Dominated by technology, ruled by the smartphone, shadowed by war and saturated by a constant stream of pornographic and violent images: our world feels ever more Ballardian

There are few more self-righteous politicians than Starmer, the career lawyer and former director of public prosecutions. He sees himself as an honest man, a man of rules. If he makes mistakes, they are honest mistakes. So when the leader of the opposition calls him a liar she strikes at the very core of who he is and believes himself to be

After May, nationalist secessionist parties could, for the first time, be in power in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. That’s something entirely new in British politics. What if the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Fein start to coordinate and lead a Celtic rebellion against Westminster?

An appreciation of the elusive Talk Talk frontman; originally published following news of his death in February 2019. (I will publish the transcript from my conversation with Hollis soon once I have digitised the tape.)  See also: Mark Hollis: Inside the Walled Garden https://www.jasoncowley.net/ar...

Once outliers on the centre-left, the Social Democrats are now a model for defeating the hard right with Europe’s toughest immigration system

An essay from the archive: Male rivalry, literary ambition and the terror that comes in the night 

McSweeney was more than Starmer’s chief of staff; he was his chief strategist, ideologue, fixer and powerbroker

The prime minister may think he is misunderstood but he represents the politics of a dying era. He has only his own judgement to blame over Peter Mandelson