The Spectator

The Spectator is Britain’s oldest and most influential magazine, with incisive political and economic analysis, unrivalled books and arts reviews, and unmissable lifestyle writing, plus the funniest cartoons. It’s more cocktail party than political party, and we’d love it if you joined us.

Mystic Milei

The Spectator

CONTRIBUTORS

PORTRAIT OF THE WEEK

DIARY

The crypto factor

THE SPECTATOR'S NOTES

Computer wizardry • Big Tech is under the spell of the occult

Hex appeal • The rise of middle-class witches

Satanic verses • How Roman Catholic black metal was born

Unreality television

Kemi time • Inside the fight to bolster the Tory party’s fortunes

ANCIENT AND MODERN • Blueprint for disaster

The real Blackshirts

Artist in residence • Michael Heath looks back on 75 years as a Spectator cartoonist

Nightwatchman

Trump vs Maduro • The US President should beware of backing regime change in Venezuela

I’ve been enslaved by my Apple watch

Datageddon • Britain’s official stats bodies are in chaos

Landlords need protecting too

LETTERS

How have housebuilders fallen from hero to zero?

BOOKS OF THE YEAR I • Our regular reviewers choose the books they have most enjoyed reading in 2025

A passion for life

More fairy gold

In and out of fashion

The old songs are the best

After the Fall

Who’s afraid of the lone she-wolf?

Roads not taken

Old Boys’ Reunion

Bad vibrations

Celebrity terrorists

Reading between the lines

Brave little Belgium

Wines for all occasions

Last words • There is little sadder than the death of a language, says Sam Kriss

Bear necessities

Game of two halves

Wacky races

Film for fried brains

Wake-up call

Before Lamb there was Zoë

A musical life unfolds

A perfect period piece

The Northern line

Still life

Real life

Wild life

Cullen skink

SPECTATOR WINE

Remembering Naroditsky

Bad advice

2727: On track by Doc

The myth of writer’s block

MICHAEL HEATH

And the ‘Japanese toilet’ award goes to…

DEAR MARY YOUR PROBLEMS SOLVED

Cold comfort

Survivor