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James Kirkup

James Kirkup

The Telegraph

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Andy Burnham should keep Pat McFadden in post

Andy Burnham is not short of advice about cabinet appointments. But here’s a bit more counsel for him. He should keep Pat McFadden as work and...

15.07.2026 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Economic millstone / Is Burnham brave enough to scrap the triple lock?

Loss avoidance is one of the strongest forces in the world. It’s a fundamental of human nature – and therefore politics – that once we’ve been...

27.06.2026 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Economy / Is Burnham brave enough to scrap the triple lock?

Loss avoidance is one of the strongest forces in the world. It’s a fundamental of human nature – and therefore politics – that once we’ve been...

27.06.2026 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Is Burnham brave enough to scrap the state pension triple lock?

Loss avoidance is one of the strongest forces in the world. It’s a fundamental of human nature – and therefore politics – that once we’ve been...

27.06.2026 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

The very personal tragedy of Keir Starmer

Now that the end has come for Keir Starmer, history can get to work, analysing and anatomising his failures. The central question for posterity: how...

23.06.2026 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

National failure / The very personal tragedy of Keir Starmer

Now that the end has come for Keir Starmer, history can get to work, analysing and anatomising his failures. The central question for posterity: how...

22.06.2026 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

The hard part starts now for Andy Burnham

For his Labour critics, Andy Burnham is just Keir Starmer in a black T-shirt. They mutter that the new MP for Makerfield lacks substance and would be...

20.06.2026 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

A painful pension crunch is coming for Generation X

Pensions are boring. I say this from a position of some knowledge. I spend quite a lot of my working life talking about pension policy. I find the...

25.05.2026 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

The graduate benefit is not what it was

Politicians are keen to fix what is seen as a mounting political problem with student loans. An increasing number of graduates are pointing out that...

08.03.2026 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

The bond markets aren’t done with Rachel Reeves

Never has Rachel Reeves been so glad to be so boring. The Chancellor will deliver today her spring update on the public finances at a time of unusual...

03.03.2026 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Gordon Brown deserved better than Peter Mandelson’s treachery

05.02.2026 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

The flaw in Labour's Brexit delusion

12.01.2026 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

AI could make degrees redundant

04.01.2026 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Britain is giving up on work

27.11.2025 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Crunch time / Will Rachel Reeves’s two Budget gambles pay off?

26.11.2025 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Food inflation is a ticking time bomb for Rachel Reeves

21.11.2025 20

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Britain’s stingy state pension is good news

04.11.2025 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Ming Campbell was too good for politics

26.09.2025 8

The Spectator

James Kirkup

James Lyons’s departure will cost Keir Starmer

01.09.2025 30

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Migration / Farage is right: paying illegal migrants to leave is a good idea

26.08.2025 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup

Kill the single state pension age

19.08.2025 10

The Spectator

James Kirkup