Leader: The political weather changes
Following a succession of scandals, tax rises and welfare cuts by the Conservative government, a distinctive anti-Johnson coalition has…
ByThe Magazine
In this week’s issue
Dictating the Future
Letter of the Week: Nuclear Delusion
Write to letters@newstatesman.co.uk to have your thoughts voiced in the New Statesman magazine.
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A “strategic nuclear exchange” would offer Putin zero military gains
Threats of “battlefield” warheads are alarming, but an actual deployment would cause Russia major setbacks – both tactical and…
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Angela Rayner’s Diary: “The smear that I am behind Mailgate shows how desperate Tory MPs are”
The Labour deputy leader says she hopes experiences like hers don’t put young women off public life.
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How “trauma” became a front in the culture war
The academic Nick Haslam discusses the complexity around defining psychological harm.
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How far will the UK go to stop Vladimir Putin?
As Russian television stooges begin to discuss nuking Britain, it is time we had a real debate about the…
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Risk of a direct clash between Russia and the West is rising
The longer the fighting goes on, the more likelihood there is of a wider war – and both sides…
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If Ukraine has a future, it’s with the EU
Only the European Union can help Ukraine find its place in a dangerous world. But is it up to…
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Men watch porn at work to shame female colleagues. I know because it happened to me
The Tory MP who viewed pornography in the House of Commons reminded me of the abusive and sexist workplace…
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How the world’s dictators are rewriting the past in order to control the future
Authoritarian leaders in Russia, China and North Korea are using distorted historical narratives to justify wars and control citizens.
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“He has embarked on a war he can’t stop”: Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Putin’s next move
Jailed for a decade by Putin, the exiled oligarch explains how the Russian leader consolidated his power – and…
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“We’re going to disrupt”: A year inside GB News
Faced with a new rival, can the channel survive? Staffers share the story of a tumultuous 12 months.
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The long shadows over English cricket
The latest Wisden reflects a turbulent year in which the sport has been forced to confront racism and incompetence.
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Bill Gates on the pandemic: a misplaced faith in innovation
The tech billionaire believes business can shield us from future diseases – but the market is part of the…
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It’s his life: the secluded world of Talk Talk frontman Mark Hollis
Uneasy with his fame and fiercely private, the post-rock pioneer left behind a musical legacy of extraordinary beauty.
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Reviewed in short: New books by Calum Jacobs, Lara Williams, Alex Rowson and NoViolet Bulawayo
A New Formation edited by Calum Jacobs, The Odyssey by Lara Williams, The Young Alexander by Alex Rowson and…
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Gilbert Murray: the Oxford don who made Greek chic
Daisy Dunn’s charismatic interwar history of Oxford illuminates the wide influence of the celebrated classicist and his circle.
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Walter Sickert’s fascination with the mundane, gaudy and sordid
A new exhibition presents the artist as a highly complex man whose unsettling work had innumerable narrative interpretations.
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The new Downton Abbey film has luxurious sets, costumes and meals – but the real draw is Maggie Smith
Smith’s disdain for her own role only enhances the impact of her character’s appalling snubs and casual put-downs.
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HBO’s dramatisation of The Staircase is a superfluous last gasp for an already worn out story
The repeated subject matter would not be a problem if the drama’s artistry was compelling. Unfortunately, it isn’t.
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The unnerving horror of BBC Radio 4’s Lusus
This is a slick drama which explores relatable inner demons: loneliness, ageing, eco-angst – but I’m not sure I…
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Putting the front garden front and centre
Inspired and energised, I’ve decided to give our neglected yard the love it deserves.
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This England: Spats over spuds
This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain…
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Football is full of tech. Isn’t it time for managers to catch up?
While the rest of the game embraces innovation, coaches remain steadfastly analogue – and they’re missing all the action.
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Asparagus is the sexiest of vegetables, so I can’t bear to eat it alone
This year there is no one to see a little rivulet of butter running down the chin, to be…
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Subscriber of the Week: Stewart Friendship
Email ellys.woodhouse@newstatesman.co.uk if you would like to be the New Statesman’s Subscriber of the Week.
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Stella Rimington Q&A: “In another life I’d be home secretary”
The former head of MI5 on Soviet espionage in the UK during the Cold War and the key advice…
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