The Spectator

Tories for Starmer

Nick Boles was once at the heart of a mission to renew Conservatism. He was one of a small number of modernisers, central to the Cameron project, who ended up serving as Tory ministers. He quit over Brexit and this week made his public debut in a new job as an adviser to Rachel Reeves.

Letters: the joy of a male book club

The state of our defence Sir: Your article on the etiolated state of European, including Britain’s, defence, is spot on (‘The price of peace’, 27 April). Rishi Sunak’s belated conversion to increasing defence expenditure is welcome but is, frankly, too little, too late. What it most definitively does not do is place the UK on a

Why Sunak should stay

In the end, the Tories did just as badly as predicted in the local elections. They lost about half of the council seats they were defending as well as ten out of the 11 mayoralties up for election and did not even come close in London. It’s a disaster, but one consistent with the opinion

2649: Shut up shop – solution

The unclued lights, with the pairs at 1D/18, 17/6A and 26D/5, are stores which are no longer trading. First prize George Kingston, Sutton under Brailes, Oxon Runners-up Mrs J. Smith, Beeston, Kings Lynn, Norfolk; C. Stafford and F. Daniels, Cremorne, NSW, Australia

Letters: the admirable strength of Ukrainians

The bravery of Ukraine Sir: Few articles could resonate as strongly as that of Svitlana Morenets (‘Scrambled logic’, 20 April). She brings the agony of her brave countrymen and women home to us, and the effect of dithering and equivocation by the West. As a volunteer with a refugee charity, I weekly admire the character

2648: Thus at an end – solution

The eight unclued lights are all kinds of soup: COCK-A-LEEKIE (1A), SHCHI (21A) , PHO (40A), VICHYSSOISE (41A), CONSOMME (2D), MULLIGATAWNY (14D), MINESTRONE (19D) and PISTOU (25D). The puzzle’s title cryptically indicates the subject: ‘thus’ = SO, ‘at an end’= UP. First prize Tessa Ferguson, Bath Runners-up William Orriel, Newton Abbot, Devon; Gerry Fairweather, Layer Marney,

The cost of European peace

After six months of delay, the US Senate has finally passed a $60 billion foreign-aid package which will send urgently needed ammunition and military equipment to Ukrainian soldiers. It may well be the last such cheque to be signed in Washington. Donald Trump is favourite to be the next president of the United States and

The Spectator’s letters page is hazardous 

Question time Sir: Your leading article ‘Sense prevails’ (13 April) is a valuable précis of the Cass Review into NHS gender treatment. However, it also raises several questions. How are the actions of these individuals, groups and organisations different from those of others who have been found to have acted unprofessionally, causing harm to patients

2647: Pabulum’s last bow – solution

The theme word is MARCH. The examples are CROWN IMPERIAL (1A/22) and COLONEL BOGEY (26/33). The March sisters from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth, appear in SOJOURN (12), OMEGA (34A), CRYPTOGAMY (10) and BETHINK (28). ALCOTT (in the third column) is to be shaded. Title: (pabulu)M + arch (defined).

A smoking ban is pointless and illiberal

Why is Britain poised to ban cigarette smoking, when the habit is already dying out anyway? Smoking is seen by the young as disgusting and outdated. A generation ago, 50 per cent of school pupils said they had smoked at some point. By the time David Cameron came to power, this was down to 25

Who uses Grindr? 

Meet market Who uses the gay dating app Grindr?  – The site claims 27m users worldwide, 80.5% of whom identify as gay. – 13m users are active on a monthly basis. Some 923,000 are paid users. – 80% are younger than 35. – 39% are single. – 48% are in the US. – The average

2646: Too many (In memoriam) – solution

The unclued lights were the cooks known as the TWO FAT LADIES at 18/2 who were 25/8 and 29A/38/3) and the HAIRY BIKERS at 14/3 who are/were 31 and ‘In memoriam’ 26/10. First prize R.A. Percy, Southport, North Carolina, USA Runners-up Peter Tanner, Hertford; James Bristol, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Common sense prevails in the gender debate

The publication this week of the Cass Review into gender-identity services for young people marks a welcome return to reason in an area of medicine which for the past few years has been driven by identity politics. No one is denying that there are those who deserve psychological – and in some cases physical –