Gavin Esler

Long before the Middle Ages, the Roman writer Tacitus understood the ultimate futility of war

The former success stories of the right seem to be having a nervous breakdown, fighting not just their opponents but also their colleagues

Too few leaders are willing to show empathy, afraid that it will be seen as a sign of weakness

Many voters seem to have come back to the party after flirting with the Scottish nationalists. Keir Starmer now has to translate this into UK-wide support

The British Prime Minister may be correct, however, in that his party could get votes from some disgruntled motorists

The Palace of Westminster needs protecting from extreme weather

When confected rows invent a silly supposed problem, they obscure matters which are much more important

There is a confluence of factors, but the country's polity is ripe for a generational change

So much of the country just isn't working, but so much else is – and that gives me hope

Short-term unpopularity, mayor says, is a price worth paying for long-term better health

Political neglect can have deadly consequences but Rishi Sunak doesn’t seem to have the region on his to-do list

Blaming migrants and refugees for getting on boats to reach the island is not a good look for politicians

Next year will reveal one of two extraordinarily divergent outcomes for the former president

Silly talk of 'climate alarmism' doesn’t help, nor does defeatism

An attempt to cap the number of students studying for courses that may not lead to a professional job is a deflection from the real issues