Simon Heffer's Blog, page 5

The Queen handled the death of Diana far better than she was given credit for

D iana, Princess of Wales had been dead just a few hours when signs of a sort of cultural revolution became apparent. The unprecedented, and at times unhinged, expression of public grief has been well-documented; less so another innovation, an increasingly ugly mood towards the Queen, as monarch and head...

England cricketers play too few first-class matches to be sure of their chances against Australia

N o one can accuse England's Test series against South Africa of being boring ; indeed, one���s only regret is that it is just to be four Tests ��� the last of which starts at Old Trafford on Friday ��� rather than the five two such well-matched sides merit.

From gender to diesel to migration, this Conservative Government is dumping conservatism

T he Conservatives keep outlining policies that make one wonder what ministers think conservatism actually is.

Camilla at 70: the Duchess who deserves to become Queen

O n Monday, the House of Windsor marks two anniversaries: its centenary, and the 70th birthday of the Duchess of Cornwall. George V changed his family���s surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the legacy of Prince Albert, because of anti-German feeling during the Great War.

These attempts to subvert Brexit will harm the economy and threaten social discord

V ocal and aggrieved minorities have spent a year trying to subvert the democratic decision of the British people to leave the EU. They are flourishing in the climate of shattered self-confidence besetting the Government since the election . Their tactics are, however, now so blatant as to be preposterous.

MCC should refurbish Lord's from its own resources and lead the fight for the traditional game

F or nearly a month MCC members have been pondering a brochure with the disarmingly prosaic title Review of Development Plans: The Future of Your Ground . When thousands of them assemble at that ground - Lord���s - from Thursday for the Test against South Africa, the conversation will soon...

Tory has-beens and rebellious ministers are playing into Jeremy Corbyn's hands

E ventually there had to be a return to reality in our politics. It came on Thursday, when 49 Labour MPs defied their whips and voted for an amendment to the Queen���s Speech . It sought to keep Britain in the European internal market and customs union: in other words,...

Kensington Tories must get a grip after the Grenfell disaster

T he only remarkable feature of the decision by Nick Paget-Brown, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea borough council, and his deputy, Rock Feilding-Mellen, to resign was that it took either of them so long. Mr Paget-Brown���s decision to close a meeting on the Grenfell Tower disaster when a court...

The Tories must convince the young of the moral case for conservatism

G iven the present political uncertainties, it is not too early for the Tories to motivate themselves and try to connect with a public they left largely undisturbed during the recent, catastrophic campaign. This is particularly true of the young.

There was no such thing as austerity ��� Britain still isn't living within its means

T he Taxpayers��� Alliance has published depressing figures about the so-called ���austerity���. In real terms, public spending has fallen by just 0.2 per cent since 2009 ��� further proof of the benefits of no longer having George Osborne (Chancellor for six of those eight years) in the Treasury.