BBC
Another Country
James Naughtie’s spy thriller, The Madness of July, is the work of a man steeped in the politics of the BBC
Conventional Wisdom Won’t Do
From the First World War to the rise of radical Islam, catastrophes cannot be treated like ordinary problems
Infantile, My Dear Watson
Sherlock substitutes the jitters of the internet for the storytelling that made the world fall in love with Holmes
Radio Play
Chess may not seem suited to radio, but in the Sixties the BBC broadcast special programmes featuring the world’s greatest ever players
Culture Wars That Threaten Liberty
The constant attacks on the tabloids by the Left and on the BBC by the Right are leading to censorship
Scrap the Licence Fee and Privatise the BBC
The logic behind a nationalised broadcaster was never perfect. In the age of subscription television and the internet it is indefensible
Kennedy’s False Note
Much hoo-ha was made of the BBC’s “censorship” of Nigel Kennedy’s remarks about Palestine at the Proms. In truth, Kennedy knew all along he’d be taken off air
The Beeb Needs its Mavericks
The BBC’s fear of outsiders drives away talent and makes its news programmes timid and forgettable
The Laughter of the Privileged Left
The Right accuses BBC comedy of bias, but today’s left-wing comedians are conservative in all but name
The BBC’s Groupthink on Immigration Stinks
The corporation has for too long ignored public opinion on multiculturalism, sticking instead to liberal orthodoxies
Why Remoaners should back Boris
“Boris, ironically, now offers Remoaners the best chance of a soft Brexit, or at least a sensible one. And to those who want a second referendum—’the people’s vote’—there may even be a chance of that too.”
On the road
“In the summer of 1980, in the grip of some Kerouac-ish fantasy, I opted to hitch-hike from Laredo to New York”
Discovering the Great War of China
A third of a million Chinese labourers helped the Allies defeat the Kaiser, but their huge unsung contribution ended in betrayal