Published in The Guardian (November 15th, 2013) Lynton Crosby, the hard-nosed Australian strategist being paid £500,ooo to ensure the Conservatives win the next election, has a phrase regularly heard […]
Politics
Remembrance Day remains as relevant as ever. Just don’t tell me to wear a poppy
Published in The Guardian (November 10th, 2013) Just as I was about to go in front of the cameras on a BBC news show, the producer came up […]
Crime / Disability / Policy
Insulted, bullied and murdered – for being disabled
Published in The Independent (November 8th, 2013) David is an autistic man in his fifties. He lives in his own flat in north-east London, earning piecemeal money washing […]
North Korea / World
North Korea is treated like a joke – but the realities are deadly serious
Published in The Guardian (October 29th, 2013) Kim Song-ju sought to escape the living hell of North Korea, but after crossing a freezing river into China was returned, […]
Policy / Race
The grim history of the Roma is no fairy tale
Published in The Independent on Sunday (October 27th, 2013) It was like a doom-laden fairy tale from the Dark Ages. A sweet little girl, instantly dubbed the blonde […]
Police / Policy / Politics
I know just the man to put the police’s house in order: Andrew Mitchell
Published in The Guardian (October 23rd, 2013) A few months ago David Davis told me that if the police did not come clean over the case of former […]
Immigration / Policy / Politics
The suburbs are changing – and so must the Tories
Published in The Guardian (October 2nd, 2013) It is hard to think of a more suburban constituency than Mole Valley at the core of the Surrey commuter belt. […]
Africa / Nigeria
A conflict crying out for more attention – and less violence
Published in The Independent (October 1st, 2013) The murder of Saturday lunchtime shoppers in a Nairobi shopping centre grabbed global headlines. This was unsurprising: it was a savage […]
Africa / Zimbabwe
Mugabe’s secret plan to get sanctions lifted
Published in the Mail on Sunday (September 29th, 2013) Robert Mugabe wants the Queen to help get sanctions against his government lifted – and if she refuses, will […]
Politics
Miliband has given Cameron a golden opportunity
Published in The Guardian (September 26th, 2013) There is consensus on one thing about Ed Miliband’s party conference speech: he has made a significant lurch to the left. He […]
Europe / European Union / Politics
The diplomat the world ignores
Published in Standpoint (September 25th, 2013) It was like an assignation in a spy thriller. A helicopter picked up the middle-aged woman in the early hours and flew […]
Africa / Kenya / Somalia / Somaliland
Myths, murder and militancy
Published in The Independent (September 24th, 2013) For two years, Kenyans have been bracing themselves for the barbarism we have just witnessed in Nairobi. Ever since their army […]