Leading Articles

Leading article: Why we must leave Afghanistan

One by one over the past eight years, the arguments for the continued presence of Nato troops in Afghanistan have fallen away.

Recent Leading Articles

Leading article: A deal on climate change must not be postponed

Saturday, 7 November 2009

There needs to be top-level political engagement in Copenhagen

Leading article: Murder and integration in America

Saturday, 7 November 2009

A spell back home should be a time of quiet and safety for soldiers fighting in gruelling foreign wars. Instead, Fort Hood in Texas on Thursday became a place of carnage. The rampage, apparently perpetrated by an army psychiatrist, may be the worst instance of soldier-on-soldier violence in modern US history. The casualty count of 13 dead and 30 wounded would have been shocking enough on the battlefields in Iraq of Afghanistan. In the event, this took place on a base which has already lost some 500 men killed in those two conflicts.

Leading article: Little and large

Saturday, 7 November 2009

There is something that intrigues us about a mismatch. The imagery of the little guy vs the big guy appeals to our imaginations. You see it recurring time and again in history and legend: David and Goliath, George and the Dragon, Tom and Jerry.

Leading article: A tale of bad faith and bailouts in the car industry

Friday, 6 November 2009

General Motors' U-turn could create a political struggle over jobs

Leading article: How to serve the rights of the victim

Friday, 6 November 2009

The Chinese have a saying: "He who seeks revenge should dig two graves". It is a caution against placing justice in the hands of the victim. That can be bad not just for the victim but also for wider society. A crime harms not just its immediate victim but also does violence to the social fabric, to the nexus of relationships and trust upon which a society depends. That is why the punishment of crime must always remain as matter for society rather than becoming the prerogative of an individual.

Leading article: Cultural diplomacy

Friday, 6 November 2009

Sino-British relations have had their share of ruptures over the centuries, from the Opium Wars to the disturbed progress of the Beijing Olympic torch through London's streets a few years ago. And until yesterday it looked as though The X-Factor had created another awkward diplomatic incident. There were reports that the Chinese ambassador, Madam Fu Ying, had been annoyed by the noise from the fans of the ITV show's contestants (who are being housed near Madam Fu's London residence). But not a bit of it.

Afghanistan withdrawal case not yet made

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Leading article: The appalling slaughter of five soldiers in Helmand is likely to undermine support for the mission. But how should it influence policy-makers?

Leading article: Forked-tongued Tories

Thursday, 5 November 2009

The ability to execute an elegant U-turn is an essential part of the politician's repertoire. And David Cameron was masterly in explaining why he was now going back on what many had believed was his firm promise to submit the Lisbon Treaty to a referendum.