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Philip Stephens is a commentator and author. He is Associate Editor of the Financial Times where as chief political commentator he writes twice-weekly columns on global and British affairs. He travels widely in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the US.
He is a director of the Ditchley Foundation for the furtherance of transatlantic understanding, a Fulbright fellow and is on the board of the Franco-British Colloque. He is a regular contributor to political and foreign affairs journals and radio and television news and current affairs programmes. He was named Political Journalist of the Year in the 2008 British Press Awards.
He joined the Financial Times in 1983 after working as a correspondent for Reuters in Brussels and has been the FT’s Economics Editor, Political Editor and Editor of the UK edition. He is the author of Politics and the Pound (MacMillan), a study of the British government’s relations with Europe since 1979, and of Tony Blair (Viking/Politico’s), a biography of the former British prime minister.
He was educated at Wimbledon College and at Oxford university, where he took an honours degree in modern history. He was winner of the 2002 David Watt Prize for outstanding political journalism. He was named in 2005 as Political Journalist of the Year by the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom, representing political scientists throughout Britain. Philip Stephens lives in London with his family. - -
Relax, Mr President. There’s no need to rush
For Obama’s critics on the right, diplomacy and engagement have become synonyms for vacillation and weakness. He should stand firm: many of the problems he faces, foreign policy in particular, will not be harmed by leaving some time to consider them, writes Philip Stephens
Pay parliamentarians the rate for the job
The uproar about MPs’ expenses threatens more serious damage than holding up the nation to ridicule. It promises to rob politics of the people it needs, writes Philip Stephens
The future or the museum? Europe’s moment of choice
The debate about who should be chosen as the first president of the European Council has become a proxy for this more fundamental choice. Economic power is now shifting eastwards on a scale and at a speed beyond our previous experience, writes Philip Stephens
Storms lie ahead for politics’ odd couple
Mervyn King and George Osborne are united in condemnation of the government’s handling of the financial crisis. For now, the relationship works to mutual advantage. It may not always be so
Turkey turns east as Europe clings to past
The country, frustrated at the efforts of certain EU leaders to prevent its accession to the bloc, is assuming a role in line with its status as a fast-rising power at the strategic crossroads of east and west, writes Philip Stephens
A five-step programme to save the BBC
In a spirit of constructive criticism, here is a plan that might persuade the politicians that Britain still needs a vibrant, albeit rather slimmer, BBC, writes Philip Stephens
Bankers, bonuses and the market: plus ça change
As the financial crash fades in the memory, the question is how long its repercussions will continue to affect the world. The answer should be obvious, writes Philip Stephens. Everything has changed; and nothing has changed
Enough of the politics of pessimism
For all its troubles, the Britain of my experience does not seem to be sliding into economic and social chaos writes Philip Stephens
Little Englanders are of little use to America
David Cameron should not expect open arms in Washington if opposition to the Lisbon treaty leads to a rupture with Europe, writes Philip Stephens
Europe loses its Lisbon hiding place
Lisbon has provided governments with an alibi. As long as they were arguing about majority voting or the size of the Commission, they could sidestep the issues of substance pressing down on the Union, writes Philip Stephens. But Europe cannot escape the existential choice of the coming decade
