Spectator Briefings
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Digital IDs and how ExpressVPN can protect your privacy online
Britain is gearing up for the age of the digital ID. While the government recently backtracked on plans to make digital ID mandatory for everyone working in the UK, the £1.8 billion scheme hasn’t gone away: planning is ongoing for a ‘voluntary’ programme to be rolled out by 2029, with a public consultation expected to
A retirement roadmap
Planning in your thirties and forties Retirement may seem like a lifetime away, but the earlier you can start paying into a pension, the better. Get into the habit of paying into your pension and get to grips with the basics of planning for retirement. If a company employs you, they are legally obliged to
Getting Ahead for Society
GSK is committed to transforming healthcare by focusing on prevention. In collaboration with the NHS and Government, GSK aims to shift the focus from sickness to prevention, aligning with the Government’s 10-year plan. Through science, innovation, and strategic partnerships, GSK is developing medicines and vaccines, advancing research, and investing in early detection and education to
Move over private members’ clubs: the future of care homes
KYN has set a new benchmark for later life, delivering unrivalled care in beautiful, high-functioning homes filled with warmth and dignity. KYN’s ethos was informed by the founding team’s personal experiences with their families’ quest for care. The approach to care means a deep consideration of who residents truly are: what interests them, what has
‘Let’s be open-minded about hydrogen’
The 2018 film First Man is a spectacular story about Neil Armstrong and how the USA rose to the challenge of putting man on the moon. Humanity thrives on setting challenges and then doing everything possible to meet them. We stretch our technological knowledge, and we invest enormous sums into research and development. As the
How ExpressVPN can protect you from identity theft
Identity theft is a serious and growing problem in the UK, with more than 118,000 cases reported in the first six months of this year alone. Last year, the National Fraud Database logged the highest number of fraud cases on record, and identity theft made up the single biggest category – due in part to AI
We’re delivering a smoke-free future, today
At Philip Morris International, our mission is clear: to reduce smoking by replacing cigarettes with better smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers. Learn more at PMI.com/Progress
How you could save money with ExpressVPN
Since the Online Safety Act came into force in the UK, there has been a surge in the popularity of VPNs, or virtual private networks. These offer a simple and legal way to browse the internet privately, safely and anonymously. But VPNs come with a host of surprising other advantages, too – from cheaper holidays
Backing British energy skills and jobs key to unlocking growth
What workforce is needed to deliver UK economic growth while meeting energy transition goals? A new training facility focuses on welding, engineering and other practical skills as part of a public and private sector joint investment in the UK energy workforce In Aberdeen, a state-of-the-art facility – which has just opened its doors to students
An education designed around the individual
Nestled in the heart of Dorset, Clayesmore has spent more than 130 years helping young people uncover what success means to them. Academic excellence is just one part of a wider educational journey that supports personal growth, confidence and self-belief. This is a school where everyone is known – not just by name, but for
An Elstree childhood
Set in 150 acres of idyllic West Berkshire countryside, Elstree is also home to childhood fun and adventure. The school nurtures a strong belief in ‘children remaining children’ for as long as they can. The school aims high for pupils and is proud of both outstanding Common Entrance results and an excellent Scholarship record. Pupils
How to browse privately in the age of the Online Safety Act with ExpressVPN
Browsing the internet just got a lot more complicated. On 25 July, the Online Safety Act came into force across the UK, requiring a range of websites to verify the age of their visitors. To do this, users are being asked to hand over valuable personal data – such as ID documents, credit card details
British innovation leads the charge against global plastic crisis
The numbers speak volumes: Around 400 million tons of plastic is produced annually, of which roughly a quarter goes into packaging. At the end of its life, 14 per cent of plastic packaging waste is collected for recycling, another 14 per cent gets incinerated and 40 per cent is landfilled. This leaves a stubborn 32
5 of the best wineries on the Gran Canaria Wine Route
Gran Canaria might not be the first place you think of when it comes to wine, but vines have been growing here since the Spanish colonised the island in the 15th century. Due to the island’s distinctive microclimate and volcanic soils, grapes grow incredibly well, and the Canarian archipelago lays claim to 18 unique grape varieties,
The hidden inefficiency of hydraulics: why we need a revolution
Hydraulics is one of the world’s unsung heroes. It’s everywhere, hidden in plain sight. From the brakes in your car to the planes in the sky and the cranes that built your office, hydraulics is the muscle behind modern life. Yet, despite its ubiquity, it has remained technologically stagnant for 70 years, operating at astonishingly
The importance of happiness in academic success
As Year 11 and Year 13 students across the country are readying themselves for this year’s public exams season, it is the ideal time to remind ourselves what education is about. I am very clear that a good education is partly judged around exam results, but is also about developing students’ character and skills, largely
Rooted in tradition, prepared for the future
For over a century, St Anthony’s School has been a cornerstone of Catholic preparatory education. Founded by Richard Patton in Eastbourne in 1892, the school relocated to its current site in Hampstead in the 1950s. Today, it continues to offer an exceptional educational journey, from its co-educational nursery (ages 2.5–4) to its academically rigorous preparatory
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David Abulafia was a rare, truth-seeking historian
Death arrives on a day just like any other, often rudely unheralded. We all know that, but it never ceases to shock. So it was with news that David Abulafia had died on Saturday night. Notwithstanding his lifelong fascination with the Mediterranean, David was a Brexiteer in 2016 Readers of The Spectator will know him
Is time up for Tesla?
Has Tesla run out of road? The electric car firm put plenty of spin on its annual results, talking bullishly about the new projects that were coming to fruition. Elon Musk’s company plans to go big on robots, pivot to Artificial Intelligence, and develop its self-driving unit. Yet there was no disguising the real message
Is time up for Tesla?
Has Tesla run out of road? The electric car firm put plenty of spin on its annual results, talking bullishly about the new projects that were coming to fruition. Elon Musk’s company plans to go big on robots, pivot to Artificial Intelligence, and develop its self-driving unit. Yet there was no disguising the real message
What the decline of my comprehensive school says about Britain
Magdalen College School in Brackley is providing an ‘inadequate’ quality of education. Behaviour and attitudes at the school are also ‘inadequate’. Personal development ‘requires improvement’, while leadership and management are ‘inadequate’. The school’s sixth form provision also ‘requires improvement’. So runs the latest damning Ofsted critique of standards – published last summer – at the
Is centrism dead? | with David Gauke, vice-chair of Prosper UK
22 min listen
Is centrism back? This week a group of former Tory heavyweights – including Ruth Davidson, Andy Street, Amber Rudd and David Gauke – have launched a new group aimed at reclaiming the centre ground and dispelling the myth that politics in 2026 is a straight shooting match between increasingly diffuse left/right poles. They say that
The Waspis never deserved a payout
I want to congratulate the Department for Work and Pensions. They’ve made the excellent decision to – once again – refuse compensation to the Waspi women. The cohort of 3.6 million women born in the 1950s claim to have not been informed that their state pension age would rise – bringing it into line with