Conservatives

Public good
The Cummings farrago exposes a government which doesn’t grasp its own role (25 May 2020)

Dear sensible Conservatives …
Learn from Labour’s social democrats. Given the chance, the hard left turned on us. Given the chance, the nationalist right can turn on you in turn (28 October 2017)

Religion in the public realm

Political religion
The blurring of tolerance for personal belief and acceptance of political positions is not an accident (25 February 2023)

No Outsiders: on living together
The same values make LGBT equality non-negotiable and the right to worship sacred. Liberal values matter. But to serve anyone, they have to be upheld (27 March 2019)

#CharlieHebdo: why religion can’t be a sacred cow
Religions are a powerful social force; many of their believers campaign for their values in the public realm. They cannot be beyond criticism (12 January 2015)

Welfare

Slipping behind
With benefit reform, keep an eye on the index (8 November 2011)

Dear ministers
Poverty generally means not having enough money (6 April 2011)

Other UK politics

Immigration, political honesty and the limits of the possible
If we carry on arguing that migration levels can be determined and keep failing to deliver, more and more people will ask why we’re not delivering (18 April 2011)