Dominated by technology, ruled by the smartphone, shadowed by war and saturated by a constant stream of pornographic and violent images: our world feels ever more Ballardian

There are few more self-righteous politicians than Starmer, the career lawyer and former director of public prosecutions. He sees himself as an honest man, a man of rules. If he makes mistakes, they are honest mistakes. So when the leader of the opposition calls him a liar she strikes at the very core of who he is and believes himself to be

An appreciation of the elusive Talk Talk frontman; originally published following news of his death in February 2019. (I will publish the transcript from my conversation with Hollis soon once I have digitised the tape.)  See also: Mark Hollis: Inside the Walled Garden https://www.jasoncowley.net/ar...

Once outliers on the centre-left, the Social Democrats are now a model for defeating the hard right with Europe’s toughest immigration system

An essay from the archive: Male rivalry, literary ambition and the terror that comes in the night 

McSweeney was more than Starmer’s chief of staff; he was his chief strategist, ideologue, fixer and powerbroker

The prime minister may think he is misunderstood but he represents the politics of a dying era. He has only his own judgement to blame over Peter Mandelson

Maurice Glasman at Trump's inuguration: "Whenever I mentioned Peter Mandelson, Trumpists kept showing me pictures of him with Jeffrey Epstein"

Published January 2025; republished February 2026 after more Mandelson revelations emerged leading to the resignation of Morgan McSweeney