'Football is, in other words, a metaphor for CCP rule, and the stifling way Xi is micro-managing China’s economy and society.' ✍️ Ian Williams spectator.co.uk/article/why-ca…

'From an employee’s point of view, the government is damaging the incentive for hard work by threatening higher taxes on savings and investments.' ✍️ The Spectator spectator.co.uk/article/labour…

'While some might have expected Labour ministers to be cagey about Starmer's gifts, it appears Jonathan Reynolds has other ideas. He told Times Radio: 'If people get the chance for a bit of relaxation as part of that then I've no problem.'' ✍️ Steerpike spectator.co.uk/article/labour…

'I slid under the table separating us on to one knee and asked him for his hand. To my surprise and slight panic, he gave it.' ✍️ Maureen Lipman spectator.co.uk/article/im-eng…

'In their quest to both keep their Tory gains and hold Labour to account, the Lib Dem response could be summed up in three letters: NHS.' ✍️ James Heale spectator.co.uk/article/ed-dav…

'I fear, is that the editors of Scientific American really do believe in the snake oil they’re selling. It’s not science they’re committed to, but scientism – a weird hybrid of technocratic managerialism and radical progressive ideology.' ✍️ Toby Young spectator.co.uk/article/the-sc…

'The war against low corporate tax rates raises a significant moral issue: why should some countries which have been successful at managing their public finances be forced to jack up tax rates just to please other less competent countries?' ✍️ Ross Clark spectator.co.uk/article/how-th…

spectator.co.uk/article/why-ar… 'There are rumours that there is a wider shortage of tags. Whatever the reason, offenders who are supposed to be under curfew after their release are not being monitored.' ✍️ David Shipley

spectator.co.uk/article/diane-… 'Diane Abbott believes that Giorgia Meloni is a ‘literal fascist’. That must come as a surprise to the 12.3 million voters who elected her prime minister of Italy two years ago. Not to mention King Charles, who hosted Meloni in July.' ✍️ Gavin Mortimer

‘Describing Starmer as having been in Labour ‘for a relatively short time’, she said that given he was only selected in 2015, ‘he doesn’t really have a history in the Labour party’. Talk about acting the big dog, eh?’ ✍️ Steerpike spectator.co.uk/article/abbott…

‘Now the Foreign Secretary has come under fire after he hailed Azerbaijan for being able to ‘liberate’ territory – in an ongoing conflict widely viewed as an ethnic cleansing operation – in a recent Substack post.’ ✍️ Steerpike spectator.co.uk/article/ignora…

spectator.co.uk/article/sue-gr… 'Sue Gray has once again made headlines after the Beeb revealed the former top civil servant has been given a salary of a whopping £170,000 – which is £3,000 more than the man in the top job. How curious…' ✍️ Steerpike

spectator.co.uk/article/was-th… 'Despite economic stagnation in June and July, when the economy didn’t grow, the BoE appears to feel confident, not only that growth will resume, but that the UK is nowhere near recession territory.' ✍️ Kate Andrews

'The sculptures on the other three plinths have stood for almost two hundred years. The nineteenth century artists who made them built things to last. Maybe the time has come for our generation to do likewise.' ✍️ Debbie Hayton spectator.co.uk/article/the-tr…

spectator.co.uk/article/does-s… 'As things stand, Gray risks becoming a distraction for the government. Once an aide becomes the story it is a hard place to come back from.' ✍️ Katy Balls

spectator.co.uk/article/mcdona… 'To her credit, Badenoch has at least recognised that there is such a thing as class difference, and that poor people come in all colours and both sexes.' ✍️ Patrick West

'There is nothing infantilising or demeaning about being a ‘junior doctor’, only about falsely calling it something else entirely.' ✍️ Druin Burch spectator.co.uk/article/theres…

'If we want the best people, they will have to receive substantial remuneration.' ✍️ Eliot Wilson spectator.co.uk/article/why-sh…

'A coalition between the SNP and Labour, Scotland’s two dominant centre-left parties, is one we might want to consider in the event of a messy result in 2026.' ✍️ Stewart McDonald spectator.co.uk/article/is-the…

What makes up Starmer’s most luxurious donations? Tap for Steerpike's handy list. spectator.co.uk/article/starme…