My pet cause is aspiration. I have said time and again that I believe aspiration is a Gordian knot; it cuts across a range of social and economic issues. It doesn't solve all issues, and there are some people for whom aspiration won't help. But for many, a bit of...

Libya taught us the powerful lesson that Western powers no longer have to rely on full-scale invasion to remove tyrannical regimes. Whereas the liberation of Iraq was somewhat medieval, the extent of Western intervention in Libya was limited to supporting the nascent uprising with tactical support and materiel, with a...

Half-time during the Premier League final. Millions of Brits are tuned in, and during the break an advert comes on. A famous actor, let's say Colin Firth, is walking in the dark, from the pitch up the players' tunnel. Colin slowly emerges from the darkness to tell us that 'it's...