United Kingdom

A counting system used by children playing games was once used by shepherds for counting sheep in Cumbria

There are literary delights to look forward to this year – but authors won’t be getting a pay rise

The National Gallery’s failure to properly showcase female artists continues with its treatment of Eva Gonzalès

We’re in a recession, energy bills are due to rise again and the timebomb of an ageing population ticks on. But Britain continues to live in a fantasy

It's political forecasting season for pundits. But, this doesn't mean they will be accurate

It looks as if it’s going to be another challenging year for theatre, but there is certainly a lot to look forward to

The PM doesn’t seem very keen to have a bonfire of EU rules. And that spells trouble – for him

The prime minister’s push for numeracy rings hollow as his government persists in ignoring the numbers

If last year taught us anything, it's that anything can happen in politics

But above all, we need politicians to be prepared to explain to the public that defence is important and is not just for diplomats and think-tanks

The Taoiseach’s admission about Brexit errors is not the climbdown they think it is

A new poll should concern Keir Starmer as much as Rishi Sunak

The mythology of the Glencoe massacre endures to this day. It would take historians and spin doctors far greater than I to erase this

This week's gossip and scandals in Westminster and the media brought to you by MANDRAKE

Stop smirking, Jeremy Hunt! And do anything you can to avoid needing the NHS, Steve Barclay…

Rishi Sunak is leading a broken government blind to their errors

Charity shops are for the most part either full of dismal tat; or, are like Oxfam’s specialist bookshops: stocked with the crème of the haute bourgeoisie’s discarded… crème

There was something inherently British about Ngozi Fulani and Lady Hussey's reconciliation

Jacob Rees-Mogg isn’t what he seems

Christmas will be along soon. Celebrate it with this brilliant venison Welly recipe

Boris Johnson - the man who brought himself down not once, but twice

Brussels is gripped by fears that Qatargate might expand, with populists and Putin ready to capitalise

From Westminster and European parliament to film and TV, test your knowledge with our fiendishly tricky quiz of the year

This is achievable. However, it will take an effort which seems alien to those in public life

England may do better in the future if their fans and media stopped going into every tournament fixated on the past. As is often the case, attitudes need to change

There isn’t a member of the cast who isn’t firing on all cylinders but, at two-and-a-half-hours, this portrayal of telesales women feels much too long

The play divides critics, but this production will convert any punters

The former prime minister is plotting his return to power after May's local elections

Leaving the EU has left the wine import/export business with a shocking hangover

A backlash against looking perfect on social media has led to “goblin mode” becoming the word of the year