Nearly two decades after leaving office, the former PM is still trumpeting the same futile militarism and failed free market dogmas. The question naturally arises: why does anyone still listen to him, says ANDREW MURRAY
OVER the weekend it emerged that private schools, not content with the advantages already gained by smaller class sizes and access to the technology and facilities afforded by fees, endowments and tax breaks, “gamed” Covid rules to give their pupils more top A-levels.
Schools “at least doubled the proportion of A*s handed out to their A-level pupils last year compared with 2019,” according to research done by The Times.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson took to Twitter to play pin the blame on the Tories: “The Tories’ chaotic failure to prepare saw grades soar in top private schools.”
STEPHEN ARNELL wonders at the family resemblance between former prince Andrew and his great-uncle ‘Dickie’
While Spode quit politics after inheriting an earldom, Farage combines MP duties with selling columns, gin, and even video messages — proving reality produces more shameless characters than PG Wodehouse imagined, writes STEPHEN ARNELL


