Philip Johnston



Profile:
Full name: Philip Johnston

Area of interest: UK Home Affairs

Journals/Organisation: The Daily Telegraph

Email: [mailto:philip.johnston@telegraph.co.uk philip.johnston@telegraph.co.uk]

Personal website:

Website: Telegraph.co / Philip Johnston

Blog: blogs.telegraph.co.uk / Philip Johnston

Representation:

Networks:



Biography:
About:

Education:

Career: With The Daily Telegraph since 1988, was previously chief political correspondent, started the Home Front column in 2004, promoted to assistant editor 2007

Current position/role: Assistant Editor, Home News


 * also writes/written for:

Other roles/Main role:

Other activities:

Disclosures:

Viewpoints/Insight: Essay: Are we a free country any more?; Who will defend our free speech?

Broadcast media:

Video:

Controversy/Criticism: EU Referendum blog: It is, probably, too late

Awards/Honours: Winning essay in the annual Charles Douglas-Home Memorial Trust Award, 2007

Scoops:

Other:



Books & Debate:


Latest work: Bad Laws: from dangerous dogs to horse passports - how the British lost their common sense OCLC 463640752

Speaking/Appearances:

Debate: 

The Daily Telegraph:
Column name:

Remit/Info: "political issues that affect every Briton, among them crime, security and immigration"

Section: Features / Comment

Role: assistant editor, Home News

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:philip.johnston@telegraph.co.uk philip.johnston@telegraph.co.uk]

Website: Telegraph.co / Philip Johnston

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Monday

Regularity: Weekly

Column format:

Average length: 1000 words



Articles:

 * Britain is in a mess and it needs a national leader. Theresa May is simply not that person - It will go down in the annals of political understatement alongside David Cameron’s mordant post-referendum observation: “well, that didn’t go to plan” - 14th June 2017
 * Yes, Jeremy Corbyn is a consistent politician – he's been consistently wrong for 40 years - Jeremy Corbyn has doggedly followed a hard Left ideology and agenda for the past 40 years - 8th June 2017
 * In this personality election, no one is willing to face the coming challenges of the 21st century - Labour is offering a full menu of backwards looking policies - 16th May 2017
 * The Germans think Brexit Britain owes the EU but the IOU is all theirs - In his interview with Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in this newspaper, Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister, had some advice for the British government. Don’t negotiate with the EU, he said. - 3rd May 2017
 * I bet I'll still be served coffee by a Pole after Brexit - 13th April 2017
 * Gordon Brown should pay our diesel parking charges – he got us into this mess  - Ownership of diesel vehicles is increasingly coming under scrutiny, but it wasn't that long ago it was actively encouraged - 5th April 2017
 * Martin McGuinness was a killer, not a saint - There is an adage, attributed to Chilon of Sparta 2,500 years ago, that we should speak only good about the recently departed. With some people that entreaty is hard to observe. One such was Martin McGuinness. - 22nd March 2017
 * Philip Hammond's U-turn will be a political humiliation for the history books - I have witnessed quite a few political humiliations over the years. A Commons statement by Sir Keith Joseph in May 1980 springs to mind - 16th March 2017
 * It doesn't matter if the Budget is in spring or autumn – whatever the season Britain is mired in debt - The blossom is out; the daffodils are in full bloom. The Easter eggs are in the shops. It must be Budget time. - 8th March
 * What if Britain had never joined the EU in the first place? - 15th February 2017
 * John Bercow's lapse of reason reflects the unhealthy lack of consensus in our politics - You might have thought that the row over whether Donald Trump should address both Houses of Parliament was something new, so uniquely ghastly is the American president to the student politicians who inhabit the Palace of Westminster. But a similar controversy occurred in 1982 when Ronald Reagan was invited on a state visit - 8th February 2017
 * Deciding what counts as 'fake news' cannot be a job for Parliament - What partisans denounce as 'fake news' is sometimes merely a different perspective - 1st February 2017
 * Thanks to Gina Miller, Parliament is again supreme. But now MPs must fear the people's wrath - By challenging Brexit in order to stop it she has supercharged it. Remainers have become the great defenders of the sovereignty they previously wanted to see pooled. - 25th January 2017
 * Theresa May’s Brexit plan is sensible, but will the EU have the sense to see that? - 18th January 2017
 * Theresa May has no mandate for Corbyn-style state intervention. She needs to call an election - The Prime Minister has entered an auction with Labour to see who can be the most left-wing - 10th January 2017
 * To get Brexit through the Lords, send in the kamikaze squad - This should have been the year of consolidation for the Conservative Government. The second full parliamentary session after a general election victory is the time to get things done and enact much of the manifesto that helped persuade voters to put the party into power - 4th January 2016
 * Britain's aid target is politicians virtue signalling with other people's money - This is hardly the time of the year to be grouching about charitable giving. The current brouhaha surrounding the UK’s foreign aid budget makes the complainants seem just a little, well, Scrooge-like - 21st December 2016
 * With patience and a little common sense, Britain can have a good Brexit - Is Hammond another Tory wet? Not yet - 15th December 2016
 * Supreme Court day three, lunchtime briefing: it was Parliament's glaring omission which led us to this mess - 8th December 2016
 * Supreme Court Article 50 case, day one: lunchtime briefing - Anyone expecting great drama from the opening day of the Supreme Court hearing of the Government’s Article 50 Brexit appeal will probably be disappointed - 6th December 2016
 * Chancellor Hammond has doleful duty to do before he can emerge as Visionary Phil - The portly progress of Ed Balls into the latter stages of Strictly Come Dancing could serve as a metaphor for modern politics - 23rd November 2016
 * EU membership broke our constitution by giving British judges too much power, at the expense of Parliament - What connects an obscure legal action involving a Spanish fishing company 26 years ago with last week’s High Court judgment over the Government’s powers to begin Britain’s exit from the EU? - 9th November 2016
 * The Brexit appeal goes to the heart of the constitutional settlement - The Government has conceded a point it should never have agreed - that this case was justiciable by the courts - 5th November 2016
 * The High Court ruling on Brexit should never have happened – judges should stay out of politics - It is a widely accepted constitutional principle that Parliament is sovereign, but that the executive possesses residual Royal authority to act in certain circumstances without recourse to MPs and peers. - 4th November 2016
 * Parliament is eroding freedom of speech and equality under the law - 26th October 2016
 * The best cure for anti-Semitism in the UK is to stop pretending we're all guilty of it - Reading the select committee report, the question that jumped out was: why has it got worse in recent years? The only answer that makes any sense is immigration - 19th October 2016
 * The loony Left is back – but the Tories would be crazy to be complacent - 28th September 2016
 * David Cameron is turning his back on Parliament just as it starts to matter again - 14th September 2016
 * The Great Boundary Reform might kill off the Labour Party - 7th September 2016
 * Jean-Claude Juncker still doesn't get it. Britons feel at home in Britain, not in the EU - Juncker's vision of breaking down national boundaries didn't work out for past empires - 24th August 2016
 * Judges must keep out of political minefields like Labour's leadership contest and Brexit - 'If the law supposes that,” said Mr Bumble in Oliver Twist, “the law is a ass.” Sometimes it is hard to disagree with Dickens’s corpulent beadle - 10th August 2016
 * We shall not shoulder the moral burden in society’s blame game - Over the years I have been expected to shoulder the collective moral burden for Aids, sexist behaviour, child abuse, people trafficking and the dictatorial excesses of foreign despots - 3rd August 2016
 * Joseph Conrad's Secret Agent would feel at home in today's Britain - 27th July 2016
 * To preserve the Union, we might have to go our separate ways - 20th July 2016
 * While Labour's clueless romantics dither and sputter, the Conservatives take charge - 13th July 2016
 * Britain needs stability. If Conservative MPs want Theresa May, she should be crowned without delay - 6th July
 * Like Michael Heseltine, Boris Johnson was in prime position – but knife wielders never wear the crown - 30th June
 * Farage has tapped into a volcano of fury over immigration - and it's not stopped erupting yet - Finally he had his moment in the sun. Frozen out by his more fastidious fellow Leave campaigners, Nigel Farage stood up in the parliamentary forum of the institution he despises and gleefully rubbed the noses of MEPs in the UK’s vote to depart - 29th June 2016
 * If you want to be in a reformed EU, then you have to vote to leave - 22nd June 2016
 * Why I'll be voting to leave the EU next week - The argument that we are in the club and should just obey the rules is fatuous, because the rules and the membership have changed so much since we joined - 15th June 2016
 * A vote for Brexit is now a very real possibility – we must be ready for it - Here is a confident prediction about the outcome of the EU referendum on June 23. The first result, to be declared at around 1am, will be overwhelmingly in favour of staying in. There will be an 85 per cent turnout – and 88 per cent of voters, or thereabouts, will be for Remain - 8th June 2016
 * David Cameron, the conquering hero a year ago, is in the fight of his life - 11th May 2016
 * Will the grip of the two-party system ever be broken? - Underdogs can still triumph in sport, as Leicester City has demonstrated in winning the Premier League. In politics, however, the underdog rarely barks - 4th May 2016
 * Expats could very well swing the referendum - 27th April 2016
 * The Conservative Party may be destroyed by this European madness - You do wonder whether the Conservative Party appreciates how bad its in-fighting over the EU looks to the country at large, and how deeply it worries the voters who put them into power last May - 20th April 2016
 * We won’t build many hospitals and schools on Jeremy Corbyn’s income tax  - 13th April 2016
 * Whatever the fallout from Panama, the rich will continue to go offshore - 6th April
 * The EU aspires to be a state but fails to deal with the enemy within - Terrorist attacks in Brussels will raise more questions about how we respond to extremism - 23rd March 2016
 * Will George Osborne dare make the Budget a part of Project Fear? - As the Chancellor fights for his future, he will imply that the UK couldn’t cope with the shock of Brexit - 16th March 2016
 * David Cameron may win this referendum, but at the cost of a divided nation - If the four countries of our kingdom vote for different outcomes, the acrimony might break up the Union - 2nd March 2016
 * Immigration is the key to EU vote, so will Boris change his tune? - The Out campaigners’ hopes of curbing the waves of foreign workers may be doomed to failure - 24th February 2016
 * Is George Osborne about to betray Tory voters on pension tax relief? - If the Chancellor abolishes a 95-year-old rule on savings, the political fall-out will be immense - 17th February 2016
 * Eurosceptics are running out of time to get their act together - Claims and counter-claims about costs of membership miss the bigger picture about our role in Europe - 2nd February 2016
 * The welfarist Left wants poor people to be trapped in sink estates forever - The cradle-to-grave welfare state ensures that people in poverty stay there – and that patronising apparatchiks stay in business - 12th January 2016
 * It’s not mean-spirited to think aid cash would be better spent at home - The actor Michael Sheen has a typical Left-wing viewpoint that ignores Right-wing generosity - 29th December 2015
 * Better for Britain to be Scrooge than a sucker - Our generous foreign aid and migrant benefits means is stretching our purse – so are we a big-hearted country, or a nation of saps? - 15th December 2015
 * First Denmark, now France – Europe's dominoes are falling one by one - Marine Le Pen is right to say that Brexit would sink the EU. If the Eurocrats have any sense they'll give David Cameron what he wants - 7th December 2015
 * The climate change argument may never be won, but that doesn't mean it can be ignored - The Lefties may have hijacked the debate, but Mrs Thatcher saw the need for action 27 years ago - 1st December 2015
 * George Osborne needs to realise the welfare state can't look after us any more - In an ageing society, 'from cradle to grave' paternalism is no longer possible. Instead we must become a more self-reliant nation - 24th November 2015
 * Isil wants us to abandon our way of life. Don't let them win - Britain should have learnt by now that a knee-jerk response to extremism is ultimately self-defeating - 17th November 2015
 * How long can David Cameron keep up his EU juggling act? - The Prime Minister's moderate approach aims to avoid Thatcher's fatal error. But he can't avoid taking a strong, principled position forever - 10th November 2015
 * While snooping on the bad guys, the state will have a peek at us all - The surveillance Bill may have been watered down, but it is still a great incursion into our lives - 3rd November 2015
 * We are watching the death of open frontiers in Europe - The endless wave of migrants - for which we have utterly failed to prepare - will unleash extremist politics throughout the Continent - 27th October
 * The Scottish referendum has left the English with an identity crisis it is struggling to solve - As parliament considers English Votes for English Laws, Bernard Cornwell’s Warrior Chronicles offers an understanding of the country's past which could help determine its future role in the United Kingdom - 20th October 2015
 * Do David Cameron's EU negotiations really matter at all? - Nobody now lining up to keep Britain in the EU will change their mind if the Prime Minister fails - and few opposite will switch if he wins - 13th October 2015
 * David Cameron will need a lot of luck to hold the Tories together - The election is already a distant memory as the PM tries to stop his party and country falling apart - 6th October 2015
 * Laws against 'extremism' risk criminalising us all - Laws to ban free speech if it doesn't chime with with 'British values' are dangerous to everyone, not just the hateful few - 29th September 2015
 * A semi-detached Britain may still be too close to the EU super state - Europe can only stop itself unravelling from the migrant crisis by going for full political integration - 15th September 2015
 * Politicians must realise the story of English nationalism is not over - Voters are increasingly defining themselves by nationality, not social class or economic status - 2nd September 2015
 * If Britain bends to pressure, where would we put a quota of migrants? - EU leaders are left flapping around as they struggle to establish a solution to the growing immigration crisis - 25th August 2015
 * Is a fat tax the only way to combat our growing epidemic of obesity? - Diabetes is growing and the NHS can't take the strain. Since we are no longer allowed to shame fat people, pressure will grow to tax them - 18th August 2015
 * Sharing all our personal data is stupid and dangerous - The potential for abusing medical data, which we are under increasing pressure to share, is without limit - 11th August 2015
 * It is Muslims who must reach out to Britain - David Cameron is right to identify the resentment that young Muslims can feel, but the antidote can only come from within Muslim communities themselves - 21st July 2015
 * The moment of truth is dawning for Cameron on Heathrow - Successive governments have chosen cowardice and prevarication over airport expansion - 24th June 2015
 * When push comes to shove, Cameron will have to let Tory eurosceptics off the leash - There is no way the Prime Minister can sustain his current stance once the real referendum campaign begins. In time, he'll ape Harold Wilson - 10th June 2015
 * In the land of Magna Carta, individual liberties already exist - Human Rights Act or no - A British Bill of Rights would remind our courts that judges are not obliged to let Strasbourg tell them what liberty means - 3rd June 2015
 * General Election 2015: Read between the lines when the parties unveil their manifestos - Principles, values and a view of the world are more important than an interminable list - 7th April 2015
 * Ed Balls thinks the country is mad enough to vote Labour again - In his speech yesterday, the shadow chancellor sought to convince the electorate that the Labour Party, if elected, would be careful with public money this time around - 11th March 2015
 * Why is David Cameron not talking about defence? - There’s a taboo subject at this election – the defence of the realm. The who aspire to statesmanship should speak up - 4th March 2015
 * Parliament will be poorer if MPs have no experience outside Westminster - We'll all suffer if our politicians know nothing of life outside the Westminster bubble - 24th February 2015
 * Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, is pursuing the wrong cases - The Crown Prosecution Service seems to be making statements, rather than upholding the rule of law - 9th February 2015
 * Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, is pursuing the wrong cases - The Crown Prosecution Service seems to be making statements, rather than upholding the rule of law - 8th February 2015
 * Stop this madness over fracking – or the lights really will go out - We’re blessed with an energy supply under our feet, but dithering will squander it all - 28th January 2015
 * Anti-Islam parties are now on the march across Europe - Religion should be able to cope with being satirised - 8th January 2015
 * The Coalition flunked its great opportunity to rethink the state - For all their big talk, the Liberal Democrats remain wedded to an outdated, paternalistic approach - 10th December 2014
 * Can Theresa May get the right balance between liberty and security? - Whenever a government insists upon circumscribing individual liberties and privacy it needs to show what its proposed measures will achieve - 24th November 2014
 * The rise and fall of the do-it-yourself bug - Store closures at Homebase reflect a decline in craft skills that we once took for granted - 24th October 2014
 * Britain lacks vision because it is suffering an identity crisis - The rise of Ukip and the SNP are signs of a nation that is no longer sure what it stands for - 15th October 2014
 * David Cameron has little to fear from Labour - The Tories' grip on the economy will resonate with voters - 1st October 2014
 * It’s time the people of England had a say in their nation’s future - If there is to be a federal UK after the Scottish independence vote, then the largest country must be allowed to govern itself - 16th September 2014
 * We must resist the threat to local policing - There is little evidence that merging forces will mean more officers on the front line - 8th September 2014
 * 'Family friendly’ rules that exclude loved ones - Our immigration policy opens the door to foreign criminals while targeting British subjects - 26th August 2014
 * Why not let cannabis ease sufferers’ pain? - Our inflexible laws are denying MS patients access to a drug that could change their lives - 19th August 2014
 * Can we trust Whitehall with all our personal details? - The relationship between state and citizen would be changed for the worse - 5th August 2014
 * When the punishment doesn’t fit the crime - Decent families are being treated like criminals while burglars get a community order - 29th July 2014
 * Osborne: Jekyll on pensions and Hyde on stamp duty - The Chancellor may have thrown a lifeline to pension savers, but he’s punishing home-buyers - 23rd July 2014
 * Would a Constitution save us from the EU? - The European Arrest Warrant would be given short shrift if we had a modern Magna Carta - 9th July 2014
 * HS3 alone will not get our big northern cities on track - A new rail link will help to regenerate the North, but political reform is the real key to success - 25th June 2014
 * Are the British jihadists going to turn their guns on us? - The civil war in Syria is attracting increasing numbers of Britons and their 'holy war’ is growing in violence on social media - 21st June 2014
 * All pupils deserve a basic set of principles - Schools that stray must be dealt with firmly – whichever part of the country they’re from - 10th June 2014
 * If we can’t rest in peace, handle with care - The Church’s concern for old cemeteries in the path of HS2 has shed light on a taboo subject - 3rd June 2014
 * Politicians have stopped listening to us - It’s no wonder voters are disillusioned when all levels of government keep them in the dark - 13th May 2014
 * Build more homes, but not on green fields - There’s enough space on derelict industrial land to build around 1.5 million properties - 6th May 2014
 * Spare Stonehenge from this tunnel vision - Hiding away one of our great monuments will further distance us from our history - 29th April 2014
 * Tired of the blockbuster shows? Join the queue - The inevitable pushing and shoving to attend Tate Modern's new Matisse show is hardly an inviting prospect - 19th April 2014
 * The City fare-dodger is no hero - he's dishonest - A crime’s a crime, even if we can sometimes sympathise with those who beat the system - 15th April 2014
 * Can we forget the man in the IRA beret? - The irony of a century of Republican struggle ending with a banquet at Windsor Castle is striking - 9th April 2014
 * A close encounter with the property boom - As the London effect spreads ever wider, doing nothing may no longer be an option - 8th April 2014
 * A valuable Cinderella Law. . . or more state meddling? - Interfering in family life may be driven by noble motives, but it could do more harm than good - 1st April 2014
 * Just when you thought it was safe to drink the water... - A public health body is once again campaigning for councils to add fluoride to our drinking water. But the science in favour is not as clear-cut as it seems - 26th March 2014
 * Would you help a lost girl, or just walk on by? - A culture of suspicion can often discourage decent citizens from doing the right thing - 25th March 2014
 * Is the laugh on us with the BBC’s new satire? - The spoof documentary W1A invites us to congratulate the BBC for its shortcomings - 21st March 2014
 * HS2 needs to go in a different direction - The railway line is essential – but why not build from north and south simultaneously - 18th March 2014
 * A friendship from the pages of Brideshead - Anthony Crosland and Roy Jenkins had a homoerotic friendship that helped shape Britain - 11th March 2014
 * Labour turned a flutter into a fatal addiction - Britain’s obsession with gambling stems from the last government - 4th March 2014
 * The price of just one punch - Would tougher sentencing remind violent men that a single blow can be fatal - 27th February 2014
 * National Insurance reform could cost us dear - A 'simpler’ tax system would provide politicians with yet another opportunity to pick our pockets - 25th February 2014
 * As DLT is cleared, are we seeing justice or a witch-hunt? - Jimmy Savile’s legacy of sexual abuse has created a crisis for the police and Crown Prosecution Service - 15th February 2014
 * The great pensions robbery hasn’t finished yet - Labour is planning another raid on our savings, and the other parties are little better - 11th February 2014
 * Britain’s energy crisis is about to boil over - Shale gas can power our future, but not if we get bogged down in battles over trespass - 4th February 2014
 * Cut off - and furious - With parts of Somerset still under water after a month, locals want answers from the Environment Agency - 28th January 2014
 * Don’t mislead us about our medical records - The NHS wants us to hand over our personal health details – yet it cannot guarantee anonymity - 21st January 2014
 * We have a free press. . . let’s keep it that way - it is time the PM turned his back on state interference in the media - 9th January 2014
 * Is there a case for continental-style justice? - It could be time to consider an inquisitorial system - 7th January 2014
 * The awkward truth about funding the NHS - It doesn’t bode well if we can’t even charge foreign visitors when they go to see our GPs - 31st December 2013
 * Digital radio switchover: Listen to the listeners - The Government is due today to reveal its plans for switching off analogue radio – and risks alienating millions because digital reception is not as good as promised - 16th December 2013
 * Voters are yet to be convinced that MPs are worth the money - An 11 per cent rise was always going to create a storm – but the timing could hardly be worse - 10th December 2013
 * Politicians who can’t resist a pedigree chum - Will the Chancellor be a little more soft and fluffy with the arrival of a Bichon Frisé at No 11 - 3rd December 2013
 * Ipna? It doesn't stand for law and order - Replacing the Asbo with another acronym will not make up for our lack of police on the beat - 26th November 2013
 * Can moneyed mavericks make a difference? - Paul Sykes may not seek power for himself, but he can play a part in denying it to others - 19th November 2013
 * Please hold – your money is important to us - Government phone lines are letting down those who need help the most - 12th November 2013
 * Our spooks still depend on a cloak of secrecy - Britain’s intelligence agencies are more open than ever, but there has to be a limit - 5th November 2013
 * Was St Jude's storm really that bad? - Yesterday’s storm, while dramatic, failed to live up to its cataclysmic billing. Were we too quick to shut down Britain - 29th October 2013
 * Commonwealth summit: why this group of nations matters - The Commonwealth and its ideals are still a force for peace and good government - 27th October 2013
 * We can’t allow Brussels to lay down the law - Even more important than the fight against red tape is the threat to our system of justice - 22nd October 2013
 * If you must kill free speech, at least admit it - The press should stand its ground and challenge the politicians to do their spiteful, jealous worst - 15th October 2013
 * The hunting ban has failed the foxes, too - Class war still trumps animal welfare – so we are stuck with a broken, pointless law - 15th October 2013
 * Does Britain need an FBI? - The launch of the National Crime Agency is more than a rebrand: it has significant new powers over local forces - 8th October 2013
 * Who lets murderers out of jail to do it again? - The safety of the public is woefully neglected by our prison and probation services - 17th September 2013
 * The strange case of the disappearing bobby - It’s rare enough now to see a police officer on the street – but things could get even worse - 9th September 2013
 * The lost boys who are consigned to failure - Grammar school was a way out for David Frost, but for white working-class boys today the door is closed - 3rd September 2013
 * Smart meters: good idea or a lot of hot air? - Not everyone’s certain that digital units telling us how much energy we use will lower our bills - 27th August 2013
 * Here’s to a happy St Lubbock’s Day - Recalling the social reformer who drew up the Bank Holidays Act, our celebrations need more purpose - 26th August 2013
 * Prepare for two more additions to our depressing list of fiascos - From the poll tax to HS2, ministers seem incapable of calling a halt to a failing policy - 20th August 2013
 * The Minack Theatre is testimony to one woman's passion - Cornwall’s extraordinary Minack Theatre, carved in granite, was more than just a stage for Miss Cade - 16th August 2013
 * Labour is guilty of breathtaking hypocrisy over foreign workers - A British 'underclass’ was created on its watch – but all it does is blame everyone else - 13th August 2013
 * Farewell to a doughty champion of liberty and the public interest - In a changing world, the Lord Chief Justice showed that traditions survive for a reason - 3rd August 2013
 * Where are the criminals? On their laptops - As online fraud soars, it’s good to remember the old adage: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is - 30th July 2013
 * A porn crackdown that ticks the right boxes - The PM is not censoring the web – he is merely giving parents a chance to protect their children - 23rd July 2013
 * Britain’s gone from nanny state to naggy state - Do we really need to be told to drink water or avoid getting sunburnt in hot weather - 16th July 2013
 * We taught Europe what liberty means - The EU is lecturing the country that gave the world Magna Carta - 14th July 2013
 * Qatada is gone, but how many will follow? - Those hoping his departure will be the start of a trend may be in for a disappointment - 8th July 2013
 * We still need stop and search on the streets - As long as it is effective in reducing crime, this power must be kept – however unpopular it is - 2nd July
 * Who’s keeping tabs on the undercover cops? - The family of Stephen Lawrence are not the only ones concerned about their activities - 25th June 2013
 * We should reap the rewards of GM crops - A disastrous harvest ahead and poor productivity mean farmers need all the help they can get - 19th June 2013
 * One EU power David Cameron won’t win back - The prisoner voting stand-off, says Philip Johnston, goes to the heart of the question: who runs Britain? - 12th June 2013
 * Cutting the legal aid budget - Philip Johnston spends a morning at a magistrates’ court and finds a system mired in expensive inefficiency - 4th June 2013
 * What we can learn from Woolwich - Philip Johnston weighs up the official reaction to the death of Drummer Lee Rigby and the threats posed to a free society - 28th May 2013
 * Vets provide better out-of-hours health care than GPs do - The quality of treatment our cat received at the weekend shames the NHS - 14th May 2013
 * France shows us how to deal with jihadis - Why our Gallic neighbours are so much better at deporting terrorist suspects - 30th April 2013
 * The growing cry for England and St George - Politicians should take note of the resurgence of English national identity - 23rd April 2013
 * When does peaceful protest cross the line? -If demonstrations mark the day the world remembers Baroness Thatcher, the police will have to make some swift decisions - 16th April 2013
 * Parliament has become the worst enemy of free speech - Too many of our laws are being used simply to silence 'unacceptable’ views - 3rd April 2013
 * Our cities must be freed to flourish again - George Osborne’s acceptance of Michael Heseltine’s blueprint to promote regional economic growth is the way to revive the spirit of enterprise - 19th March 2013
 * Prison is the right place for Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce - If they’d got off lightly, how many others would be encouraged to test the legal system? - 12th March 2013
 * Why 'hi-viz’ will make the police less visible - Putting bobbies in the yellow jackets that everyone from dustment to builders wears will only reduce police officers' authority - 5th March 2013
 * Free speech means we should all have a say - A tolerant country is also one that does not try to shut down debate on controversial issues - 27th February 2013
 * Why is it the state’s job to pay for our care? - There’s no 'scandal’ in selling a family home that has benefited from soaring house prices - 12th February 2013
 * Why are we sending child benefit to Poland? - A change in social security law is needed before a new wave of workers targets soft-touch Britain - 4th February 2013
 * The Inland Revenue is about to get even more taxing - There could hardly be a worse time for the Inland Revenue to burden small businesses with extra cost and red tape - 30th January 2013
 * Foreign police chiefs? Send for Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Phoenix, Arizona - Proposals to allow foreigners to head police forces expose a breakdown in trust with politicians in the wake of 'Plebgate' - 22nd January 2013
 * We need a dose of Margaret Thatcher-style privatisation - Wasteful public services need to be sold off, but today’s Tories don’t have the will to do it - 8th january 2013
 * The Magna Carta: an old piece of parchment that made England a nation – let's celebrate it - The 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, in 2015, is fast approaching, and we should do it justice - 1st January 2013
 * Pensioners are about to be robbed yet again - The Chancellor is poised to alter the way inflation is calculated and interest paid - 27th December 2012
 * On drugs, the law lags behind public opinion - The Home Office won’t admit it, but most Britons would scrap the ban on cannabis - 11th December 2012
 * The taxman isn’t really after the big beasts - Small businesses, not the multinationals, will bear the brunt of the Revenue’s blitz - 4th December 2012
 * Was there really no Briton to run the Bank of England? - Asking a Canadian to run the Bank was bold – but such imports have a chequered history - 27th November 2012
 * Is the PM really at war, or simply deluded? - It was easy to agree with what he said yesterday – but harder to believe he’ll deliver - 20th November 2012
 * From Lord Saville to Jimmy Savile, there’s no such thing as a cure-all inquiry - They cost millions, last for years and penalise the blameless – we must find an alternative - 13th November 2012
 * Whitehall has its head stuck in the cloud - It’s all very well putting public services online, but sometimes you still need a person to talk to - 6th November 2012
 * Tax wheezes that drive motorists to distraction - Car owners would be a lot less aggrieved if their money was actually spent on roads - 30th October 2012
 * Steve Fulcher's suspension: there’s nothing intelligent about this injustice - Steve Fulcher, the detective who broke the rules to solve a murder, should not have been sanctioned - 22nd October 2012
 * Europhiles have only themselves to blame - Michael Gove speaks for many on the EU – Britain is tired of being pushed around - 16th October 2012
 * A return to policing before the days of Z Cars - After half a century of central control, police commissioners will give power back to the people - 9th October 2012
 * Is the Coalition really giving us a freer society? - Smoking bans, CCTV, databanks... the crusade for liberty still has a long way to go - 2nd October 2012
 * The pensions revolution arriving by stealth - Half the country may not know it, but a huge change is coming in the way we pay for old age - 25th September 2012
 * Do we really want to arm our police? - The murder of two unarmed WPcs in Manchester has revived calls for the police to carry guns. But few officers want a routinely armed force - 20th September 2012
 * Britain's welfare state is broken – so what’s next? - To promote prudence and responsibility, rather than the dependency and waste of the welfare system, we should return to mutual aid societies - 18th September 2012
 * Could a cover-up like this happen now? - Our faith in the police has been rocked many times in recent decades, but the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel have revealed systematic dishonesty on a shocking scale - 14th September 2012
 * Black Wednesday: The day that Britain went over the edge - Black Wednesday was a fateful moment that changed our country – and shaped a future prime minister - 11th September 2012
 * Motoring fines are just one-way traffic - Cars are becoming cash machines for councils, leaving us drivers fuming - 28th August 2012
 * Assange threatens to make the EU look good - The case against Europe’s extradition system is being hurt by his dissembling - 21st August 2012
 * The risk of allowing shops to open all hours - Total deregulation may sound tempting, but Sunday trading law stirs strong emotions - 14th August 2012
 * A government with 50 shades of grey would have the whip hand - Britain is suffering because it does not value age or experience in high political office - 25th July 2012
 * Why the 2011 Census numbers don’t add up - Britain’s population is soaring and ageing – yet we fail to prepare for the consequences - 17th July 2012
 * Europe: Are we in or out? - Any effort to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s membership of the EU is just a smokescreen - 3rd July 2012
 * It’s not heartless to replace welfare with work - To end dependency, the Government should return to the basic ideals of William Beveridge - 26th June 2012
 * Doctors get a nasty taste of Gordon’s medicine - The former PM’s looting of private pension funds means there is little sympathy for the strike - 18th June 2012
 * Be truly Conservative and the votes will come - Has the Tory party got over its fear of being portrayed as heartless - 12th June 2012
 * A wonderful celebration of what we are - This Jubilee weekend has been a glorious embodiment of the true spirit of patriotism - 5th June 2012
 * That car in your street was a search engine - Does it matter that Google was gathering personal information - 29th May 2012
 * How did we allow this killer trade to bloom? - The Western powers missed their chance to control Afghanistan’s booming opium crop - 22nd May 2012
 * Why should an insult be against the law? - With the gay marriage debate heating up, freedom of speech is back on the agenda - 14th May 2012
 * London 2012: a passport to mayhem - Border control queues at our airports reflect a chaotic security policy - 2nd May 2012
 * There is a moral behind the low-tax story - Cutting the top rate of tax is not 'unethical’ – letting us keep our money is the right thing to do - 30th April 2012
 * Dipping back to the Seventies - The last double-dip recession was in 1975. But unlike today, some certainties remained - 28th April 2012
 * If we must reform the Lords, here’s how... - Nick Clegg’s plans for the upper chamber are daft. Its wisdom and expertise must be kept - 24th April 2012
 * Osborne puts the fabric of the nation at risk - Levying VAT on repair work is a very bad idea, whether for cathedrals or country cottages - 17th April 2012
 * Is Britain being ruined by bank holidays? - The Gradgrinds who argue that they destroy productivity ought to give us all a break - 10th April 2012
 * We don’t need any more state snooping - These proposed new powers could do more to threaten our liberty than aid our security - 3rd April 2012
 * A new era dawns for the grammar school - After 50 years of persecution, a comeback is under way - 27th March 2012
 * Drivers have had enough of highway robbery - Hard-pressed motorists will accept private roads – but they’ll want something in return - 20th March 2012
 * Let Parliament rule on our human rights - Those hoping for big changes at the Brighton summit next month are in for a disappointment - 13th March 2012
 * Here’s a way to deliver power to the people - The clamour is growing for referendum-style direct democracy - 6th March 2012
 * A dose of Prescott might do police good - Heavyweights like 'Two Jabs' could play a key role in standing up to chief constables - 28th February 2012
 * The loony Left, out to destroy youngsters' hopes of a job - Businesses that offer the young a chance of real work should be praised, not vilified - 27th February 2012
 * Health and safety: Our 999 services could save more lives by ripping up the rule book - A man drowns in waist-high water: An obsession with red tape is preventing brave police and firefighters from doing their job - 23rd February 2012
 * Workfare is fair, but it needs a chance to work - Why should putting the idle to work cause such a furore - 21st February 2012
 * We have opt-outs, so why not use them? - The 20th anniversary of Maastricht could mark the moment Britain started to fight back - 7th February 2012
 * More hot air won’t stop the rise of the louts - Theresa May has become the latest in a long line of Home Secretaries to promise a crackdown on anti-social behaviour - 4th February 2012
 * Connolly’s bite changed comedy for ever - The Big Yin has been voted top British stand-up. No surprise there - 31st January 2012
 * Here’s my income tax – now where’s it all going? - A breakdown of exactly what politicians do with our money would help to focus voters’ minds - 24th January 2012
 * It’s time to answer the English Question - The reawakening of national identity south of the border will have major consequences - 17th January 2012
 * We don’t need a Queen’s Speech every year - Rather than bringing in more laws, ministers should scrap those that aren’t working - 10th January 2012
 * Enter Uriah Bercow and Gordon Gradgrind - There’s no escaping Charles Dickens right now especially, it seems, at Westminster - 27th December 2011
 * What are the benefits of staying in Europe? - The Lords are right to consider a cost-benefit analysis of Britain’s EU membership - 20th December 2011
 * Fed up with the postal service? Join the queue - Royal Mail is bustling with seasonal activity, but overall the service is in a wretched state - 13th December 2011
 * Silly me, I didn’t realise the rioters were victims - Common sense is turned on its head as the Left excuses the rioting thugs - 6th December 2011
 * A sane approach at last to health and safety - The Lofstedt Review aimed at tackling needless rules and regulations would restore common sense to the workplace - 29th November 2011
 * Parking: And on the seventh day, they drove us mad - Excessive car parking fees charged by councils are unfair to drivers and will put local shops out of business - 15th November 2011
 * So much for Heath’s land of milk and honey - Britain’s entire political class should unite to reform our baleful relationship with the EU - 7th November 2011
 * Owning a second home doesn't make you evil - Eric Pickles's plan to abolish council-tax discounts makes very little economic sense in today's climate - 31st October 2011
 * Why are we kept in the dark over shale gas? - The antipathy towards a resource that could satisfy British fuel demands for decades is mystifying - 18th October 2011
 * It’s not nasty to fix our human rights problem - A debate about the flaws in the system must not be derailed by political point-scoring - 10th October 2011
 * Kenneth Clarke must brandish the handcuffs - The Conservative Party risks being seen as soft on crime at its conference - 4th October 2011
 * The Left is rewriting our immigration history - The last government threw open the borders well before Poland joined the EU - 27th September 2011
 * The £469 million Whitehall fiasco of FiReControl goes unpunished - Hundreds of millions of pounds have been wasted on yet another Civil Service IT debacle – this bodes badly for Iain Duncan Smith's grandiose plan to merge tax credits and welfare payments - 20th September 2011
 * Bernard Hogan-Howe: a tough cop for a tough job at the Metropolitan Police - Bernard Hogan-Howe is an old-fashioned policeman who believes that officers should police the streets. He was a successful chief constable in Liverpool – but can he impose himself on the Met? - 14th September 2011
 * Twinings' Earl Grey brew-haha is just the start - First Twinings changed its much-loved Earl Grey recipe - now, thanks to a health drive, Heinz is changing its HP Sauce formula - 13th September 2011
 * Building more houses isn’t in the national interest - Ministers say they want local communities to have more power, so why bully them? - 5th September 2011
 * Fox should be proud to be a Nimby'' - The Defence Secretary’s concern about electricity pylons marching across his Somerset constituency is shared by many who fear for the future of the green belt - 30th August 2011
 * all spied upon, but to what purpose?'' - The trouble with Britain’s CCTV cameras is that they don’t really stop crime - 23rd August 2011
 * Olympics? You’ll find me at the seaside'' - If the London-Surrey Classic cycle race is any indication, the disruption to London will be huge - 16th August 2011
 * and UK riots: The long retreat of order'' - To understand the cause of these riots, we need to accept that the police ceded control of the streets to the criminals decades ago - 10th August 2011
 * alive and well – she's only hiding'' - How naughty is 'nudge', the Government's art of persuading us to do what it wants - 1st August 2011
 * are in trouble when even the police can’t tell right from wrong'' - Senior officers became too concerned with burnishing their images to do their jobs properly - 19th July 2011
 * they really want us to have more power, and do we want it?'' - The state now performs so many tasks for us that it will be difficult to cope without it - 13th July 2011
 * the police are the public, let the public vote'' - Sir Hugh Orde may protest but the force's march away from the community has to stop - 5th July 2011
 * ban on outdoor smoking in Stony Stratford? Is this the Britain we want?'' - Parliament should take another look at the smoking ban and the way it has worked - 1st July 2011
 * grimmer up North than it needs to be'' - Regional development policies have failed comprehensively because they have not been based on cities - 23rd June 2011
 * reforms: Confused? If you’re a Tory, you should be'' - From NHS reform to defence, the Coalition has left Conservative supporters perplexed - 14th June 2011
 * farms aren't just a blight, they're a folly'' - It's bad enough that these turbines spoil the landscape, but they don't even work - 7th June 2011
 * feel more charitable with fewer taxes'' - If there were fewer demands on our dwindling income, we might give more of it away - 24th May 2011
 * Cameron is getting it wrong on NHS reform'' - The NHS is crying out for greater choice and competition - 17th May 2011
 * sector reform: It doesn't matter who empties your dustbins'' - Council services and the NHS should be run for the benefit of the public – not for their staff - 10th May 2011
 * facing drought: If the Romans could make a water grid, why can't we?'' - We have a grid to move electricity around Britain – we should do the same with water - 5th May 2011
 * jury shouldn't be out for the over-70s'' - The elderly are wiser and more experienced – and far less likely to tweet about the trial - 26th April 2011
 * price privacy?'' - Footballers and celebrities are running to the courts to protect their anonymity. But they are undermining one of our basic liberties - 19th April 2011
 * an accident? Fake an injury!'' - No win, no fee lawyers, dodgy claims for injuries and despicable meerkats are all to blame for the soaring cost of car insurance - 14th April 2011
 * isn't any of Mr Pickles's business'' - If David Cameron is committed to devolving power, he should leave refuse to the councils - 12th April 2011
 * bombing: The compromises of peace haunt Ulster'' - Has Pc Ronan Kerr paid the price for our failure to ensure IRA weapons were destroyed - 5th April 2011
 * the end of the road for the street party'' - Joining in the royal wedding fun will for most of us be a low-key, strictly indoor affair - 29th March 2011
 * better way to nurse the NHS back to health'' - One trust has improved treatment by deciding to stop meeting targets and focus on patients' needs - 15th March 2011
 * Cameron confronts the great divide'' - While many in the public sector retire early on gold-plated pensions, private sector employees pick up the bill. This week, the Government will attempt to close the gap - 8th March 2011
 * all lose in the crazy EU equality drive'' - Insurance premiums for drivers must be based on risk – it's only fair - 1st March 2011
 * census has become far too nosey'' - Intrusive, inaccurate and out of date - yet it is costing us £500m - 22nd February 2011
 * Coalition's Freedom Bill is a blow against the snoopers and clampers'' - The Coalition's Freedom Bill is no great charter for liberty, but it is a step in the right direction - 15th February 2011
 * us the small print on the Big Society'' - David Cameron must spell out his vision – or see it strangled at birth - 8th February 2011
 * Pay As You Earn system is a scandal'' - More and more taxpayers are being fleeced without even noticing it - 1st February 2011
 * teacher: Rid us of these meddlesome meddlers'' - The Government's bonfire of pettifogging laws is in danger of fizzling out - 12th January 2011
 * fees that put the boot into business'' - Shoppers will be driven out of town if asked to pay more to park their cars - 3rd January 2011
 * one is safe from the menace of pure evil'' - Despite vowing to kill, the 'Crossbow Cannibal' was never under threat of any law to detain him - 23rd December 2010
 * aren't the problem – criminals are'' - Those in charge of firearms laws are targeting the wrong type of person - 20th December 2010
 * anyone dreaming of a white Christmas?'' - Bing Crosby and Charles Dickens didn't have to contend with the grim reality - 15th December 2010
 * Christmas for public sector bureaucrats'' - Vested interests are protecting administrators and forcing cuts to vital services - 14th December 2010
 * power slipping away from Parliament?'' - The Palace of Westminster is at risk of being dominated by the law courts - 7th December 2010
 * historical lessons of daylight robbery'' - A return to darker mornings would result in an outburst of anger - 30th November 2010
 * they ever be reformed?'' - Arrest of released killer of Philip Lawrence undermines plan to reduce prison numbers - 26th November 2010
 * May Day that is a bank holiday too far'' - The royal wedding highlights the cost of a holiday snarl-up - 25th November 2010
 * council house should not always be for life'' - Our social housing system is unbalanced and entrenches dependency - 23rd November 2010
 * convicts is easier said than done'' - The plan for dealing with overcrowding is as good as the last time we heard it - 9th November 2010
 * at sea on a tide of short-term thinking'' - The saga of the Severn Barrage is typical of our inability to plan for the future - 19th October 2010
 * we wield the axe, Europe asks for more'' - MPs can't block the EU budget – but they could at least register a protest - 11th October 2010
 * benefit: there's plenty of welfare on offer to the Poles'' - The removal of middle-class child benefit payments is unjust - 5th October 2010
 * would be better off without the vetting and barring scheme'' - The insidious Independent Safeguarding Authority should not be saved - 28th September 2010
 * they really worth more than David Cameron?'' - Public sector salaries should be based strictly upon performance - 21st September 2010
 * we want to be ruled by judges or MPs?'' - The judiciary is increasingly powerful, but to whom does it answer - 14th September 2010
 * when was it a crime to sleep in a car?'' - Arresting and assaulting innocent women is not fighting crime - 6th September 2010
 * travellers should live by our rules'' - Will the Coalition Government's new policy towards gipsy sites reduce conflict - 31st August 2010
 * licensed to eavesdrop'' - The killing of a GCHQ officer has thrown an unwelcome spotlight on the most secret of the intelligence services - 27th August 2010
 * memorials deserve special protection'' - Monuments are threatened by more than the grotesque antics of a few drunks - 24th August 2010
 * could breathe life back into pubs'' - Why is an amendment to the ban not being taken seriously - 17th August 2010
 * cameras will make criminals of us all'' - The police risk losing public support in their campaign for road safety - 10th August 2010
 * Cameron must not be blinded by his vision'' - If he wants to empower communities, he cannot exclude local councils - 20th July 2010
 * do you know if a spy can keep secrets?'' - The security services will always attract chancers and mavericks - 16th July 2010
 * is well past its sell-by date'' - A 'use-by' date would stop billions of pounds of food being thrown away - 12th July 2010
 * Ken Clarke right about prisons?'' - The Justice Secretary's proposed overhaul of Britain's penal system will mean jailing fewer people. He'd better be right - 1st July 2010
 * ideas can end Whitehall's culture of waste'' - David Cameron and Nick Clegg's consultation on public sector cuts can put power back in the right place - 29th June 2010
 * have nothing to fear from democracy'' - Police chiefs should be relieved at the idea of elected commissioners - 22nd June 2010
 * and safety under inspection'' - Lord Young should put common sense back into our health and safety laws - 15th June 2010
 * cards were a bad idea from the start'' - there always was a much better alternative to this costly plan - 8th June 2010
 * are we doing to our children?'' - The conviction of two boys for attempted rape was astonishing and depressing - 25th May 2010
 * we really not send terrorist suspects home?'' - It's not the Human Rights Act that stops us deporting terrorist suspects, but a flawed European treaty - 20th May 2010
 * anyone hear what radio listeners want?'' - The Digital Economy Bill is characteristic of top-down law-making, argues Philip Johnston. It should be abolished - 18th May 2010
 * Government: can they make it work?'' - Gordon Brown has gone and we are now heading into near-virgin territory in British politics – a coalition government. Given its shaky start, how long can we expect this one to last? - 12th May 2010
 * out voters is not exactly democratic'' - The shambles at many polling stations is the real electoral procedure in need of reform - 11th May 2010
 * election 2010: What if we can't make our minds up?'' - A hung parliament is so rare in British politics that nobody is certain how a new government would be formed. Philip Johnston explains how the drama could unfold - 5th May 2010 (General Election 2010)
 * records belong to us, not the state'' - A new NHS database is a giant leap in the erosion of privacy - 4th May 2010
 * Office needs brains, not brainstorming'' - The debacle over the Pope's visit shows that Whitehall is enslaved by the jargon of management-speak - 27th April 2010
 * long walk home'' - The resourcefulness of UK travellers amid the volcano crisis proves that the Big Society works - 20th April 2010
 * Norman Bettison is right: police chiefs are paid too much'' - Sir Norman Bettison’s call for public-sector pay restraint should be applauded - 13th April 2010
 * they go again...'' - As politicians prepare to hit the campaign trail, Philip Johnston looks back at previous incidents that galvanised the electorate, and wonders where the next surprise is coming from - 7th April 2010
 * should get among the people'' - Interest in politics is waning as would-be leaders hole up in TV studios - 5th April 2010
 * accosted the litter louts, and you should too'' - Local authorities can’t deal with our plague of rubbish alone. We all have a part to play - 29th March 2010
 * Ireland really rejoin the Commonwealth?'' - Campaigners believe that were Ireland to rejoin the Commonwealth, it would draw a line under the troubled history of Anglo-Irish relations - 26th March 2010
 * do we win back our freedom?'' - we must restore traditional British common sense - 22nd March 2010
 * has clowned around with our freedom'' - This nanny-state government's legislative tinkering leaves no one better off, says Philip Johnston in an extract from his new book - 20th March 2010
 * simple – punishment should fit the crime'' - Philip Johnston says he can't be the only one left confused by the current trends in sentencing - 15th March 2010
 * Cameron will have to finally address English resentment over devolution'' - The 1990 Calcutta Cup was a grudge match for the Scots, but now the discontent has moved to England - 8th March 2010
 * horror! Labour discovers some waste'' - Is a 2 per cent rise in council tax a cause for celebration? No, it should be a cut - 1st March 2010
 * is going to speak up for the motorist?'' - Why aren't politicians taking more notice of the harassed, frustrated and increasingly angry motorist who feels powerless to do anything about our unjust parking laws - 26th February 2010
 * that could see our friends arrested'' - A change in the law to prevent warrants issued on Britain's allies is long overdue - 15th February 2010
 * MPs would be fairer to all parties'' - If Gordon Brown wants electoral reform, he should make constituencies the same size - 8th February 2010
 * very moment to put Europe in its place'' - The Tories must scupper plans for an EU legal system or live to regret it - 1st February 2010
 * voters deserve better treatment'' - The Tories have been too timid in standing up for the people who pay for public spending - 18th January 2010
 * would have injustice enshrined in law'' - Harriet Harman's warped vision of equality seeks only to hamper the better off - 11th January 2010
 * a way to run a coup'' - Labour's latest botched attempt to unseat Gordon Brown shows a party lacking both talent and ambition - 8th January 2010
 * don't need a nanny for my 'boomerang kid''' - Government tips on how to treat grown-up children yet to fly the nest are offensive - 30th December 2009
 * are today's adults treated like children?'' - Our common sense, creativity and individualism are being eroded - 28th December 2009
 * happens - let's just put up with it'' - Spending a fortune on snow-clearing equipment is not a viable option - 21st December 2009
 * he have let the intruders escape?'' - Munir Hussain savagely beat a man who tied up his family at knifepoint. Should he have been sent to prison? - 16th December 2009
 * banks can save the planet – and make a profit'' - With the right finance, Britain can lead the world to a greener future - 14th December 2009
 * minister, we can get out of the thick of it'' - A return to decorum and mutual respect in government could revive the Civil Service - 14th December 2009
 * the promises of cuts – the state is set up to spend'' - Fifty years ago, we made the choice to be a high-tax nation. Now we have a golden opportunity to change that - 9th December 2009
 * and anti-terrorism: The holiday snaps that could get you arrested'' - Police abuse of anti-terrorist laws is a shameful threat to our civil liberties - 4th December 2009
 * 2010: So what happens if nobody wins?'' - Next year's general election could produce the first hung parliament for a generation - 25th November 2009
 * serves an important purpose'' - The State Opening is important less for what is said than how it looks - 19th November 2009
 * must be free to hold intolerant views'' - Ministers seem set on eroding yet another safeguard to our liberty - 16th November 2009
 * reform that sweeps British justice aside'' - Unfathomable EU proposals point to a single jurisdiction across Europe - 9th November 2009
 * confusion is the Government's fault'' - Classification of drugs bears no relation to the damage they cause - 3rd November 2009
 * are turning into a nation of suspects'' - New vetting will mean every adult is a potential criminal – and children will be no safer - 29th October 2009
 * me a seat on low-cost easyCouncil'' - Public services – including the NHS – should be run like no-frills airlines - 27th October 2009
 * population is booming - how many more people can we take?'' - Politicians appear unconcerned about the immigration-fuelled boom in Britain's population – despite the strain on schools, hospitals and quality of life. Unless we take action, the country will face an environmental nightmare - 23rd October 2009
 * good for our children is for us to say'' - Government plans to regulate home-schooling must be rebuffed - 19th October 2009
 * A tainted Westminster reduced to ashes - If a fire in 1834 was 'divine retribution', then parliament today is a candidate for God's wrath - 12th October 2009
 * is time to draft another Bill of Rights'' - the Human Rights Act is no longer serving the needs of Britain - 5th October 2009
 * Britain through the looking glass'' - An obsessive adherence to certain laws flies in the face of common sense - 28th September 2009
 * tide of despair has only just begun'' - The desperate scenes at the Calais 'Jungle' have shone a grim light on Britain's immigration problem. But the ineffective policies and porous borders of the EU mean that much worse is to come - 23rd September 2009
 * police must connect with local people'' - The vulnerable in society have been betrayed by the centralisation of policing - 21st September 2009
 * safe should we feel?'' - The thwarting of the airline bomb plot and conviction of its perpetrators is a triumph for both police and security services, but it won't diminish the obsessive hatred that inspires British-born terrorists to kill - 9th September 2009
 * nursery education, at a high price'' - What appears to be good news for parents could mean disaster for independent businesses - 31st August 2009
 * Cameron's biggest challenge will be reform of the welfare system'' - Philip Johnston reflects on 13 years of failed policies to get millions off benefits - 27th August 2009
 * alarming case of the missing detectives'' - Ignore the TV dramas – your local CID is too short-staffed to investigate most crime - 20th August 2009
 * NHS must not be immune to criticism'' - Why is helpful criticism of public services routinely given short shrift - 17th August 2009
 * us government that works, not emails'' - Britain has been blighted by a series of costly mistakes - 27th July 2009
 * to get revenge for your parking ticket'' - You can turn the tables on councils that play fast and loose with the law - 20th July 2009
 * Labour's quest for a database state'' - There's no reason why the Government should know so much about us - 13th July 2009
 * that slip in the back door'' - Labour's methods of law-making have made parliamentary debate and openness impossible - 6th July 2009
 * Wimbledon: how was it for you?'' - There used to be an old-fashioned gentility about Wimbledon that is rapidly disappearing - 2nd Julky 2009
 * ultimate U-turn from Labour, the dying Government'' - By abandoning targets, Labour is admitting the depth of its failure - 29th June 2009
 * risks is a healthy thing for children'' - Parents are as much to blame as teachers for the 'cotton wool' culture - 22nd June 2009
 * rot that set in as New Labour took root'' - Britain's malaise can be traced to the reckless reforming of the early Blair years - 15th June 2009
 * elections 2009: How Labour let the BNP flex its muscles'' - The collapse of the traditional vote in working-class strongholds was the key as an openly racist party won seats for the first time in a nationwide election - 9th June 2009
 * on course for No 10 - but only just'' - Gordon Brown may be resisting a general election; but judging by Thursday's local council contests in England, when one is eventually held, he will be turfed out - 6th June 2009
 * Brown: Even now, he might sit it out'' - The crisis engulfing the Prime Minister might be the worst in living memory, but it doesn't mean he has to go - 4th June 2009
 * clear the people's choice is an early general election'' - The repercussions of the great Westminster expenses scandal continue to be felt - 1st June 2009 (see: MPs' expenses; summary)
 * not revolution'' - The expenses crisis must not be used as an excuse to smash our system to pieces - 22nd May 2009
 * Mandy, Christine . . . and Hazel'' - What will history make of the latest scandal to hit Parliament - 14th May
 * expenses: what happened to Westminster?'' - Parliament, an institution once renowned for its integrity, has been laid low by a new breed of politician - 11th May 2009
 * Brown's detractors won't stop until he has gone'' - Hazel Blears's ridicule of Gordon Brown is a clear sign that his fate is sealed - 4th May 2009
 * flu is a heavy price to pay for a pork chop'' - The swine flu outbreak in Mexico is part of a pattern of disease which began when we started living cheek by jowl with our livestock - 29th April 2009
 * Government are listening at last, must be election time'' - Don't be surprised if the Government has second thoughts on a range of issues - 20th April 2009
 * the world cope with billions more people?'' - Doom-mongers have often been wrong, but now even David Attenborough is worried - 15th April 2009
 * made it into the office? Here's a bonus'' - The public sector has learnt some sharp lessons from the City - 14th April 2009
 * death: We need a police force not brute force'' - The death of Ian Tomlinson has shocked us not because of one officer’s violence, but because the institution itself lied to the public - 9th April 2009
 * I've stopped supporting Save the Children'' - Too many charities put political posturing before directly helping people - that has to change - 8th April 2009
 * cuts? What a good idea'' - In Labour's eyes, anyone who questions Britain's soaring levels of taxation must be slightly bonkers. But, at the start of a new tax year, Philip Johnston disagrees - 6th April 2009
 * our police from the tyranny of targets'' - As public confidence in the police collapses, it's time to stop the rot - 30th March 2009
 * to speak up about Britain's Islamists'' - We should not be funding groups who are hostile to our way of life - 23rd March 2009
 * Cameron needs one last push'' - The country is sick of Labour but the Tories have yet to establish themselves as a credible alternative - 16th March 2009
 * is no going back - but Ulster is far from peace after the Northern Ireland killings'' - There is a depressingly familiar pattern to the events unfolding in Northern Ireland - 11th March 2009
 * not that the Troubles are back – they never left'' - The two soldiers killed in Northern Ireland this weekend were the victims of a civil war within republicanism, and the dispute is over tactics, not ideology - 9th March 2009
 * can't go bananas over a bit of custard'' - Politicians must learn to duck... or react like Lord Mandelson - 7th March 2009
 * 'consultation' with only one answer'' - Why ask people what they think if you then do the opposite - 2nd March 2009
 * giant bonus for foes of capitalism'' - Sir Fred Goodwin's £693,000-a-year pension is a symbol of banking excess we can ill afford - 27th February 2009
 * Margaret Thatcher had nowhere left to turn'' - As a new BBC drama traces the end of the Thatcher premiership, Philip Johnston recalls a uniquely electrifying moment in politics - 23rd February 2009
 * can't we take pictures of policemen?'' - Counter-terrorism laws are being abused by the police and from today they get stronger - 16th February 2009
 * happened to free speech?'' - The Geert Wilder case has tarnished Britain's reputation for defending people's right to speak their mind - 13th February 2009
 * curse of the bonus culture'' - As bitter taxpayers watch bailed-out bankers fighting for their annual salary boost, the system has long since failed to reward achievement - 9th February 2009
 * the wrong kind of snow - just too much of it'' - The snow in Britain is unusual and magical - let's not moan about it - 2nd February 2009
 * is going to pay for all our old people?'' - An ageing population was not a problem - until the crunch came along - 2nd February 2009
 * Scotland Yard's new chief bring back common sense policing?'' - Sir Paul Stephenson's in-traymay be daunting but at least he has a fair political wind in his sails - 29th January 2009
 * have every right to be angry with the bankers'' - Executives who wrecked rock-solid institutions walked away with millions – leaving us to pay for their folly - 21st January 2009
 * bureaucracy is growing out of control'' - Big government interferes where it is neither wanted nor needed - 19th January 2009
 * Englishman's home is no longer his castle'' - An ancient right to refuse forced entry into our houses has been tossed aside - 12th January 2009
 * Man isn't brave, he's a thoughtless idiot'' - At this time of year public transport is full of sickly 'heroes' struggling into work. They should stay at home - or at least buy a hankie - 7th January 2009
 * is Labour so keen to imprison us?'' - A quite extraordinary statistic has been dug out of the deepest quarries of Whitehall by a diligent government official following an inquiry about the number of laws introduced by Labour since taking office in 1997 - 5th January 2009
 * century after its birth, is the state pension on its last legs?'' - In January 1909, Lloyd George introduced the first state pension to Britain - but the pretence that the Government can afford to pay for it is wearing thin - 3rd January 2009
 * is 'sexual identity' the Government's business?'' - A care home has had its grant withdrawn by the local authority because the residents have refused to answer "intrusive" questions about their sexuality. The Government should mind its own business - 29th December 2008
 * is a dangerous business, according to Labour'' - The Government, in its infinite bossiness, has dipped into the bottomless pit of yours and my money to produce a Yuletide leaflet that wins this year's star prize for 'elf 'n' safety madness - 23rd December 2008
 * should be shocked when the police lie'' - Growing public cynicism about the integrity of police officers is very damaging - 17th December 2008
 * can never believe a Labour statistic'' - Figures showing that inner-city knife crime had "fallen" were trumpeted by ministers last week – but the truth was rather different - 15th December 2008
 * Bill is on the path to injustice'' - It would give the Government the power to establish a "corridor" at least 10 metres (33 feet) wide around the entire English coastline to which everyone would have access, whether or not the owner wished it- 8th December 2008
 * the strong arm of the law'' - The police used to be on our side. Now their loyalty is to their political masters - 6th December 2008
 * wants to know too much about us'' - Modern technology has made possible what in the past was purely fanciful: almost immediate access to vast amounts of data that may have been held but could never be collated other than at great effort and cost - 1st December 2008
 * want leaves swept, not council adverts'' - Whether in town hall or Whitehall, Labour is spending too much of our money on the wrong things - 24th November 2008
 * members shouldn't be sacked'' - In a liberal democracy we must argue with those we disagree with, not hound them out of their jobs - 21st November 2008
 * MPs fail to do their basic job'' - If the Commons tackled everyday matters of life, more people would want to join - 17th November 2008
 * law for ne'er-do-wells'' - Ten years after its passage and the Human Rights Act is still a travesty of justice - 10th November 2008
 * should I pay for MPs' retirement?'' - Scandal of index-linked public sector pensions will become more outrageous as inflation bites - 20th October 2008
 * big state is back'' - Big government has returned beyond the wildest dreams of the Left. What are the implications for the Tories and the people? - 14th October 2008
 * has lost the detention argument'' - The Counter-Terrorism Bill is back before the Lords. If the Prime Minister forces it through, it would make a mockery of our constitution - 13th October 2008
 * long arm of EU law'' - If a Briton commits an act legal at home but forbidden in Europe, he can still go to prison. That's a step too far - 6th October 2008
 * dress should uphold the majesty of law'' - 1st October 2008
 * bureaucracy is crushing Britain''- From the police to the NHS, an army of pen pushers is ruining the public sector - 29th September 2008
 * Sir Ian Blair survive Stockwell?'' - The commissioner once said he would only resign if he felt his continued presence was damaging the Metropolitan Police - 22nd September 2008
 * King Coal could help fuel modern Britain'' - The black stuff has a bad reputation with greens. But if we burn it cleanly, it could once again prove a vital source of energy - 15th September 2008
 * saving lives is enough for MI5'' - Intelligence can foil a conspiracy, yet fail to secure widespread convictions, as the al-Qaeda bomb plot trial shows - Wednesday 10th September 2008
 * need a policy of balanced immigration'' - Public services are groaning under the weight of a soaring population, but there is a simple solution - 8th September 2008
 * youngest need education, not paperwork'' - 1st September 2008
 * robbery disguised as traffic control'' - Parking meters and all the other trappings of 'congestion management' are little more than a means of milking us - 25th August 2008
 * happens if police don't do their duty? '' - A force is appealing against paying damages to the family of a murdered witness they failed to protect - 28th July 2008

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