Britain and Covid-19: a chronicle of incompetence
The six months that shook the UK.
By
Anatomy of a crisis
Anatomy of a crisis
The UK was well prepared for a pandemic, but the data reveals its flawed response.
By
Ten years of data reveal how austerity weakened the UK’s pandemic response
Cuts to local and national services over the past decade appear almost perfectly tailored to damage resilience in the…
By
The fatal delusions of Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson believes that post-Brexit Britain is an exceptional, “world-beating” power. Yet it has proved itself incapable of fulfilling…
By
Where did the UK go wrong on coronavirus?
Leading figures from science, medicine and politics deliver their verdict on the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
By
How to stop a pandemic
Our leaders must learn from the Covid-19 crisis to prepare for the next virus.
By
Rhododendron
A new poem by Kathryn Simmonds.
By
Paul Mendez’s Rainbow Milk: a bold and raw novel
This semi-autobiographical debut follows a young black man in London just after the millennium.
By
The greats outdoors: paradoxical painter Gustave Caillebotte
The artist who extolled the talent of his impressionist friends at the expense of his own.
By
Slate’s new podcast series about David Duke is perfectly calibrated
This is a monologue interspersed with flashes of archive recordings – most fascinating of which are clips of Duke…
By
Celebrity Masterchef returns – and never in the entire history of television has a show been so misleadingly titled
I’ve heard of three of this show’s “celebrities” – but judge Gregg Wallace is ever-resplendent, with his Snooker Loopy…
By
There are many Bob Dylans – and they’re all present on his new record, Rough and Rowdy Ways
Almost every Dylan fan has their own version of Bob, and his new record is a reflection of his…
By
David Olusoga’s BBC show A House Through Time is gripping and hugely informative
First shown in May and early June, it recounts the history of a single house, 10 Guinea Street in…
By
On the Record: a deft exploration of abuse in the music industry
Drew Dixon’s experiences with Russell Simmons show how racism has helped to silence black rape victims.
By
Letter of the week: All talk, no action
A selection of the best letters received from our readers this week. Email [email protected] to have your thoughts voiced…
By
Leader: Someone has blundered
It is imperative to learn the lessons of the UK’s calamitous handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
By
A crisis of the social contract: why we must transform our democracy
The health emergency we face may well pass. But the economic, political and social crises that it has set…
By
First Thoughts: Murdoch’s new radio station, traditional classroom seating and taking a DNA test
With Times Radio, Rupert Murdoch hopes to entice listeners to subscribe to the Times. And he can pursue his vendetta…
By
Masha Gessen: Why this is a revolutionary moment for American democracy
The New Yorker columnist and author of Surviving Autocracy believes there can be no return to the pre-Trump normal.
By
Commons Confidential: Weighty matters in No 10
Your weekly dose of gossip from around Westminster.
By
I now flinch at the world that used to invigorate me, and I wonder if this change is permanent
This heightened awareness, this sensitivity, this flinching at the world’s cruelties – has it always been here inside me,…
By
Liverpool are worthy champions in a Premiership era as memorable as anything I have seen
What a team, what a manager, what an achievement.
By
George Alagiah Q&A: “For those of us with cancer, uncertainty is our middle name“
The broadcaster talks Sri Lanka, Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics, and driverless cars.
By
Among the gravestones, I begin to compose my own elegy written in a Brighton churchyard
Naturally, in such surroundings, one thinks of death a lot, even as one soaks up the sun. We’re all…
By
In a small flat with no garden, I became entranced by tropical and dangerous houseplants
I was careful, when handling Dieffenbachia, not to get any of its juice on my hands. Had I done…
By
Ruth Davidson’s Diary: Holyrood at a distance, our dog’s Pride bandana, and Mark Sedwill’s departure
It is impossible to see how the Scottish Parliament could function again as it did before. At least, not…
By
Trump has already moved on from the pandemic – or thinks he has. We cannot do the same
If you did not know the US was in the midst of a health crisis, you would not learn…
By
How Britain’s essential but most vulnerable workers were exposed as the virus spread rapidly
For many of the workers we all depend on, life carried on – until it didn’t.
By
The government chose to follow the wrong science – with lethal social and economic consequences
Over the course of the pandemic, the UK’s overconfidence in theoretical modelling has several times been rudely exposed.
By
The schools debacle reveals what has gone wrong for a government that is rapidly losing authority
Boris Johnson now leads a cabinet and parliamentary party that understands that his political strengths come with incongruous liabilities.
By
How coronavirus has revealed the unexpected strengths of Germany’s model of government
Germany’s population of 83 million has suffered 9,000 deaths, while in Britain, with its population of 67 million, there…
By
If Michael Gove and Boris Johnson want to reform the country, they must first reform themselves
Leadership requires you to choose between concrete futures and not merely to sketch out grand visions.
By How Britain’s essential but most vulnerable workers were exposed as the virus spread rapidly
For many of the workers we all depend on, life carried on – until it didn’t.
By The schools debacle reveals what has gone wrong for a government that is rapidly losing authority
Boris Johnson now leads a cabinet and parliamentary party that understands that his political strengths come with incongruous liabilities.
By Trump has already moved on from the pandemic – or thinks he has. We cannot do the same
If you did not know the US was in the midst of a health crisis, you would not learn…
By How coronavirus has revealed the unexpected strengths of Germany’s model of government
Germany’s population of 83 million has suffered 9,000 deaths, while in Britain, with its population of 67 million, there…
By Ruth Davidson’s Diary: Holyrood at a distance, our dog’s Pride bandana, and Mark Sedwill’s departure
It is impossible to see how the Scottish Parliament could function again as it did before. At least, not…
By First Thoughts: Murdoch’s new radio station, traditional classroom seating and taking a DNA test
With Times Radio, Rupert Murdoch hopes to entice listeners to subscribe to the Times. And he can pursue his vendetta…
By Rhododendron
A new poem by Kathryn Simmonds.
By Masha Gessen: Why this is a revolutionary moment for American democracy
The New Yorker columnist and author of Surviving Autocracy believes there can be no return to the pre-Trump normal.
By Paul Mendez’s Rainbow Milk: a bold and raw novel
This semi-autobiographical debut follows a young black man in London just after the millennium.
By David Olusoga’s BBC show A House Through Time is gripping and hugely informative
First shown in May and early June, it recounts the history of a single house, 10 Guinea Street in…
By Commons Confidential: Weighty matters in No 10
Your weekly dose of gossip from around Westminster.
By A crisis of the social contract: why we must transform our democracy
The health emergency we face may well pass. But the economic, political and social crises that it has set…
By Celebrity Masterchef returns – and never in the entire history of television has a show been so misleadingly titled
I’ve heard of three of this show’s “celebrities” – but judge Gregg Wallace is ever-resplendent, with his Snooker Loopy…
By Letter of the week: All talk, no action
A selection of the best letters received from our readers this week. Email [email protected] to have your thoughts voiced…
By Slate’s new podcast series about David Duke is perfectly calibrated
This is a monologue interspersed with flashes of archive recordings – most fascinating of which are clips of Duke…
By There are many Bob Dylans – and they’re all present on his new record, Rough and Rowdy Ways
Almost every Dylan fan has their own version of Bob, and his new record is a reflection of his…
By In a small flat with no garden, I became entranced by tropical and dangerous houseplants
I was careful, when handling Dieffenbachia, not to get any of its juice on my hands. Had I done…
By The government chose to follow the wrong science – with lethal social and economic consequences
Over the course of the pandemic, the UK’s overconfidence in theoretical modelling has several times been rudely exposed.
By Among the gravestones, I begin to compose my own elegy written in a Brighton churchyard
Naturally, in such surroundings, one thinks of death a lot, even as one soaks up the sun. We’re all…
By If Michael Gove and Boris Johnson want to reform the country, they must first reform themselves
Leadership requires you to choose between concrete futures and not merely to sketch out grand visions.
By I now flinch at the world that used to invigorate me, and I wonder if this change is permanent
This heightened awareness, this sensitivity, this flinching at the world’s cruelties – has it always been here inside me,…
By Liverpool are worthy champions in a Premiership era as memorable as anything I have seen
What a team, what a manager, what an achievement.
By Leader: Someone has blundered
It is imperative to learn the lessons of the UK’s calamitous handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
By George Alagiah Q&A: “For those of us with cancer, uncertainty is our middle name“
The broadcaster talks Sri Lanka, Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics, and driverless cars.
By On the Record: a deft exploration of abuse in the music industry
Drew Dixon’s experiences with Russell Simmons show how racism has helped to silence black rape victims.
By