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Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of James Brokenshire as Northern...
The political and policy-based implications of the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Remember Northern Ireland? You could be forgiven for forgetting it – certainly, for most of the EU...
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The football at Euro 2016 was no great shakes – but the moths played a blinder
The moths dispersed in the second half, but at least they'd given us something to talk about. Our final image of Euro 2016 was of its star performer limping away in tears, battered by moths. Never let...
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How Greta Gerwig challenges the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope by brushing with it
Greta Gerwig's latest film Maggie's Plan offers a glimpse of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, only to then shatter it. Nathan Rubin coined the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl in his review of the film...
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Stop thinking Owen Smith will make the Labour party electable
All over Europe, centrist social democracy is in disarray. Last week, as Labour’s national executive voted 17-15 to hold a secret vote on whether or not Jeremy Corbyn should be on the leadership...
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“I can’t leave until they do”: as aid is running out, what next for the...
The so-called “Jungle” refugee camp is now an established community with complex, daily needs – but donations are drying up. Earlier this month, the aid charity Care4Calaiscirculated a photo of its...
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Inflammatory words: on the history of censored books
On the Burning of Books: How Flames Fail to Destroy the Written Word is an informative book on a hot topic. When Sylvia Plath committed suicide in 1963, no arrangements had been made for the deposition...
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This week's magazine | The English revolt
A first look at this week's issue.The English revolt22 - 28 July issueCover story: The English revolt. Robert Tombs on Brexit, nationalism and identity.George Eaton on Theresa May’s first days in...
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PMQs review: Theresa May makes a formidable start
The new Prime Minister delighted Tory MPs and dismayed Labour ones with a brutally efficient performance. It is less than a week since Theresa May entered No.10. But at her first PMQs, she resembled...
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Lilian Greenwood MP: Look at my record if you think my resignation was a...
The former shadow secretary of state for Transport was a trade union official for two decades. When it comes to trains, Lilian Greenwood is an anorak. After winning her Nottingham South seat in 2010,...
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Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Greg Clark as Business Secretary...
The political and policy-based implications of the new Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. A PhD in economics and a career in management consulting would suggest that...
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Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of David Davis as Brexit Secretary...
The political and policy-based implications of the new Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. David Davis is proof that there are second acts in political lives. Eleven years after he was...
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Why Sadiq Khan's bid for Southern Rail is a smart move
By transforming the failing line, Khan could wield new influence. They've held protest rallies. They've threatened to go on strike. They've demanded nationalisation. No, it's not the Corbynites, but...
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Cabinet audit: what does the appointment of Priti Patel as International...
The political and policy-based implications of the new Secretary of State for International Development. Perhaps one of the least palatable new hires for Whitehall bods is Priti Patel, semi-promoted...
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