The situation in Burma

The news that food aid to Burma has had to be suspended because the military junta that rules the country has seized it for its own purposes is as depressing as it is predictable. Considering that one and a half million survivors of the cyclone are in dire need of assistance, the consequences of this are appalling. The situation in Burma is a reminder of why Amartya Sen was right to argue that only democracy guarantees that the best interests of the citizenry is the state’s paramount concern.

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The Spectator 180th anniversary party

The champagne was flowing freely at this week’s party in celebration of the The Spectator’s 180th anniversary.  We've just put up exclusive footage of the bash on a special corner of the website - www.spectator.co.uk/party.  Check it out for red carpet access, celebrity interviews and all the happenings from behind-the-scenes.

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A couple of clarifications

Hugo Rifkind today picks up on a point in my Cameron interview where I describe how he has the ring tone from 24 on his phone. "'It's an in joke,' Cameron says, impenetrably". If this sounds baffling, it is my fault. First it's not the theme tune but that very specific telephone ring on the CTU, with which aficionados will be familiar. Also, it's not just Cameron but a few of his staff who have the ringtone. Anyone who has seen 24 where Jack Bauer is seconds away from death or...

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More bad news for Gordon...

...yet another data scandal. 

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America looks to Cameron

You know an Opposition leader’s doing well when he makes waves across the pond. And – if an important article in today’s New York Times is anything to go by – Cameron’s succeeding on exactly that front. It’s titled ‘The Conservative Revival’, and outlines what the GOP can learn from Project Cameron. Here’s a hefty assortment of the key points, but I’d suggest you read the whole thing:

"Today, British conservatives are on the way up, while American conservatives are on the way down…

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