John Lough

4 weeks ago | thespectator.com | Ben Domenech |Damien Phillips |Roger Kimball |John Lough

The leadership of the Democratic Party is as open as it has been in generations, with Nancy Pelosi occupying emerita status, Chuck Schumer under fire from half his party – and their most prominent governors hamstrung by problems at home or the fact they’d much rather be podcasting. The field is effectively cleared for an upstart to emerge based on sheer communications talent and the ability to take advantage of a power vacuum as an avatar of leftward frustration.

1 month ago | thespectator.com | Max Jeffery |John Lough |Kate Andrews |Piers Morgan

Melania Trump’s one-of-a-kind wedding dress is on sale for an asking price of $45,000 on eBay. The ivory duchesse satin dress was worn at the 2005 wedding between the future president and first lady – and also featured on the cover of Vogue magazine, the sole instance of international model Melania appearing on a Vogue cover. Jill Biden, meanwhile, has two to her name. Mischief, mayhem and Washington gossip from The Spectator’s intrepid beat reporter.

1 month ago | thespectator.com | Ben Domenech |John Lough |Freddy Gray |Jacob Heilbrunn

To be fair, Donald Trump’s team did promise to have the most transparent administration ever – a line I was planning to deploy on Fox News, but Peter Doocy beat me to it. Newly elected Senator Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican, was blunter: “Well, somebody fucked up.”It was only a matter of time before this White House, moving as fast as they have been, would make a glaring mistake.

1 month ago | thespectator.com | Roger Kimball |Philip Hensher |Stuart A Ritchie |John Lough

When Winston Churchill saw the portrait commissioned by parliament for his 80th birthday, he called it “filthy and malignant” and said it made him look “half-witted.” The picture, painted by Graham Sutherland, was soon whisked off to Chartwell, Churchill’s estate in Kent. It moldered there unseen for some years before Churchill’s private secretary ferried it to a secluded cottage and burnt the wretched object. Clemmie, Churchill’s long-suffering wife, approved of the conflagration.

1 month ago | thespectator.com | John Lough |Freddy Gray |Piers Morgan |Kevin Roberts

Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate a quick end to the war in Ukraine have run into trouble. As US negotiators meet with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to explore possibilities for a comprehensive ceasefire, the Russian side is clearly going through the motions. Vladimir Putin’s call last week with Trump showed that he sees no need to stop fighting when he is winning.