Politics Archives

Sunday

8 Sep 2024

The remarkable success of the Allied occupation of Germany

‘We came as adversaries, we stayed as allies, and we leave as friends,’ British prime minister John Major told crowds in Berlin on 8 September 1994, thirty years ago today. The last 200 British, American and French soldiers withdrew from Berlin that day, leaving the city without a foreign military presence for the first time since the Second World War. This was supposed to be the end of history. In reality, a new chapter had already begun. The presence of the Western Allies in post-war Germany is still remembered fondly today. There are events marking the 30th anniversary of their departure, and many traces of their occupation remain. Take the

Freddy Gray

No, Joe Biden is not a latter-day George Washington

George Clooney this week praised Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 election as ‘the most selfless thing that anybody has done since George Washington’. We heard this idea echoing throughout Democratic circles even before Biden stood down in late July – that he was nobly standing aside, in the manner of America’s first president, relinquishing power to save democracy for the greater good. Step forward the 21st century answer to John Adams: Kamala Harris. It’s all such obvious rubbish. George Washington wanted to retire (for the third time) to Mount Vernon after his first term but was persuaded to run again in 1792 by Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and

David Cohen

How does New Zealand solve a problem like China?

New Zealand’s most important trading partner is also the nation’s biggest security headache, according to a new risk-assessment report produced by the country’s security intelligence service, or SIS. The government agency sees espionage activities orchestrated by Beijing as a ‘complex intelligence concern’ for a country that has become highly dependent on China for its economic health. The baleful assessment appears in the SIS’s latest annual security threat environment report. While the 48-page briefing highlights a raft of other related issues such as Moscow meddling in the lives of Russian-born New Zealand residents or else officially banning local journalists (including this writer) from travelling to the Russian Federation, a lion’s share of

Alexander Kolyandr

The sneaky way that Russia is still evading western sanctions

The leaders of the European Union can give themselves a pat on the back. They have, on the face of it, delivered on a promise made following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to end the export of European goods, machinery and parts critical to Russia’s war effort. Yet things are not quite as straightforward as they seem. Exports from the bloc to Russia in June plummeted to a mere €2.4 billion (£2 billion) – a third of the €7.5 billion (£6.3 billion) shipped during the last peacetime June of 2021 before the war, according to data from the EU’s statistical body Eurostat. The figure for June this year is the lowest

Iain Macwhirter

Why the SNP keeps failing in its war on child poverty

The poor are always with us, Jesus said, and that has never been more true than in Scotland over the past 25 years. One in four children is still languishing in poverty, according to the Scottish government’s own statistics. This ratio never seems to change, whoever is in power and however much is spent on it. First Minister John Swinney recommitted himself to the Quixotic objective of eradicating poverty in his programme for government this week. He said ending child poverty will be the ‘single greatest priority’ of his government – just as it was for Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon and all first ministers since the dawn of devolution. The only certainty is that he will fail – even though

Ian O’Doherty

Enoch Burke is no free speech martyr

This week, when he was returned to Dublin’s Mountjoy jail for the third time in two years, Irish schoolteacher Enoch Burke was hailed by his many supporters as a martyr for free speech. He was, according to some, a very modern victim of a tyrannical ‘woke’ establishment riding roughshod over an individual’s right to religious liberty. The row between Burke, his school and the Irish state began in June 2022 when staff at Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath were instructed by the head teacher that one of their students was transitioning and wanted to be referred to as ‘they/them.’ Burke, who comes from a well-known evangelical Christian family based

Saturday

7 Sep 2024

Fraser Nelson

Coffee House Shots live: the Starmer supremacy

47 min listen

Join Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews, along with special guest Jonathan Ashworth, for a live edition of Coffee House Shots recorded earlier this week. They dissect the first few weeks of the new Labour government and look ahead to the policies autumn, and the budget, might bring. Having surprisingly lost his seat at the election, how blunt will Ashworth be? The team also answer a range of audience questions, including: how big of a welfare crisis is the government facing? Would – and should – they reform the NHS? And could the challenge Reform UK poses to traditional parties continue to grow? Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.

Sam Leith

Ian Thomson, Andrew Watts, Sam Leith, Helen Barrett and Catriona Olding

32 min listen

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Ian Thomson reflects on his childhood home following the death of his sister (1:20); Andrew Watts argues that the public see MPs as accountable for everything though they’re responsible for little (7:40); Sam Leith reveals the surprising problem of poetical copyright (13:47); Helen Barrett reviews Will Noble’s book Croydonopolis and explores the reputation of a place with unfulfilled potential (19:48); and, Catriona Olding ponders moving on from loss to love (26:09). Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Patrick O’Flynn

How Robert Jenrick stole Kemi Badenoch’s thunder

Robert Jenrick appears on course to become leader of the Conservative party within a year of resigning from ministerial office in Rishi Sunak’s administration. That is a telling indicator of how far the Conservative regimes of the last parliament had strayed from the gut instincts of the Tory tribe. Jenrick has been focused on victory for many months The Newark MP is far from home and hosed in the contest and may yet be defeated by the force of Kemi Badenoch’s political personality, or the sheer ‘nice guy’ campaigning warmth of James Cleverly. But the bookies now make him clear favourite to become Leader of the Opposition on 2 November

Arieh Kovler

America’s Russian influence media scandal is unlikely to be the last

Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, Dave Rubin and Lauren Southern aren’t household names, but they each have enormous, dedicated followings online. Their podcasts and videos all promote similar narratives: liberal values are destroying the West, Ukraine is America’s enemy, Covid vaccines are harmful and pointless and that Donald Trump, though flawed, is the United States’ last hope before it becomes a Communist murderdome ruled by trans Venezuelan drug gangs. When these influencers came together in November last year to launch Tenet Media, it didn’t make a lot of sense. Each already had their own brand and platform. How would this new media company benefit them? RT is awash with cash despite

Limor Simhony Philpott

Israelis have had enough of Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu is the great survivor of Israeli politics, but his grip on power is slipping. ‘You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.’ Abraham Lincoln’s saying applies now more than ever to Israel’s prime minister. Netanyahu’s time will surely soon be up. Netanyahu cannot escape his inevitable legacy Motivated by self-preservation, Netanyahu has desperately tried to evade responsibility for the many failures that led to Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7. In the months since, Netanyahu has done his best to block a ceasefire

Friday

6 Sep 2024

Freddy Gray

Has everyone got election fatigue?

37 min listen

Freddy Gray is joined by Bridget Phetasy, comedian and Spectator World columnist. They discuss whether everyone is suffering a bit of election, and Trump fatigue – including Trump himself. They also cover Putin trolling America, and Bridget gives her predictions for the upcoming presidential debate.

Svitlana Morenets

Inside Zelensky’s not-so-fresh reshuffle

In Ukraine, there is a joke: never waste time memorising the names of ministers – they’ll be replaced soon enough. Volodymyr Zelensky’s penchant for firing and rehiring every few months has become a signature of his presidency since 2019. This week has not been different, with the largest government shake-up since the full-scale war began. Or, as it turned out, just a reshuffle of the same familiar faces. ‘We need new energy today,’ Zelensky declared, as he instructed the Ukrainian parliament to dismiss and reappoint almost half the cabinet – eight ministers in total. ‘Autumn will be important for Ukraine. Our institutions must be set up so the country achieves all

Steerpike

Veterans’ champion quits with blast at Starmer

Labour have been encouraging plenty of controversy recently with the growing allegations of cronyism surrounding recent civil service and public appointments. Today, however, it’s a resignation that’s bringing yet more heat upon the flailing government. Northern Ireland’s Veterans Commissioner, Danny Kinahan, appointed in 2020 to champion the cause of 60,000 veterans yesterday left his position after an ‘open and frank’ conversation with Hilary Benn. In his resignation letter, he blasted the government for their approach, declaring that: ‘I cannot provide the independent voice that veterans require. There is a feeling among some veterans in Northern Ireland that they have been forgotten and… do not enjoy the same protections as their

Jonathan Miller

Marine Le Pen is crucial to Michel Barnier’s survival

Michel Barnier, the OAP appointed yesterday as Prime Minister of France, is a sensible fellow, even if at 73 he should be putting up his feet after decades in the political trenches. And he has plenty of pensions to draw on. He’s not exciting. Scandal free, socially conservative, a master of dossiers – not intrigue, he’s not even a graduate of the École National d’Administration, the finishing school of the French elite. He’s a former choir boy and Scout who seems never to have made a memorable speech in his long career. He’s rather boring, and normal. His two memorable achievements seem to have been as the EU’s Brexit negotiator, in

Kate Andrews

Expanding the sugar tax won’t save any lives

Labour may not have been forthcoming about most of their tax and spend plans during the election. But on one topic the party was crystal clear: a Labour government would beef up the nanny state. Politicians weren’t shy about this. It was Wes Streeting’s idea to adopt New Zealand’s (now abandoned) plans for a generational smoking ban, picked up months later by Rishi Sunak. Keir Starmer kicked off the year embracing the nanny state, saying he was ‘up for that fight’. It’s no surprise then that health campaigners and groups are flocking towards new government aides to discuss what can be taxed or banned next. According to reports today, an extension of

Fraser Nelson

Does Rachel Reeves need an ‘escape route’ on winter fuel?

14 min listen

Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls join James Heale to look ahead to a crucial week for Labour. On Tuesday, Parliament will hold a binding vote on the changes to winter fuel allowance – how are Labour expected to deal with this? Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls, and husband of the current home secretary Yvette Cooper, has argued that Labour need an ‘escape route’ from the policy. What can we read from this intervention? And how influenced are the government by the spectres of George Osborne and Liz Truss? Also on the podcast, Fraser talks about both the problems facing Germany, and the surprisingly successful measure that Sweden has introduced, to

Steerpike

Top Labour donor in ‘operation integrity’ storm

It’s a day ending in ‘y’, which means another Labour scandal. Today marks the return of Lord Alli, the media luvvy with more money than sense. Alli, famed for perfecting TV ‘presented by morons for morons’, hit the headlines last month for the ‘passes for glasses’ row. Now it seems he has also been making recommendations for posts and public appointments which are due to open up over the course of this parliament. Talk about the grift that keeps on giving… According to Bloomberg News, Alli was making recommendations while he was soliciting donations for the Labour party. The project, which he has apparently been worked on since early 2024, was

Damian Thompson

Losing faith: will Labour’s VAT policy hit religious schools hardest?

25 min listen

In this week’s copy of The Spectator, Dan Hitchens argues that a lesser reported aspect of Labour’s decision to impose VAT on private schools is who it could hit hardest: faith schools. Hundreds of independent religious schools charge modest, means-tested fees. Could a hike in costs make these schools unviable? And, with uncertainty about how ideological a decision this is, does the government even care? Dan joins Damian on the podcast to discuss. Raisel Freedman from the Partnerships for Jewish Schools also joins later, to discuss how the measure could threaten Jewish independent schools, when they provide a haven for students from a climate of rising antisemitism. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

James Heale

How select committees could cause trouble for Keir Starmer

It’s not just the Tories facing a big vote next week. Across the House of Commons, MPs will be choosing which of their number should chair the 26 select committees up for grabs. Every MP gets a vote but only backbenchers can stand: nominations close on Monday with voting done on Wednesday. Positions are allocated in line with the election result. Labour’s gargantuan majority thus ensures that they chair 18 of the 26 committees. The Tories are reduced to five with the Lib Dems awarded three. Select committees are another reminder that, for all the recent attention on the smaller parties, parliamentary institutions can often help the big ones. The