Folk on the previous thread seem to think that I should have dismissed Norman Baker’s belief that David Kelly might have been murdered so quickly. The problem is when you read through the serialisation of his book is it so littered with the most incredible conspiracy theories that he insists on treating with a seriousness
Norman Baker, the Lib Dem MP, has gained a reputation in Westminster as one of the best ferreters out of information. But his new theories about how David Kelly died appear a little far-fetched. (Anything which involves letters from people who sign themselves ‘Nemesis’ seems a little suspect to me). David Aaronvitch in The Times
One of the surprises of Gordon Brown’s premiership so far to date, is how little substantive policy there has been. Pretty much everything Brown has done has been about political positioning—putting the Tories in an awakward spot, distancing himself from Blair and the like. As Rachel Sylvester argues in the Telegraph this morning a positive
Republican Facebook? Well, an amusing parody anyway. [Hat-tip Crooked Timber]
On Thursday, when I saw that The Independent had reprinted almost word for word Foreign Office talking points without attribution or any indication to its readers that this is what it was up to, I sent in a letter to the editor. Oddly enough, it hasn’t yet been published. If the Indy is “completely unapologetic”
Nothing is going right for John Howard at the moment. Following a slight improvement in the polls last week came a poor showing against Kevin Rudd in the only debate of the Australian election campaign. Now a devastating poll has Labor with a crushing lead of 58-42%. Most worrying for the government must be the
Just out of the Lions for Lambs premiere in Leicester Square. It is the latest of Hollywood’s celluloid attacks on the White House, and a call to arms. The plot: Tom Cruise is a senator with presidential ambitions giving a reporter (Meryl Streep) an exclusive on his latest strategy in Afghanistan – ongoing as they
On Wednesday the Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo MP (pictured), will be giving evidence to the Science and Technology Select Committee. She has already provided her answers to our assumed questions via The Independent newspaper this morning. I won’t even go there with regard to how this is simply an attempt to use the media to
If I was a betting man, I’d be very tempted by the 16 to 1 available on John McCain to be the 2008 Republican nominee. McCain has had a fantastic few weeks and is steadily clawing back some of the support he lost earlier in the campaign. He is once more getting some media love—crucial
There is a long tradition of the pop intelligentsia getting involved with academe or publishing — Pete Townshend’s work as an editor for Faber being the obvious example, Jah Wobble’s labours over Blake’s poetry rather less so. Sir Paul McCartney was the driving force behind the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. The Spectator’s own Alex James
I’d like to put on record my strong support for Tony Blair as a future European President. What better way to ensure that Brown does not co-operate anymore with Brussels? Or to revive that anti-Blair feeling should Brown go to the country on the same day as the June ’09 Euro elections? But Le Monde
This morning’s Times has an interview with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan — not a bad journalistic commodity at a time when separatist Kurdish rebels killed at least 12 Turkish soldiers in an ambush near the Iraqi border and the drums of war are beating ever louder in Ankara. Curiously, The Times could only find
Even by the high standards of this government the idea that schools should have to give back 5% of any money they save to the government seems particularly half-baked. Whatever happened to Gordon’s love of prudence? Calculations by the Lib Dems indicate that up to 80% of schools in England could be affected.
Matthew d’Ancona, editor of The Spectator, writes: I am proud to welcome Melanie Phillips to Spectator.co.uk as one of our regular bloggers. The essence of The Spectator, in print and online, is distinctive voices and great writing. Melanie is one of the best and most fearless columnists in Britain today, constantly forcing us to reconsider
The Guardian this morning reveals that the election that never was cost the Labour party about £1 million with poster sites being pre-booked, staff hired and election communications printed. By contrast, the Tories are thought to have spent only about a fifth of this amount. One anecdote concerning Martin Linton is particularly cruel: “Martin Linton,
Mike Crowley has a jolly piece* in the new issue of The New Republic in which he gallantly makes the case for Fred Thompson. Or rather, strictly speaking, suggests that it’s wrong to pick on Thompson’s laziness (there being, after all, many other, better, reasons to be suspicious of Thompson’s potemkin candidacy). Still, candidates are
Coffee House’s scoop about how The Independent reprinted in its pages a Foreign Office talking points on the EU Treaty with only the most minor of changes and without attribution is making waves. There is, as Neil O’Brien argued in his original post, something deeply disturbing about a newspaper reproducing the government line yet presenting it to
John Howard and Kevin Rudd went head-to-head tonight in the only leader’s debate of the Australian election. Most commentators are giving it to Rudd. His opening was upbeat, talking about the future and the need for new leadership. Howard’s opening was strange: instead of outlining what he is going to do if he is re-elected
Anyone who thinks that our abortion laws–or to be more precise, how they are interpreted—don’t need looking at should read this article from The Sunday Times. Here’s how it starts: “More than 50 babies with club feet were aborted in just one area of England in a three-year period, according to new statistics. Thirty-seven babies
Does politics imitate rugby? I just heard Martin Corry on Sky saying how England pulled itself together midway through the tournament. Heading for defeat, the players brainstormed with the coach, had what Nick Easter called a “clear the air meeting” changed their style, and at the last minute found their strengths and got to the