Articles by Alistair Miller

Judging from the debate raging in the conservative media, it is conservative political principles that are being tested unlike any other in the current crisis. Socialists and modern ‘social justice’ liberals have little problem with big government and totalitarian society. But framing the current emergency measures in terms of loss of individual liberty is, I think, not how conservatives ought … [Read on]

Anger is growing at the number of people openly flouting government advice to socially distance, travel only when necessary, and stay at home if possible. Parks, beaches and streets are packed with people out enjoying the sunshine, as if it were a normal bank holiday weekend. Crowds of youngsters were having a great time at my local skateboard park. Until … [Read on]

Professor Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical advisor, has just assured us that the latest deaths from the coronavirus are all among over-60s with underlying medical conditions. But how many over-60s, over-70s, and over-80s do not have some underlying medical condition? Whitty is really reassuring us that the casualties are old. And for our cost-benefit accounting policy makers, the old … [Read on]

The Telegraph is getting worked up about the vetoing of Heathrow expansion by the Court of Appeal. Why, they wonder, should a small number of climate activists get in the way of our national economic needs – in other words, the needs of globetrotting business executives and tourists? But it’s not only climate activists, along with anyone who attributes global … [Read on]

At last we are to have an immigration system which will force employers to train-up the indigenous population, instead of allowing them to employ imported cheap labour, which the state must then subsidise with in-work benefits. This is clearly an improvement. Yet even among the most ardent proponents of a ‘points-based’ immigration system, we hear the same hoary old platitudes: … [Read on]

We have been at ‘cyber war’ for years with China, the world’s foremost mass-surveillance state, world-leader in industrial espionage equipped with armies of hackers mounting cyber-attacks on Western corporate and governmental infrastructure systems – and now we plan to hand over them control of our digital communications systems, and further enhance their technological lead. So much for ‘taking back control’. … [Read on]

Polly Toynbee’s enjoyable rant in the Guardian today, directed first at Boris Johnson, and then with equal venom at Jeremy Corbyn, is a must read. She packs a mean punch does our Polly, as one would expect of the daughter of the great historian Arnold Toynbee, the beneficiary of a public school education (apart from a token spell at the … [Read on]

So, Farage has stood down his candidates in seats the Tories are most likely to win. Fear of Corbyn and fear of splitting the Leave vote has done the trick. Farage’s financial backers are putting the pressure on, with Aaron Banks now demanding the Brexit party only stands in forty seats. Apparently, we have no choice but to put our … [Read on]