The Spectator

The Spectator is Britain’s oldest and most influential magazine, with incisive political and economic analysis, unrivalled books and arts reviews, and unmissable lifestyle writing, plus the funniest cartoons. It’s more cocktail party than political party, and we’d love it if you joined us.

The wrong conclusions

The Spectator

CONTRIBUTORS

PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK

DIARY

THE SPECTATOR’S NOTES

Rescue mission • There’s still time to save the West

Net zeroes • I watched Chris Packham’s climate crisis film so you don’t have to

Be careful what you wish for

Right mess • The feuding at the heart of Reform

Crossing Millennium Bridge

Plastic parsons • Enjoy Anglican priests while you still can

The whataboutery delusion • Stop with the totalitarian name-calling

Bond’s identity crisis mirrors Britain’s

Overkill • Are Ukraine’s deep strikes simply strengthening Putin’s hand?

Into a secret mountain kingdom

Running scared • Why won’t the UK curtail the Muslim Brotherhood?

Whine and dine • Dinner parties are a nightmare

The hidden victims of ‘Big Surrogacy’

LETTERS

Saying Yes to Jackdaw but No to Rosebank would be a weasel compromise

BOOKS & ARTS

Portable magic • Robert Douglas-Fairhurst reminds us of the mind-altering potential of the novel

A century of turmoil

Friend and patron

Crime of passion

A loyal lieutenant

The cheerful assassin

Marks out of five

The banality of evil

A fortunate captive

Style counsel • Jonathan Meades on the aesthete, collector and collagist Christopher Gibbs, who connected with Everyone and created a new patron class

Edinburgh Fringe Brief encounter

Pop All together now

Cinema Cast aside

Television Women on top

Opera The full English

Classic Castellucci

Mulberries

Best life

Real life

Dolce Vita

The Turf

Esports World Cup

Name dropping

2766: Letters latent

Salade Lyonnaise

Permit me a grouse

DEAR MARY YOUR PROBLEMS SOLVED

It’s the friendly fire that really hurts

The Battle for Britain

A sprint to lift the spirits

Omens and eclipses

An important WhatsApp

Crimp