My heart sank to my boots at the news this weekend that all of London and most of the south-east of England, as well as cities such as Portsmouth and Peterborough, were being plunged with almost immediate effect into the most draconian restriction tier yet. Be under no illusions. For many tens of thousands of … Read more
ANNA MIKHAILOVA: So did Dominic Cummings wave through his own £45,000 pay hike? By Anna Mikhailova For The Mail On Sunday Published: 22:02 GMT, 19 December 2020 | Updated: 02:00 GMT, 20 December 2020 ‘The thing that officials will try hardest to do is convey to you that you have no role in personnel decisions … Read more
Back in the days when we only had terrestrial television, the BBC was considered one of our great national institutions. Whether for happy events, such as a great sporting fixtures, or sad commemorations, such as a state funeral, the BBC was a fulcrum around which the nation gathered. Never was this more true than during … Read more
For those who are vulnerable to it, Covid is a dangerous disease. So it is vital we control it effectively. That’s why we set up the Covid Recovery Group in early November. Our response must be rational and balanced, not driven by panic. It should be based on informed scientific, economic and health data, and … Read more
Some of my past Christmases have gone spectacularly wrong, from the festive point of view. In 1989, I spent Christmas Eve courageously hiding under my bed in a Bucharest hotel, as tracer bullets whizzed by my window, and the snowy city echoed to the sound of crazy gunfire. Christmas Day wasn’t much better and when … Read more
ALEX BRUMMER: Why Andrew Bailey’s bid to calm the storm around £237m savings scandal could cause MORE trouble By Alex Brummer for the Daily Mail Published: 00:29 GMT, 19 December 2020 | Updated: 00:32 GMT, 19 December 2020 The choice of Andrew Bailey as governor of the Bank of England in December 2019, just days … Read more
As we approach Christmas after this most challenging of years, families are looking forward to a precious bit of downtime; some welcome — if short-lived — respite from the horrors of the pandemic. But for one family, the festive cheer will be somewhat muted. Will and Rachel Knowland, together with their five children ranging in … Read more
Tonight, a 55-year-old man with screaming calf muscles will take to the dance floor for one more twirl of twinkle-toed glory. Comedian and musician Bill Bailey is the oldest male contestant to ever reach the Strictly Come Dancing final and in the process has become the unexpected hit of this series. Aided by professional partner Oti … Read more
This is the season when newspaper columnists are expected to pull on their Old Moore outfits and have a stab at predicting the year ahead. Forgive me, but I opted out of this hackneyed tradition years ago, even though I’d never really taken it seriously. No matter how outrageous or spectacularly silly my forecasts, they … Read more
When is a Christmas party not a Christmas party? The man to ask is the Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence committee. As the Mail revealed yesterday, Mr Ellwood went to a gathering at London‘s Cavalry and Guards Club on Tuesday, where 26 other people were in attendance. He insists it was … Read more