Rod Liddle's latest written by computer (4)
I believe the answer is:
mace
'rod' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'liddle's latest written by computer' is the wordplay.
'latest' suggests the final letters.
'written by' says to put letters next to each other.
'computer' becomes 'Mac' (Apple Mac computer).
The last letter of 'liddle' is 'e'.
'e' after 'mac' is 'MACE'.
(Other definitions for mace that I've seen before include "Medieval weapon or kind of spice" , "Came to get ancient weapon" , "Staff of office and a spice" , "Spice; heavy club" , "Tear gas - spice" .)