The cover-up?

Morgan McSweeney can’t believe the Prince of Darkness betrayed him

The former No 10 chief of staff thought Peter Mandelson wouldn’t lie to the Prime Minister

There should be no hiding place for anyone involved in the Epstein scandal

The scale of Britain’s involvement is still not fully understood

Dog days at the Romford races

Inside the stadium, punters recall the greyhounds’ former glory

Inside France’s publishing wars

Also: my double-edged retirement, and a defence of London

This is not the Morgan McSweeney I know

Also: a moment for Small Prophets, and hoarding marmalade

Letter of the week: Downing Street damage control

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Keir Starmer puts his fists up

The Prime Minister wants to fight, but who believes he can win?

The worst people in the world love King Charles

Donald Trump trembles before the power of the Crown

Confessions of a bibliomaniac

As the book appears to be dying off, we might finally be learning to appreciate it

I read Russell Brand’s unreadable new book, for my sins

The controversial star’s conversion is more cult-like than Christlike

Elizabeth Strout’s easy answers

In her novels, trauma is never far away – but her new book lays it on thick

The real work of the working class

The history of the labour movement is less about class struggle than the fight for universal values

How not to read JG Ballard

This new biography has done a great writer a disservice

Francisco de Zurbarán gave form to faith

A new exhibition reveals how the 17th-century painter captured Spain’s spiritual imagination

The forgotten brilliance of Britain’s postwar cinema

As a new film season at the BFI shows, we can read the character of a battered nation and…

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is pure guilty pleasure

Twenty years since the original film, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway are back, facing off in a changed fashion…

Richard Gadd’s half-formed masculinity

The comedian behind Baby Reindeer attempted to confront toxic male archetypes – but only focused on their most extreme…

Ringo Starr’s Long, Long Road

Unusually, in the world of old rockers, his albums have a value directly proportional to his age

Do lobsters have rights?

I have been closely following a case of lobster homicide

Borrowing money is wearying for the soul

It’s only two-thirds of the way through the month and I have minus £25 in the bank

The smoking ban is a threat to democracy

We are creating two tiers of citizenry

Beer and sandwiches: At the Blue Bell, Stoke Ferry

This column is our weekly pub review, written by pintsmen, women and children across the nation. Suggestions to [email protected]

January 1968: The false consciousness of Scotland