Spectator Blogs

JFK: The Worst President of the Twentieth Century?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:21:51 +0000

Who was the most reprehensible US President in the twentieth century? That's a tough question, though not one related to policy, political preferences or job performances. I mean instead: who was the nastiest piece of work to occupy the White House at any point during the last century. There are, I think, five contenders: Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, John F Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson and Richard Nixon.

Mimi Alford's new memoir, relating how she had an affair with JFK while working in a junior role at "Camelot" offers more form proving that the drug-wracked, priapic Kennedy is a]]>

Snow? What snow?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:34:46 +0000

It’s not snowing again. This is the fourth day running it’s not snowing again and I live in one of the most ‘badly affected’ areas south of the Wash. By badly affected I mean that all of the roads, even the single track lanes on top of a hill where I live, are entirely free from snow. It snowed for one evening only and left five inches or so on the fields; some of this has melted, some is still there. Just about enough to tell yourself that it had definitely snowed.

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Our enemy's enemy

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:20:58 +0000

It’s unusual for The Guardian and The Spectator to agree on anything, but Seamus Milne and our own John R Bradley are sceptical about these Syrian rebels whom we’re being invited to support. Bradley was alone in predicting the Egyptian revolution, and argues in today’s magazine that the conventional wisdom is once again wrong. Who’s backing the rebels? The Qataris, keen to depose the last secular regime in the Arab world. And the Saudis and Israelis, whose hatred of Iran eclipses all other considerations: this isn’t about the Syrian people,]]>

Scottish Labour Embrace the Logic of Independence

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:51:49 +0000

One of the problems with the Scottish parliament is that all gathered there must pretend it is more influential and vital than it really is. In fact, as has been observed often enough, it has few powers that were not previously available to the Secretary of State for Scotland. What the parliament did, then, among other things, was establish a clear and plainly Scottish link between the electorate and the people charged with those responsibilities.

Now the parliament is here there is a tendency to argue about, for example, the annual budget as though the Finance Minister at Holyrood is]]>

Size Matters: Dysfunctional Government Edition

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:57:09 +0000

Via Andrew, Francis Fukuyama has a new gig at Stanford University running a Governance Project. Introducing it, he lobs a hand grenade at one aspect of American Exceptionalism:

I would argue that the quality of governance in the US tends to be low precisely because of a continuing tradition of Jacksonian populism. Americans with their democratic roots generally do not trust elite bureaucrats to the extent that the French, Germans, British, or Japanese have in years past. This distrust leads to micromanagement by Congress through proliferating rules and complex, self-contradictory legislative mandates which make poor quality

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The BIS select committee makes its presence felt

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:48:34 +0000

We will soon find out whether the coalition meant what it said about empowering parliament. The BIS select committee has rejected the government’s preferred candidate for the post of the head of the Office of Fair Access. The committee concluded that it was ‘unable to endorse the appointment of Professor Ebdon as the Director of OFFA and we recommend that the Department conduct a new recruitment exercise.’

But Vince Cable, the business secretary, is said to be keen to override the committee’s verdict. Number 10, which has never been keen]]>

Passed over

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:37:25 +0000

The thirty ministers of state in this coalition could be forgiven for feeling a bit unloved. They are notionally the most senior members of the government after the Cabinet. But every time there has been a Cabinet vacancy, they have been passed over. The three Cabinet positions that have become available have gone to a backbencher and two parliamentary under secretaries respectively.

Judging from the talk around Westminster, Cameron and Clegg’s respective decisions to bypass the ministers of state has left them feeling a bit sore and rather nervous about the reshuffle,]]>

Brits sceptical of Syria intervention

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:09:42 +0000

Britain’s response to Syria so far has been uncertain and cautious. A YouGov poll today suggests that the public is keen for this hands-off approach to continue.

When presented several possible offences, the public responds with almost universal disapproval. A measly 9 per cent would support sending in British and allied troops to overthrow President al-Assad. Only 16 per cent would support providing arms to the rebels and 18 per cent support sending in troops to protect civilians.

The only modicum of support is for the proposed no-fly]]>

In PMQs, Cameron plays for a draw on the NHS

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:58:25 +0000

How much does it cost to change a light bulb? Three hundred quid, said David Cameron at PMQs today. Ed Miliband came to the House eager to pile more pressure on the PM and his unloved NHS restructuring plan. Cameron fought back by citing the health bungles Labour presided over while in office. Billions wasted on kaput computers. Hundreds of millions blown on phantom operations. And dead light bulbs that cost more to replace than a week’s holiday in Spain.

Cameron’s tactics were better than in previous weeks. Rather than citing some]]>