Tree of life

Breaking point

Barrels of ink have been spilled on what Brexit could

Letters

Gaby Hinsliff‘s article (“Why all sides are losing

Parties over

The Independent Group might lack shape and specific ideas. But it is already shaking things up—and might continue to do so because the old political tribes have been losing cohesion for decades

The leading man

The speaker’s chair has become the crucible for the whole Brexit constitutional crisis. And John Bercow is loving it, says James Graham

Worryingly Troubled Organisation

Hard Brexit enthusiasts hold up the WTO as the ultimate insurance policy for Britain. But the body itself is in serious trouble which could jeopardise its very survival

The Stanford prison experiment shaped our understanding of evil. It led us badly astray

The Stanford prison experiment shaped our understanding

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Manchester has a housing boom and a homelessness crisis at the same time—and it has George Osborne to thank for both

The true cause of Labour’s schism— Corbyn rejects the Atlantic alliance

The true cause of Labour’s schism— Corbyn rejects the

In France we envied British political stability—but no more

In France we envied British political stability—but

Referendums versus parliament: when votes collide

Every society, even the most primitive, has laws and

Queens of all our hearts—why monarchs light up our screens

Queens of all our hearts—why monarchs light up our

Uprisings, a state of emergency and the long shadow of history

Uprisings, a state of emergency and the long shadow

True crime

Rising off ending in perspective

Are private schools a blight on English society?

YES Most private schools are good, often excellent:

How Brexit broke the BBC

The inside story of how our national broadcaster has tried—and sometimes failed—to cover the political crisis that overshadows everything else

The price of everything

Far from leading to better results, cost-benefit analysis too often provides a bogus rationale for bad decisions, says John Kay

Bridge between worlds

Translated fiction now sells better than English fiction. It’s time to celebrate the linguistic detectives who make it all possible, says Miranda France

Machine Mozarts

Artists and musicians beware—AI has got much further than you might think, discovers Philip Ball

Adventures of spider-woman

Only recognised late in life, Louise Bourgeois produced powerful, predatory art about the female experience, says Emma Crichton-Miller

Late reading with Clive James

Even a terrific new translation of Homer nods, finds Clive James. Plus a zinging Tchaikovsky

Books in brief

Beyond Brexit: Towards a British Constitution by Vernon

Recommends

It was not licentiousness, the 15th-century humanist

Grand passions

Growing up, I always felt vaguely cheated on the grandparent

The selfish team

There’s an old joke that sometimes gets attributed

Emperor Donald

For classicists, the times we live in have given rise

I guess I do?

My husband Erwyn and I have just celebrated our 10th

How can we secure the future?

Save today, to live tomorrow. The basic idea with pensions

Pensions that people can trust

Wouldn’t it be great if you could see all your pension

Economics and investment

The analyst: Duncan Weldon Associate Economics Editor

Events

The Prospect Book Club meets every third Monday of

The generalist by Didymus

1 Suite for piano by Ravel: each of its six movements

Enigmas & puzzles

In the village of Little Point, there are six houses

Gina Miller

The mass suicide and murder of cult followers of the