Opinion-and-ideas

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Mary Jordan
‘I want to show the audience my life’: Melania Trump’s biographer gives her verdict on the biopic

Mon 2 Feb 2026

‘I want to show the audience my life’: Melania Trump’s biographer gives her verdict on the biopic
Aisling Flaherty
‘I saw the Melania film four times on opening day. Did anyone else?’

Mon 2 Feb 2026

‘I saw the Melania film four times on opening day. Did anyone else?’
The Observer view
The Lords are defying democracy

Sun 1 Feb 2026

The Lords are defying democracy
Siri Hustvedt
In my home state of Minnesota, neighbours are standing strong against ICE

Sun 1 Feb 2026

In my home state of Minnesota, neighbours are standing strong against ICE
Marie Le Conte
The Melania film? As insightful as ‘train go choo-choo’

Sat 31 Jan 2026

The Melania film? As insightful as ‘train go choo-choo’
Xavier Greenwood
An Englishman in New York learns to avoid the yellow ice

Sat 31 Jan 2026

An Englishman in New York learns to avoid the yellow ice
David Sedaris
The Crossing Guard

Sat 31 Jan 2026

The Crossing Guard
Martha Gill
It’s tragic that some women can’t conceive, but surrogacy is too risky an answer

Wed 28 Jan 2026

It’s tragic that some women can’t conceive, but surrogacy is too risky an answer
Heidi Thomas
Measles is back. We need herd immunity, not herd instinct

Tue 27 Jan 2026

Measles is back. We need herd immunity, not herd instinct
Philippe Petit
Scaling skyscrapers is a celebration of life

Sun 25 Jan 2026

Scaling skyscrapers is a celebration of life
Megan Nolan
Thank goodness for the Beckhams’ Freudian melodrama

Sun 25 Jan 2026

Thank goodness for the Beckhams’ Freudian melodrama
The Observer Leader
Business leaders must speak up on Donald Trump

Sun 25 Jan 2026

Business leaders must speak up on Donald Trump
Matthew Bishop
Who’s the daddy? A Davos diary

Thu 22 Jan 2026

Who’s the daddy? A Davos diary
Andrew Rawnsley
Starmer dodges a bullet, but the worst may be yet to come

Wed 21 Jan 2026

Starmer dodges a bullet, but the worst may be yet to come
Anonymous
I’m estranged from my parents – I know how Brooklyn Beckham feels

Tue 20 Jan 2026

I’m estranged from my parents – I know how Brooklyn Beckham feels
Giles Whittell
Fake news: the Greenland emergency is an elaborate confection

Mon 19 Jan 2026

Fake news: the Greenland emergency is an elaborate confection
The Observer view
Iran’s theocracy could have chosen humanity, but it chose murder

Sun 18 Jan 2026

Iran’s theocracy could have chosen humanity, but it chose murder
Vanessa Thorpe
Lost in translation at the Jaipur literature festival

Sun 18 Jan 2026

Lost in translation at the Jaipur literature festival
Will Hutton
Reeves v the OBR: what really happened

Sat 17 Jan 2026

Reeves v the OBR: what really happened
James Tapper
The likely impact of Maduro’s seizure on the global cocaine trade: none

Tue 13 Jan 2026

The likely impact of Maduro’s seizure on the global cocaine trade: none
Rob Macaire
With a unifying leader, Iran’s protests could become a revolution

Mon 12 Jan 2026

With a unifying leader, Iran’s protests could become a revolution
Melanie Reid
A cold childhood casts a long shadow

Mon 12 Jan 2026

A cold childhood casts a long shadow
Philip Collins
Pensioners have been cushioned for too long. It’s time for Labour to get off the sofa on welfare

Sun 11 Jan 2026

Pensioners have been cushioned for too long. It’s time for Labour to get off the sofa on welfare
John Kampfner
Time for Europe to find the courage to face new realities

Sun 11 Jan 2026

Time for Europe to find the courage to face new realities
Jack Straw
Iran’s uprising may succeed, but there will be no uplands of democracy for a long time

Sun 11 Jan 2026

Iran’s uprising may succeed, but there will be no uplands of democracy for a long time
Philippe Sands
Trump’s actions are illegal – but his greed may hold him in check

Sun 11 Jan 2026

Trump’s actions are illegal – but his greed may hold him in check
The Observer view
The real special relationship

Sun 11 Jan 2026

The real special relationship
Mark Malloch Brown
The UN must step up as a multilateral force again, or bow to Trump’s world order

Fri 9 Jan 2026

The UN must step up as a multilateral force again, or bow to Trump’s world order
David Barnett
‘After the first round of chemo, I was chipper … then I hated it with a vengeance’

Fri 9 Jan 2026

‘After the first round of chemo, I was chipper … then I hated it with a vengeance’
Gordon Corera
For spies, Venezuela signals a new world

Wed 7 Jan 2026

For spies, Venezuela signals a new world
Giles Whittell
How many snowmen can you make from Storm Goretti?

Tue 6 Jan 2026

How many snowmen can you make from Storm Goretti?
The Observer leader
Might is not right

Sat 3 Jan 2026

Might is not right
Jack Straw
‘Zack Polanski’s migration policies aren’t naive – they’re dangerously misleading’

Sat 3 Jan 2026

‘Zack Polanski’s migration policies aren’t naive – they’re dangerously misleading’
Paul Hayward
The death of two of Anthony Joshua’s inner circle is a body blow

Sat 3 Jan 2026

The death of two of Anthony Joshua’s inner circle is a body blow
Andrei Soldatov
Russian people are numb to the deaths of their fathers and sons in Ukraine

Fri 2 Jan 2026

Russian people are numb to the deaths of their fathers and sons in Ukraine
Martha Gill
Royal Mail’s efforts to address its logistics problem have arrived too late

Thu 1 Jan 2026

Royal Mail’s efforts to address its logistics problem have arrived too late
Katherine Pangonis
Brigitte Bardot was no simple heroine

Tue 30 Dec 2025

Brigitte Bardot was no simple heroine
Martha Gill
Libraries are essential to help us navigate the world

Sun 28 Dec 2025

Libraries are essential to help us navigate the world
The Observer view
Britain cannot afford Reform

Sun 28 Dec 2025

Britain cannot afford Reform
Philip Collins
Starmer is a PM without a cause – he needs an epiphany

Sat 27 Dec 2025

Starmer is a PM without a cause – he needs an epiphany
Lucy Winkett
Hands off our Christmas, Tommy Robinson

Mon 22 Dec 2025

Hands off our Christmas, Tommy Robinson
Michael Rosen
My Eddie, a vision on a sleigh: a story of grief for Christmas

Sun 21 Dec 2025

My Eddie, a vision on a sleigh: a story of grief for Christmas
The Observer
The return of Erasmus brings glad tidings

Sun 21 Dec 2025

The return of Erasmus brings glad tidings
Alex O’Connell
I’m in earnest about festive fun, but Stephen Fry’s Lady Bracknell overcooked the ham

Sun 21 Dec 2025

I’m in earnest about festive fun, but Stephen Fry’s Lady Bracknell overcooked the ham
Sarah Manavis
Dare to dream that we have reached peak tweakment

Wed 17 Dec 2025

Dare to dream that we have reached peak tweakment
Erica Wagner
Erica Wagner: At Hanukah, we must keep calling in the light

Tue 16 Dec 2025

Erica Wagner: At Hanukah, we must keep calling in the light
Avraham Burg
Avraham Burg: Bondi shooting marks a zeitgeist of global hatred

Mon 15 Dec 2025

Avraham Burg: Bondi shooting marks a zeitgeist of global hatred
Jonathan Wittenberg
It happened thousands of miles away but the horror reaches home

Mon 15 Dec 2025

It happened thousands of miles away but the horror reaches home
Jonathan Wittenberg
This Hanukah, reflect that both hope and light travel

Sun 14 Dec 2025

This Hanukah, reflect that both hope and light travel
The Observer leader
Britain needs an Australian-style social media ban

Sun 14 Dec 2025

Britain needs an Australian-style social media ban
Erica Wagner
An endearing new production of Into The Woods brings a tear to the eye

Sat 13 Dec 2025

An endearing new production of Into The Woods brings a tear to the eye
Jon Hill
Dear Maga, there’s no such thing as a woke font

Fri 12 Dec 2025

Dear Maga, there’s no such thing as a woke font
Martha Gill
How the great British car-sharing experiment lost its Zip

Wed 10 Dec 2025

How the great British car-sharing experiment lost its Zip
Lily Isaacs
Sorry, Keir – when it comes to TikTok, you’re all at sixes and sevens

Wed 10 Dec 2025

Sorry, Keir – when it comes to TikTok, you’re all at sixes and sevens
The Observer leader
Putin is laughing at Europe

Sun 7 Dec 2025

Putin is laughing at Europe
Tom Baldwin
Starmer needs to stop sweating the small stuff and be bold on Europe

Sun 7 Dec 2025

Starmer needs to stop sweating the small stuff and be bold on Europe
Phillippe Sands
Do we dare read Sally Rooney… or is that, too, an act of terror?

Sun 7 Dec 2025

Do we dare read Sally Rooney… or is that, too, an act of terror?
Simon Finkelstein
Don’t blame the OBR for the failures of politicians

Thu 4 Dec 2025

Don’t blame the OBR for the failures of politicians
Martha Gill
Champagne! Private members’ clubs celebrate fresh success

Wed 3 Dec 2025

Champagne! Private members’ clubs celebrate fresh success
Melanie Reid
No more BMWs for the disabled. We don’t get to be middle class

Wed 3 Dec 2025

No more BMWs for the disabled. We don’t get to be middle class
Prof Hashim Ahmed
Screening for prostate cancer would do more harm than good

Mon 1 Dec 2025

Screening for prostate cancer would do more harm than good
Hermione Lee
Tom Stoppard was a conscience to us all

Sun 30 Nov 2025

Tom Stoppard was a conscience to us all
Jonathan Wittenberg
We need more faith in our power to confront the climate crisis

Sun 30 Nov 2025

We need more faith in our power to confront the climate crisis
The Observer leader
The Observer view on the budget: Trust and the Treasury

Sun 30 Nov 2025

The Observer view on the budget: Trust and the Treasury
Steve Bloomfield
Modi holds Putin close, but he will make up with Trump

Sun 30 Nov 2025

Modi holds Putin close, but he will make up with Trump
David Hare
‘Tom Stoppard redefined Britishness as something freedom-loving’

Sat 29 Nov 2025

‘Tom Stoppard redefined Britishness as something freedom-loving’
Erica Wagner
We may see the world we have lived in through the bright lens of Stoppard’s gaze

Sat 29 Nov 2025

We may see the world we have lived in through the bright lens of Stoppard’s gaze
Richard Eyre
‘Knowledge and art weren’t negotiable commodities for him’

Sat 29 Nov 2025

‘Knowledge and art weren’t negotiable commodities for him’
Sam Freedman
Labour’s holiday homework: solve the problem of special needs education

Sat 29 Nov 2025

Labour’s holiday homework: solve the problem of special needs education
Rowan Pelling
RFK Jr’s sex poetry may raise a smile but no one’s libido

Fri 28 Nov 2025

RFK Jr’s sex poetry may raise a smile but no one’s libido
Xavier Greenwood
The hidden dangers of X marking the spot

Fri 28 Nov 2025

The hidden dangers of X marking the spot
James Harding
Introducing the new Observer digital subscription

Thu 27 Nov 2025

Introducing the new Observer digital subscription
David Barnett
‘He suggested we go to a quiet room to talk. I knew that was not good news’

Wed 26 Nov 2025

‘He suggested we go to a quiet room to talk. I knew that was not good news’
Martha Gill
Maternity care is in decline, despite lower birth rates

Wed 26 Nov 2025

Maternity care is in decline, despite lower birth rates
Kate Maltby
Films still sell myths about sex work

Tue 25 Nov 2025

Films still sell myths about sex work
Rutger Bregman
Big tech has our attention and now it wants our affection. We must resist

Sun 23 Nov 2025

Big tech has our attention and now it wants our affection. We must resist
The Observer leader
The Covid inquiry has unmasked the failings of Johnson’s government

Sun 23 Nov 2025

The Covid inquiry has unmasked the failings of Johnson’s government
Martha Gill
The Freemasons are on a PR drive. It’s a sign of panic

Wed 19 Nov 2025

The Freemasons are on a PR drive. It’s a sign of panic
David Miliband
We must fight for democracy in a dangerous world

Sun 16 Nov 2025

We must fight for democracy in a dangerous world

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