The Spectator opinion piece, on UK Politics, 15 November 2026
We do not republish articles from The Spectator. Our findings are below, each quoting the words it is about. Read the full article on the outlet's own site.
Read the original article on spectator.com (opens in a new tab)Melanie McDonagh argues in a Spectator column that a staggered age of consent would be too complicated to enforce, and she proposes a single age of 17. She reports the allegations against David Walliams as allegations and gives his denial. Nothing in the piece misleads its reader on the grounds that apply to opinion writing.
Opinion piece: read for false claims of fact and for fairness to the people it names, not for its opinions.
“who is alleged to have preyed on 15-year-old girls”
The column attributes the allegations against Walliams rather than stating them as fact, which matches the Spectator's own earlier report and the Guardian's coverage.
“He denies any wrongdoing.”
It gives the named man's denial straight after the allegation, so a reader does not take an unproven charge as settled.
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