Philip Johnston

Jan 14, 2025 | telegraph.co.uk | Philip Johnston

Governments spend too much and always have. They make promises and commitments that can only be met by taxation and/or borrowing. Too much of the former kills growth which reduces revenues, forcing more borrowing which in turn pushes up interest rates. These basic economic realities are now being visited upon Labour, leaving them with one option: cut spending.

Jan 7, 2025 | telegraph.co.uk | Philip Johnston

Give him a fluffy white cat and a private island and Elon Musk would be a Bond villain straight out of central casting. With his vast wealth, power and endless ambition, he makes Ernst Stavro Blofeld look like a shrinking violet.

Dec 3, 2024 | yahoo.com | Philip Johnston

To govern is to choose, said the French statesman Pierre Mendès-France. But when it comes to foreign policy it should be Hobson’s choice – the UK’s national interest alone. In his speech to the Lord Mayor’s banquet in the City of London on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer grappled with the age-old dilemma of a British prime minister – America or Europe? – and came to the same conclusion as his predecessors, which is to keep your options open. Be friendly with both.

Nov 19, 2024 | msn.com | Philip Johnston

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Nov 19, 2024 | telegraph.co.uk | Philip Johnston

Credit: HENRY NICHOLLS The BBC’s sumptuous new drama Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is both a Sunday evening delight and a reminder of the longevity of the British constitution. In the first episode, Thomas Cromwell, master fixer for Henry VIII, was rewarded with the title of Lord Privy Seal for bringing the king’s errant daughter Mary back to court. Here we are almost 500 years on and the post bestowed upon the Putney blacksmith’s son still exists in our government. The current occupant...