The Spectator 2010

Hogmanay is still a couple of days away, but it’s proving to be a very happy old year for us at 22 Old Queen St. The Spectator just been named political magazine of 2009 by readers of Iain Dale’s blog. Normally, we’d maintain a bashful silence: but I’d like to say a quick thanks to anyone out there who voted for us. Matthew Parris and myself also picked up gongs in the political writer category, and that other chap lurking around the building, Andrew Neil, was named broadcaster of the year, and This Week was voted no.2 political programme of the year.

My question: how do we make The Spectator magazine (rather than Coffee House) even better in 2010? What names would you like to see doing the Diary? We have Conrad Black doing the new year issue from his prison cell in Florida, and PD James later in the month – but who else? What kind of themes would you like us to be exploring? Who would you like us to interview? All suggestions welcome.

UPDATE: Some great thoughts; please keep ‘em coming! To the many of you who say Mark Steyn, please: it’s not like I haven’t tried. But he has hit the big time in America and The Spectator’s budget is pretty meagre (as our contributors will attest). I have told him how much he’s admired – by myself and, much more importantly, by our readers – and hopefully we can persuade him next year. When journalists of the calibre of Charles Moore and Matthew Parris (to name but two) write for us, it isn’t for the cash. Paul Johnson is writing for us now and, again, every word a gem. I hope he’ll be able to do more.