A farewell to Ian Jack – a peerless reporter of British life
With his mastery of technical detail and direct style, many journalists rated Jack the greatest of his generation.
By
Peter Wilby
Peter Wilby was editor of the New Statesman from 1998-2005. Following his conviction in August 2023 for possession of images of child sexual abuse, four articles by him were removed from the New Statesman website. Please see this statement for further details.
Latest articles
All Articles
The summer that remade Britain
Snapshots from 1962 – a year of irrevocable change.
By
First Thoughts: History repeating, the Taliban’s populism, and Rupert Murdoch’s sensitive side
In 1842, in a similarly chaotic fashion as today, the British evacuated 16,000 troops and civilians from Afghanistan.
By
First Thoughts: Act now on the climate emergency, “I’m with Bonkers”, and the perils of altruism
After wildfires devastate California and commuters drown in China, it is obvious to me that Extinction Rebellion is right.
By
First Thoughts: The classroom culture wars, GB News founders, and cricket gets an update
Boris Johnson’s government has opened a new front in its culture wars: teacher training.
By
First Thoughts: A warning from Canada, mask wars, and the loss of Ruskin College
It should be concerning to us all that during the recent heatwave deaths in British Columbia have risen to…
By
First Thoughts: The risk of ad boycotts, challenging the woke world-view, and cancelling Enid Blyton
Advertisers should not be encouraged to judge a media outlet’s “values”, if that idea takes hold the left stands to lose…
By
First Thoughts: Holiday hubris, Frost’s history lesson, and how to play sport in multicultural Britain
Why can't Britons stay at home this summer instead of fretting over which countries are categorised green, amber or red?
By
First Thoughts: The culture wars reach the National Trust, Dacre and Ofcom, and lockdown longings
The Ofcom interview panel declared the former Daily Mail editor "not appointable", but that won't stop Boris Johnson.
By