National Trust members: get ready to choke on your carrot cake - August 2022 The Observer - By Stewart Lee - August 21st, 2022

Both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak are currently promoting the benefits of the deregulated “special economic zones” known as freeports, despite evidence that they encourage organised crime, money-laundering, drug-trafficking and terrorist finance, though admittedly the first three of these supposed problems appear to be common leisure activities for most Tory MPs. I’m here all week!…

The Tories’ culture war – what is it good for? - August 2022 The Observer - By Stewart Lee - August 14th, 2022

It’s no secret now that the Tories want to destroy the arts in Britain, penalise their practitioners and discourage those who would dare to dream of studying them, irrespective of the minimal financial reward. And the Tories are doing this either through ignorance, a simple failure to understand that the arts have a value beyond…

How much Brexit bull can a proud Brummie take? - August 2022 The Observer - By Stewart Lee - August 7th, 2022

The admirable Brighton art rock band British Sea Power are now known simply as Sea Power, “due to a rise in a certain kind of nationalism in this world – an isolationist, antagonistic nationalism that we don’t want to run any risk of being confused with”. Rumour suggests that the British Cheese Board, the official…

Praise be to Mick Lynch, the Brexit arse made good - July 2022 The Observer - By Stewart Lee - July 31st, 2022

It is Wednesday night and I am camping near a West Country gastropub, to snaffle its wild boar wares. But though the unacknowledged pre-Raphaelite triptych in the local church still shimmers secretly in the shadows, the inn once so welcoming is closed, except for weekends, due to staff shortages, doubtless off the back of Brexit.…

Tory death-priests have our lives in their hands - July 2022 The Observer - By Stewart Lee - July 24th, 2022

“Dear Jim’ll. Please can you fix it for me to a) Go all upside down in a Typhoon plane like in Top Gun; b) Go in parliament drunk with my best friend Nadine and shout “boring” at the square politicians; c) Have a massive party with all food in a massive stately home for free;…

Boris Johnson and a robot from Abba? Someone put out an SOS… - July 2022 The Observer - By Stewart Lee - July 17th, 2022

A dead ant has more dignity than Boris Johnson. In north London, the day that Johnson inconclusively resigned was also Flying Ant Day, when thousands of frenzied male ants, and a few new queens, fly the nest to mate. The males are largely useless and, after spaffing, expire on the pavements and die. But unlike…