The Latest Breaking News from Martin Kettle

We need to rethink the purpose and potential of prisons

Letters: Readers respond to an article by Martin Kettle on how the overcrowding crisis has outlasted successive governments

The Guardian - UK · Aug 14, 2025

Nicola Sturgeon’s immense political talent is undeniable. The nationalism was the problem

Many of her admirers gloss over her desire to break up the UK as Scotland’s first minister. But in her memoir, it plays a starring role, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Aug 14, 2025

Government is a living organism, not a machine

Letters: A senior civil servant and Hazel Jones respond to a column by Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Aug 13, 2025

For all the errors and crises, the blight on Starmer’s first year is still the lack of vision

Prime ministers have recovered from bad starts. But unless Starmer can articulate an idea of the Britain he wants, the public – and his party – may desert him, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Jul 3, 2025

Without dignity, leaders fell at Trump’s feet in The Hague – and for what? All Nato’s key problems remain

The relationship with him is still volatile, the Ukraine strategy still unclear and Europe needs to ensure its collective defence, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Jun 26, 2025

Easy regime change in Tehran is a nice idea. But look to history: it’s a near-impossible one

No one doubts the malignity of the Iranian government, but if we forget the tragedies of interventions past, we’ll make the same mistakes, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Jun 19, 2025

Rachel Reeves seized her moment – whatever the future brings, Labour’s economic course is now set

The chancellor is no mere technocrat: her spending review revealed a visceral commitment to social and economic mobility, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Jun 12, 2025

Why is defence such a hard sell? The same reason Starmer is struggling in the polls

Decades of failures have left liberal democratic governments unable to command public confidence when it really matters, writes Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · Jun 5, 2025

How the use of a word in the Guardian has gotten some readers upset

‘Got’ was changed during the editing of an opinion piece, leading to correspondence lamenting a slide into American English. But language isn’t a fortress, says the Guardian’s global readers’ editor Elisabeth Ribbans

The Guardian - UK · Jun 4, 2025

In Canada, Charles pushed the boundaries of politics as king. So far, he has got away with it

Right now, the monarch’s political leanings appear in sympathy with the mood of Britain. But what if the public moves further to the right, asks Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

The Guardian - UK · May 29, 2025