Category : Political

Jennifer Arcuri came late to the party. But the Johnson franchise is unthinkable without her now | Marina Hyde

The prime minister’s former technological educator is hilariously good value, even in a supermarket car parkKick back and pour yourself a tech-o-tini, because there’s a new political star in town – and she is finally talking. She’s talking in a Los A...

Raising hopes and denying gropes: Tory conference leaves no fantasy untouched

From Mark Francois as a weekend warrior to Boris Johnson as a paragon of sexual virtue and Dominic Cummings as an athleisure pinup, seeing was not quite believingFor the Conservative party’s Manchester conference, the slogan was “Get Brexit done”. Ye...

Tory MPs beware: if you whip up an angry mob, they may end up angry with you | Marina Hyde

Dominic Cummings wants a ‘people v parliament’ election. But what happens afterwards? You, then, are ‘parliament’Drawn increasingly into darkness and rage, the UK government functions as a promotional tie-in for the controversial Joker movie. Out nex...

Dominic Cummings promised to wreck Labour party conference – he didn't need to

Boris Johnson is on the ropes, the worst PM in history. Labour has been gifted victory. What does it conspire to do? Punch itself in the faceYesterday was a very good day to bury a bad conference. Three weeks ago, rapidly oxidising political genius D...

Even the Tories admit it: only duty free can get us through | Marina Hyde

The government’s no-deal advertising blitz includes promises of cheap booze and cigarettes, and we might well need themNow wanted north of the border for a prorogation scam, prime minister Boris Johnson went on the run this week with a series of alar...

Geoffrey Boycott was convicted of domestic assault, so why has May knighted him? | Marina Hyde

Glacial opener, failed captain, convicted assaulter – no wonder the former PM has idolised him since childhoodGeoffrey Boycott has always represented Theresa May’s idealised version of herself, and in that sense it is no surprise that the former prim...

Dazed and confused, Johnson stumbles into the twilight zone with a police escort | Marina Hyde

Was it only five weeks ago that Conservatives believed the prime minister was the only possible answer to their problems?Why do people still call it a Tory “split” on Europe? It’s not a split: it’s an episiotomy. The Tory episiotomy on Europe went se...

Sajid Javid cowers behind net curtains as Cummings ‘gets ready’ for the final act | Marina Hyde

Prorogation and summarily sacked advisers offer the latest evidence that this is a ruthless, shameless governmentBarely three months ago, the work and pensions secretary, Amber Rudd, gave a speech in which she explained that “Being in a job gives a p...

‘National Unity’: the fantasy flick that will never make it out of development | Marina Hyde

Everyone has a pitch – but whether it’s Caroline Lucas’s all-female reboot or Jo Swinson’s Ken Clarke vehicle, they’re dudsThree years on from the Brexit vote, what best crystallises where we are? Perhaps that nowhere even close to 326 politicians ca...

Cummings the new Rasputin is outshining Johnson as antihero-in-chief | Marina Hyde

After laying down the law on 7.55am meetings, Cummings is planning a perfect Brexit on 1 November, valid for one day onlyHow did you enjoy Thursday night’s Downing Street address by Prime Minister Smirky McSmirkface? Boris Johnson began by describing...

Held captive by his carers for four weeks, let’s look at Boris Johnson’s best bits | Marina Hyde

Barring applying to join a sex cult, we must conclude there is no process as rigorous as the Tory leadership electionT-minus five days off a likely Boris Johnson premiership, I would like to thank all the Conservatives who explained exactly why putti...

Hi-de-Hi! repeats as the bad boys of Brexit meet Su Pollard

Arron Banks and Andrew Rosindell are supplying their own Brexit metaphors now, partying with the star of a show about a clapped-out 50s holiday camp full of scam artistsBehold, a wonderful and warming snap from this week’s 31-year Hi-de-Hi! cast reun...

Ruining a country near you soon: the beta males who think they’re alphas | Marina Hyde

What could be more insecure than a 55-year-old bragging about Latin, or a literal president tweeting his enemies on the bog?If the Tory leadership election unfolds as widely expected, the UK will basically be ruled by a Fathers4Injustice activist. Bo...

Ann Widdecombe’s political exhumation adds insult to ignorance in Strasbourg | Marina Hyde

Bad manners and unprovoked aggression are clear elements of the emerging Brexit party styleWondering vaguely where we’ll be in six months’ time, I find myself imagining a scene. The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg is doing a live piece to camera from Downing...

Of all the hills to die on, why on earth has Labour chosen Chris Williamson? | Marina Hyde

The party’s baffling decision to re-admit an MP accused of antisemitism comes as faith in the leadership is falteringShortly after this article was published, Chris Williamson’s suspension was reinstated, pending a meeting of Labour’s disputes commit...