Simon Jenkins's Blog, page 41

John le Carré never won the Booker – but then he preferred it out in the cold | Simon Jenkins

The late novelist, who eschewed literary prizes, was a shadowy giant of post-war British fiction

John le Carré never won the Booker prize. His genre – a mix of espionage and detective thriller – wasn’t always in literary fashion even as it was hugely popular, selling some 60m copies. Le Carré refused to let his work be entered into literary prizes, though he did in his early career and in recent years had been recognised with honours such as the prestigious Olof Palme award. The complexity and de...

Boris Johnson would only have himself to blame for a no-deal Brexit | Simon Jenkins

The prime minister is in this mess because he has always considered his own interests before Britains

What Boris Johnson once described as a failure of statecraft now looms over Downing Street. As Britain prepares to end normal commercial contact with the rest of Europe, we must try to understand the endgame that is passing through the prime ministers mind.

Related: Brexit deal or no deal: your quick guide to the negotiations

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England is facing another needless Brexit disaster: care home staff shortages | Simon Jenkins

New immigration rules will stop EU staff being recruited by a sector that relies on them to fill its soaring vacancy rates

By far the worst-off victims of coronavirus have been elderly people. The worst-off victims of Brexit are going to be elderly people. As reported by the Sunday Times, on 1 January EU staff who care for older people in residential homes cannot be recruited to work in the UK, as they earn below a £25,600 threshold for skilled workers. This will apply whether or not there is...

Boris Johnson must give up on fishing: it's the only way to get a Brexit deal | Simon Jenkins

A breakdown in EU talks would cause more chaos than Britain can stand. He should plan to compensate the industry instead

Hold the fish. But has Boris Johnson the guts to do it? If one thing screams from the current, final trade talks between Britain and the European Union, it is that fishing cannot become a deal-breaker. It is an industry alive with romance, but it occupies just 0.02% of the British domestic output and employs just 12,000 people, fewer than benighted Debenhams.

Related: Brexit: U...

The UK's farmers face upheaval, but a reform to subsidies is needed | Simon Jenkins

British agriculture will be transformed utterly by bold new proposals

This is a good week to start a revolution. With Brexit now on the brink of deal or no deal, Britain could yet retreat behind a wall of tariffs and protectionism. But if a free-trade deal is done and borders stay open, the way is clear for British agriculture to be transformed utterly. Today a seven-year transition plan has been announced by the environment secretary, George Eustice. It switches the money, currently £2.4bn a yea...

Boris Johnson's 'mutant' planning algorithm could scar England for ever | Simon Jenkins

A Dominic Cummings-influenced white paper throws land open to uncontrolled building – but could spark a Tory revolt

When Dominic Cummings stormed out of Downing Street earlier this month he left behind a time bomb more explosive than any pandemic recession or no-deal Brexit. Those pestilences will pass. If enacted, the Cummings-inspired white paper Planning for the Future will scar England’s face for ever.

The paper promises to shift the appearance of England. It intends to throw open landscapes,...

Trump has tested the limits of the US constitution – but it's still holding | Simon Jenkins

The fact that the president cannot hold on to power shows the checks and balances are working

Slowly, painfully, alarmingly, Donald Trump has been conceding the US presidency to Joe Biden. Over the weekend his close friend Chris Christie called his delay “a national embarrassment”, joining judges, aides and other Republican politicians. Meanwhile the world has erupted in a chorus of derision at the state of American democracy, polluted by corruption, fake news and money. Countries whose leaders w...

Billions extra for defence? This is Boris Johnson showing off his power | Simon Jenkins

The locked-down prime minister pretends to be fearlessly decisive. But spending for influence and status is likely to be wasted

Ancient warriors were said to terrify their foes by piling high their valuables in full view and burning them to flaunt their power. That is now official British defence policy.

Boris Johnson feels the need to show the world he is fit and well by humiliating his chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and indulging his most spendthrift department, defence. He is giving it an extra £21.5...

The Crown's fake history is as corrosive as fake news | Simon Jenkins

The popular TV series about the royal family is reality hijacked as propaganda, and a cowardly abuse of artistic licence

When you turn on your television tonight, imagine seeing the news acted rather than read. Someone looking like Boris Johnson furiously screaming at his fiancee, Carrie Symonds; Dominic Cummings vomiting into a can; and the Queen told to piss off. Afterwards the BBC flashes up a statement saying all this was “based on true events”, and hoping we enjoyed it.

The royal family serie...

The office block has had its day. But what will replace it? | Simon Jenkins

Cities emptied by the coronavirus can focus on cultural activities, while the countryside we flee to must be protected

Does a Christian need a church? Does a shopper need a shop? Does an office worker need an office block? We know these places help bring people together and can deepen the experience. But when the coronavirus has passed I believe the truth will be revealed. Technology means that we can perform most of these tasks from anywhere, including home.

After the first lockdown, surveys sugg...