Simon Heffer

Herman Van Rompuy is David Cameron's kind of guy

Herman Van Rompuy is just another stooge for the unelected and unaccountable EU bureaucrats who will go on running the show, says Simon Heffer. As part of their own opposition to democracy, a bunch of politicians have chosen...

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Oxbridge is clearly guilty of pursuing excellence

Oxbridge demands very high A-level passes and produces many students with good degrees, very few of whom drop out. Where is the problem, wonders Simon Heffer. Something called the Higher Education Policy Institute clearly has...

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Turnip Taliban: A brilliant way to turn off Tory voters

The Conservative Party positively encourages the persecution of such types as Sir Jeremy Bagge, old Etonian and leader of Norfolk's "Turnip Taliban", says Simon Heffer. We had a prime example this week in Sir Jeremy Bagge, 7th...

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Queen's speech build-up – live

Minute-by-minute coverage of the state opening of parliament, the Queen's speech and the rest of today's pomp and ceremony 11.06am: If you want to watch the Labour PPB that they showed us at the press conference, you can find...

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We have had enough of the most pointless Parliament for 350 years

Today's State Opening is a waste of our poor Queen's time, writes Simon Heffer Should you see on television this morning our beloved Queen opening Parliament, ponder for a moment all the much more constructive and enjoyable...

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Great lies become accepted unequivocally as great truths

"This is, in theory, still a free country, but our politically correct, censorious times are such that many of us tremble to give vent to perfectly acceptable views for fear of condemnation. Freedom of speech is thereby...

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Too proud to claim my Jaffa Cakes on expenses

There are two financial camps. It began with finding out that we had paid for the former Home Secretary’s family viewing habits — dreary smut and Ocean’s Eleven. Even blameless claims have an Hello! magazine fascination: why...

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Is Andrew Roberts really an inadequate historian?

A savage review of Andrew Roberts's 'The Storm of War' puzzles Simon Heffer. I was reminded of the difficulties of book reviewing when I read a review in the Times Literary Supplement a couple of months ago by none other than...

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One attack on Gordon Brown I don't applaud the Sun's

I am in no doubt that he was sincere in his grief when he wrote to Jacqui Janes, writes Simon Heffer. I defer to no one in my disapproval of Gordon Brown's political conduct, but his personal behaviour is another matter. I am...

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Free cricket is not the birthright of every Englishman

Important though Test matches are, they are not a state occasion like a Coronation or the opening of Parliament, writes Simon Heffer. I know we are obsessed with the welfare state, and its something-for-nothing cachet, but I...

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