Society

The internet is eroding the presumption of innocence

Last week, New York magazine ran a front-cover photo of 35 of the 46 women who have accused actor Bill Cosby of sexual assault. The feature inside includes individual interviews with each woman, but argues that ‘the horror is multiplied by the sheer volume of seeing them together, reading them together, considering their shared experience’. The collation of these women’s accusations follows intense public interest in Cosby’s alleged misconduct, triggered last year when the comedian Hannibal Buress declared ‘you raped women, Bill Cosby’ during a routine. The New York feature is not an attempt to bring Cosby to justice, or even to challenge the statute of limitations that impedes any potential legal

The Spectator at war: That touch of mink

From ‘Sim-sam the Mink‘, The Spectator, 31 July 1915: Sim-sam’s bath was the spectacle that revealed him at his very best. Watching him glide and twist and loop the loop under water with the utter ease of a fish made you see the reason for the webbed toes, the powerful short, double-jointed legs that bent in any direction indifferently, and for the slim, lithe body with its rippling muscles. Sim-sam, you perceived, was built expressly for quick movement under water—movement far different from the clumsy-looking bopping gallop that was his best gait on land. A bath was his supreme enjoyment. It filled him with the highest spirits. After he had

Steerpike

Andy Burnham (finally) wins an endorsement

Although Andy Burnham started out as the frontrunner in the Labour leadership race, according to the latest polls he is now struggling to even remain in second place behind Jeremy Corbyn. What’s more, the unions Burnham hoped would endorse him have in large opted for Corbyn, with Unison this week also choosing to back Jeremy over Andy. However there is still a ray of hope for Burnham. He is at least now beginning to compete with Corbyn when it comes to celebrity fans. David Walliams has come out in support of the leadership hopeful, with the Little Britain star claiming he has known for years that Burnham ought to be Labour leader: I first

The Spectator at war: Debating compulsory service

From ‘News of the Week‘, The Spectator, 31 July 1915: The debate on compulsory service in the Commons on Wednesday night was remarkable for the speeches in its support made by Liberal Members. Captain Guest, who raised the question, declared that if we were to win in the present war, and to win quickly, compulsory service was the only way. Mr. Wedgwood, like Captain Guest fresh from active service in the field, vigorously supported the demand, and claimed to represent the views of all the fighting spirit of the Labour movement. What the country wanted more than money, shells, or men was a leader who could lead without fearing the

Stormy Petroff

Alexander Petroff (1794-1867) is often remembered as the first great Russian chess master. He became the strongest player in Russia at the age of 15 and produced the first chess book in Russian. His main legacy, however, is the Petroff Defence (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6), an opening which has been seen consistently at the highest level ever since he invented it. A new book, The Petroff Move by Move (Everyman Chess) by Cyrus Lakdawala, explores this opening in great detail. Due to the potentially symmetrical nature of the positions that can arise, the Petroff has an undeserved reputation as an unadventurous opening. The following dramatic encounter shows that

No. 372

White to play. This position is from Howell-Sokolov, Staunton Memorial 2009. How can White finish off his attack with a fine flourish? Answers to me at The Spectator by Tuesday 4 August or via email to victoria@spectator.co.uk or by fax on 020 7681 3773. The winner will be the first correct answer out of a hat, and each week there is a prize of £20. Please include a postal address and allow six weeks for prize delivery. Last week’s solution 1 … Rxh3+ Last week’s winner Alan Andrews, Liverpool

Letters | 30 July 2015

What we’re building Sir: I was surprised and frustrated to read Ross Clark’s piece on housing associations in last week’s edition of your magazine (‘Stop moaning, start building’, 25 July). Surprised because it seemed to misrepresent the facts concerning housing associations, and frustrated because the analysis offered by Mr Clark ignores the key role that housing associations play in ending the housing crisis. Housing associations — which vary hugely in geography, size and function — have consistently supplied tens of thousands of new homes year after year. For example, last year they built 40,000 homes — a third of all new homes — and they matched every £1 of public

High life | 30 July 2015

We all agree that a world without manners would make this a pretty grim place to live. Offensive informality is pretty much accepted nowadays, and manners are at times seen as a superficial activity. But good manners are as much a part of our culture as great books, great paintings and great classical music. At times, of course, one can carry good manners too far. My friend Timmy, a gent and a gem of a man, has exquisite manners, a couple of titled daughters, and likes to drink beer. He never fails to thank his host or hostess, and makes it a habit to thank them in print. Not so

Real life | 30 July 2015

‘No, I do not do WhatsApp.’ That’s pretty much all I ever seem to say to people nowadays. They ask me if I do WhatsApp, I say I don’t do WhatsApp and they never bother with me again. I deduce from this that not only can we not now meet in person (so 80s), we cannot talk on the mobile phone either (so 90s), and nor can we email each other (so noughties). We have to do WhatsApp. I don’t know what WhatsApp is and I cannot bring myself to find out. In answer to the next person who asks, I say: WtfApp! WhocaresApp?! GetalifeApp!! I was full up with

Bridge | 30 July 2015

Imagine going to a golf tournament and finding yourself competing against Rory McIlroy; or a tennis match and facing Roger Federer. That’s the wonderful thing about bridge: turn up to any open international event and there they are, up close, the superstars of the game — playing against you! I recently spent a gruelling seven days at the Open European Championships in Tromso (Norway), playing in the mixed teams and pairs with David Gold (we reached the A final of the pairs but then floundered). Each time we competed against a champion — be it Geir Helgemo or Sabine Auken or Philippe Cronier — I felt such a sense of

Your problems solved | 30 July 2015

Q. I have learned that someone I much admired in youth is about to become single again. I only have the sketchiest details but am single myself and keen to know more. The one person who knows everyone and would know everything is a valued and highly amusing friend of mine, but she is also massively indiscreet and interfering. How can I find out more without arousing her suspicions re my own interest? Were she to guess it she would overplay my hand for me. — Name and address withheld A. Look around for a newly single man of your own vintage, then mention to your gossipy friend that he

I love it that you…

I had never heard the Country (Red Dirt) singer Wade Bowen before, although his latest album Hold my Beer (Vol 1) has already sold 14,000 copies. On an earlier album, he provided textbook examples of two constructions that I find increasingly annoying, and one that seems fine. ‘I love it that you’re my girl,’ sang Wade. ‘I love that I’m your man.’ I didn’t care for either of those declarations one bit. ‘I love it when you take my hand,’ he added. I didn’t mind that at all. This business of I love that… is on the rise. I heard Fi Glover say it on Radio 4, and someone in one

Toby Young

Trouble withthe neighbours

A few years ago, I got a bit fed up with receiving Christmas cards from my friends designed to show off just how well they were doing. A typical card consisted of five or six blond children on ponies or quad bikes with a massive country house in the background. The caption would be something like: ‘Greetings from Shropshire.’ So I came up with an idea. Why not create my own version? I’d get my four children to strike a variety of delinquent poses. One would be outside QPR stadium, fag in mouth and can of beer in hand. Another would be doing an impression of Lord Coke with a

Portrait of the week | 30 July 2015

Home A man died when 1,500 migrants tried to enter the Channel Tunnel terminal in Calais in one night. The night before, 2,000 had tried. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, spoke of spending money on fences. The Foreign Office warned travellers to the Continent via Calais that they should be prepared to return by a different route, what with migrants and French strikers. George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, visited Paris for talks with French ministers about Britain’s place in the European Union. Chris Froome won the Tour de France for the second time in three years, although some spectators threw urine at him and some even suggested that

2222: Exquisite

One unclued light (hyphened) is a 38 of a word hidden in the grid. Two unclued lights are definitions of the hidden word, which is also the surname of a former 11 of 25 (two words), whose first name is an unclued light. The hidden word and its 38 — both starting in an appropriate square, and together forming a 38 relevant to the puzzle — must be highlighted.   Across   6    Divisions in Mississippi led by force aboard steamer (7) 13    Part screened by sign, a certain slender type (9) 15    Steep southern wood (4) 16    Cue card oddly came as a product (7)

Long life | 30 July 2015

I was wondering what to write about this week when I suddenly realised that exactly 40 years ago this Saturday I became editor of this magazine. Despite eventually getting the sack, I hung onto the job for nine years, from 1975 to 1984, which is still the longest that anyone has had it since Wilson Harris ended his 21-year tenure in 1953. The Spectator has had 15 editors since him, but none apart from myself has lasted for much more than six years. Fraser Nelson, however, looks set to outlast us all. I am surprised how little I can remember of those years (or perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, given

To 2219: Keep going

Unclued lights complete the titles of Carry On films. First prize Tony Hankey, London W4 Runners-up Mark Roberts, Hostert, Luxembourg; Tony Dew, London SW13

Isabel Hardman

Poor boys are losing the university battle of the sexes

Something worrying is happening to university access. It’s not what opponents of higher tuition fees predicted, which is that the higher rates would put off poorer students, so it might not get as much pick-up. It might also get less pick-up because it concerns a group that it isn’t particularly fashionable to worry about, which is poor young men. A report today from the Independent Commission on Fees finds that poor young men are less likely to go to university than women from the same background – and this gender gap is widening. The ICF, which was set up to examine the impact of charging students £9,000 a year, found