Society

Today’s the day. George Osborne will deliver the 2016 Budget amid fears of £4 billion in extra spending cuts, fuel duty rises, and an increase in insurance premium tax. Wednesday’s Spectator Money Blog is devoted to what to expect from the Chancellor, from a rowback on an overhaul of the pensions system to help for those on low incomes. In other financial news this morning, it has been revealed that hundreds of thousands of savers are being dragged into tax chaos because the taxman is struggling to cope with Osborne’s savings revolution. From April 6, savers will no longer have tax deducted before they are paid interest by a bank

In recent months, a number of luvvies have entered the public debate to give their take on what ‘must be done’ on a number of pressing issues. While Benedict Cumberbatch turned the air blue at the theatre with a ‘f— the politicians‘ rant over the refugee crisis, Emma Thompson recently waded in on the EU referendum by calling Britain a ‘cake-filled misery-laden grey old island‘. Now at last someone is speaking some sense on the issue. Writing in this week’s Radio Times, Michael Buerk, the BBC’s former South Africa correspondent during the end of apartheid, says he has had enough of luvvies — like Benedict and Emma — spouting their

A song is buzzing around my head. ‘It’s the same the whole world over: It’s the poor what gets the blame. It’s the rich what gets the pleasure; Ain’t it all a bloomin’ shame?’ It was triggered by grim new research from the think tank Resolution Foundation claiming that 85 per cent of benefits from promised income tax cuts would go to the wealthiest half of Britain. The Foundation says even when the tax-free personal allowance on income is raised – from £10,600 to £12,500 by 2020 – it will be the better-off who will be the winners because our 4.6 million lowest paid workers earn under £10,600. And, rubbing salt

Last night in Chicago, a mob of progressives shut down a Donald Trump rally. The protestors — described as mostly young millennials — infiltrated the University of Illinois Pavilion, in central Chicago, and set about subverting the event. They waved Mexican flags — pro-immigrant, geddit — and wore t-shirts calling Trump Hitler. There were violent clashes and a policeman was reportedly injured. The protestors cheered when police announced the rally would be shut down because of security concerns. They revelled in their victory against free speech, taunting the furious Trump fans with chants of ‘we won’. This is American politics now: juvenile, anti-liberal, menacing. We know that Trump voters are angry.

NOTE: Applications are now closed. Summer’s coming, and we’re looking for interns to spend a week or two with us here at The Spectator. We’re looking for people who love good journalism and understand how digital media works. The position will be paid (but not very much). We don’t mind where or whether you have gone to university; Frank Johnson was a superb editor of this magazine and he left school aged 16 (as have some of our editors). What matters is flair, imagination and enthusiasm: skills that you can’t really learn in any classroom. We’re not looking for writers, per se: The Spectator is blessed with a large number of brilliant freelance writers