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Contents COLUMNS Letters 8 Helen Joyce Weaponising weasel words 6 Law Yuan Yi Zhu: A lawyer in Number 10 9 Woman about Town Lisa Hilton: Dreams of Greece 10 Nova’s dia r y Akshata gets packing 11 Serious business Ned: The scarlet letter 22 Everyday Lies Theodore Dalrymple: A very innocent man 24 My Woke World Titania McGrath: Only Joe Biden can save America 25 Sounding Board Marcus Walker: A misguided election briefing 30 Arty Types D.J. Taylor on Graham Topman 32 Economics Tim Congdon: Balance the books 48 Romeo Coates No golden years 76 Adam Dant on … The Starmer Social Sieve 52 FEATUR E S Hungary: treading a fine line Sumantra Maitra asks if the country can remain equidistant from East and West while retaining its trade links 13 More than just a lucky general Tom Hamilton says neither Left nor Right can accept that Sir Keir Starmer is responsible for transforming Labour 16 Five rules for governing John McTernan offers his advice to the next prime minster on how to win the electoral cycle 18 Whither the Tory party now? Sam Bidwell says the party must set This month’s cover is illus trated by John Broadley aside petty feuds to unite around a radical political project 20 Why levelling up failed Emerson Csorba wants us to think local to foster growth 23 Whistler in black and white Clive Aslet says a new artwork taking aim at Rex Whistler’s controversial Tate Britain mural misses its mark 26 Why so few men take up the pen Paul Burke asks whether male fiction authors are deterred by the femaledominated publishing industry 31 We must punish the parents Laurent Lemasson believes France already has laws which would tackle the problem of repeat juvenile offenders 34 Profile: Ringo Starr Sean Egan says the much-mocked Beatles drummer is the most underrated musician of all time 36 Why we all feel let down Daniel Johnson reflects upon the corrosive power of disillusionment and disappointment in politics 38 Europe invaded Adam LeBor urges politicians to heed the warnings from Hungary and Poland about immigration 42 When things could only get better Jacob Phillips celebrates the 1990s; an era of optimism, peace, prosperity and great popular culture 46 Riffs or rigour? Ian Pace and Eva Moreda Rodríguez say arts practice degree courses have gained the upper hand over scholarship 49 STUDIO William Aslet : The Gradel Quadrangles at New College, Oxford 54 BOOKS Armand D’Angour: C. S. Lewis’s Oxford by Simon Horobin 58 Christopher Snowdon: The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism (& How it Came to Control Your Life) by George Monbiot 60 George Woudhuysen: Th e Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions — And How The World Lost Its Mind by Dan Davies 62 Jaspreet Singh Boparai: Iron Imperator: Roman Grand Strategy Under Tiberius by Iskander Rehman 64 Sebastian Milbank: Reading Genesis by Marilyyne Robinson 65 Ruth Dudley Edwards: Sexed: A History of British Feminism by Susanna Rustin 66 Andrea Valentino: The Fall: Last Days of the English Republic by Henry Reece 68 Michael Taube: Life: My Story T hrough History by Pope Francis with Fabio Marchese Ragona 69 Iain MacGregor: Endgame 1944: How Stalin Won the War by Jonathan Dimbleby 71 Richard Negus: Cull of the Wild: Killing in the Name of Conservation by Hugh Warwick 72 John Self : Parade by Rachel Cusk ; The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden; Summer in Baden-Baden by Leonid Tsypkin 73 THE SECRET AUTHOR Twilight of the gods 75 B R O A D L E Y J O H N B Y I O N I L L U S T R A T C O V E R THE CRITIC 4 JULY 2024
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/ H E A R T F O R D J A S O N F O X B Y I C I T ; C R R O B E R T S O N B Y R O Y S T O N C A R T O O N July 2024 | Issue 49 “I’ve stolen so many jobs, I needed a holiday.” THE CRITICS MUSIC Norman Lebrecht £355 for Glasto, and opera’s elitist? 78 OPERA Robert Thicknesse Castration: let’s consider the positives 79 POP Sarah Ditum Filler vs thriller on albums 80 ART Michael Prodger The negected radical of French art 81 THEATRE Anne McElvoy A rollicking great Kiss Me Kate 82 CINEMA Robert Hutton Elections at the cinema 83 TELEVISION Adam LeBor Rebus at the school of hard Knox 85 RADIO Michael Henderson Heine: a dreamer and a Romantic 86 PODCASTS Ben Sixsmith The exec on an unfiltered journey 87 ARCHITECTURE Charles Saumarez Smith In praise of Spanish practices 88 TABLE TALK Eating Out Lisa Hilton chows down at the charming Royal China in Baker Street 90 Eating In Felipe Fernández-Armesto cooks his own version of a Hungarian classic 91 Drink Henry Jeffreys celebrates the sherry renaissance 92 Art House Rufus Bird on a radical new fee structure introduced by Sotheby’s 94 Deluxe Christopher Pincher scents a heavenly new fragrance 94 Country Notes Patrick Galbraith suggests a simple way to foster biodiversity 96 Turf Account Stephen Pollard says racing should wash it hands of Sheikh Mohammed 96 Style Hannah Betts picks her fave outfits for the summer season 98 Hot House Claudia Savage-Gore declines to sit for a hairy and impoverished nude model 99 THIS SPORTING LIFE Boris Starling: The space man 100 Alan White: Summer for sale 101 Patrick Kidd: 1924 and all that 102 SAVE 83% c SUMMER SALE 3 ISSUES FOR £3! Take advantage of our Super Summer Sale, saving a huge 83%. For just £3 you will receive a 3-month subscription to The Critic (3 maga z i nes delivered to your door). Already a subscriber? Then why not give a gift subscription to someone specia l! Subscribe today and you will get:  3 issues of The Critic magazine  Access to digital editions  An 83 per cent saving on the shop price  Rigorous content  Free delivery to your door To subscribe, simply visit: thecritic.imbmsubscriptions. com/sum24 OR CALL: 01293 312250 quoting SUM24 T&CS: CLOSING DATE FOR ORDERS IS 30TH OCTOBER 2024. THE PRICE SHOWN IS A UK DIRECT DEBIT OFFER. 3 ISSUES AT £3 BY DIRECT DEBIT, FOLLOWED BY £10.00 EVERY 3 ISSUES. SAVING IS 83% ON THE SHOP PRICE. IF YOU DO NOT CANCEL AT THE END OF THE SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD, THE SUBSCRIPTION WILL AUTO-RENEW BY DIRECT DEBIT AT £20 EVERY 6 MONTHS. ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. THIS IS A LIMITED OFFER AND MAY BE WITHDRAWN AT ANY TIME. PLEASE NOTE: BY SUBSCRIBING WE WILL CONTACT YOU ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION FROM TIME TO TIME. THE CRITIC IS PUBLISHED 10 TIMES A YEAR, WITH 2 DOUBLE ISSUES THE CRITIC 5 JULY 2024

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Contents COLUMNS Letters 8 Helen Joyce Weaponising weasel words 6 Law Yuan Yi Zhu: A lawyer in Number 10 9 Woman about Town Lisa Hilton: Dreams of Greece 10 Nova’s dia r y Akshata gets packing 11 Serious business Ned: The scarlet letter 22 Everyday Lies Theodore Dalrymple: A very innocent man 24 My Woke World Titania McGrath: Only Joe Biden can save America 25 Sounding Board Marcus Walker: A misguided election briefing 30 Arty Types D.J. Taylor on Graham Topman 32 Economics Tim Congdon: Balance the books 48 Romeo Coates No golden years 76

Adam Dant on … The Starmer Social Sieve 52

FEATUR E S Hungary: treading a fine line Sumantra Maitra asks if the country can remain equidistant from East and West while retaining its trade links 13 More than just a lucky general Tom Hamilton says neither Left nor Right can accept that Sir Keir Starmer is responsible for transforming Labour 16 Five rules for governing John McTernan offers his advice to the next prime minster on how to win the electoral cycle 18 Whither the Tory party now? Sam Bidwell says the party must set

This month’s cover is illus trated by John Broadley aside petty feuds to unite around a radical political project 20

Why levelling up failed Emerson Csorba wants us to think local to foster growth 23 Whistler in black and white Clive Aslet says a new artwork taking aim at Rex Whistler’s controversial Tate Britain mural misses its mark 26 Why so few men take up the pen Paul Burke asks whether male fiction authors are deterred by the femaledominated publishing industry 31 We must punish the parents Laurent Lemasson believes France already has laws which would tackle the problem of repeat juvenile offenders 34 Profile: Ringo Starr Sean Egan says the much-mocked Beatles drummer is the most underrated musician of all time 36 Why we all feel let down Daniel Johnson reflects upon the corrosive power of disillusionment and disappointment in politics 38 Europe invaded Adam LeBor urges politicians to heed the warnings from Hungary and Poland about immigration 42

When things could only get better Jacob Phillips celebrates the 1990s; an era of optimism, peace, prosperity and great popular culture 46 Riffs or rigour? Ian Pace and Eva Moreda Rodríguez say arts practice degree courses have gained the upper hand over scholarship 49

STUDIO William Aslet : The Gradel Quadrangles at New College, Oxford 54

BOOKS Armand D’Angour: C. S. Lewis’s Oxford by Simon Horobin 58 Christopher Snowdon: The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism (& How it Came to Control Your Life) by George Monbiot 60 George Woudhuysen: Th e Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions — And How The World Lost Its Mind by Dan Davies 62 Jaspreet Singh Boparai: Iron Imperator: Roman Grand Strategy Under Tiberius by Iskander Rehman 64 Sebastian Milbank: Reading Genesis by Marilyyne Robinson 65 Ruth Dudley Edwards: Sexed: A History of British Feminism by Susanna Rustin 66 Andrea Valentino: The Fall: Last Days of the English Republic by Henry Reece 68 Michael Taube: Life: My Story T hrough History by Pope Francis with Fabio Marchese Ragona 69 Iain MacGregor: Endgame 1944: How Stalin Won the War by Jonathan Dimbleby 71 Richard Negus: Cull of the Wild: Killing in the Name of Conservation by Hugh Warwick 72 John Self : Parade by Rachel Cusk ; The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden; Summer in Baden-Baden by Leonid Tsypkin 73

THE SECRET AUTHOR Twilight of the gods

75

B R O A D L E Y

J O H N

B Y

I O N

I L L U S T R A T

C O V E R

THE CRITIC 4 JULY 2024

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