How columnists (rather than journalists) write about politics
What is it about?
This article is about the forms of writing in newspapers which exist alongside news reporting, particularly 'colour' writing which adds entertaining, emotional or rhetorical elements (or any combination of these) and probably engages in argument. Typically, writers who provide this kind of copy are called columnists. Not all columnists write about politics (some write about food, gardening, movies and other lifestyle subjects). This article relates to columns which are about politics/society.
Why is it important?
The article is important because alongside other work it can shed light on the attitudes values and emotions that are brought to bear in thinking about politics nationally. Such attitudes values and emotions are harder to detect in news reportage. Attitudes values and emotions in column writing depict aspects of the wider political culture in a given country (the UK in this case).