Society Archives

Wednesday

24 Sep 2008

Tamzin’s Guide to the Conservative Party Conference

Sunday What more compassionate way to open than by allowing Mrs Spelperson to lead us in prayer at an inclusive service for all faiths and none at Birmingham’s historic yet modern town hall? (Some of us need to pray harder than others of course, especially those who might have broken parliamentary expenses rules, but we’ll say no more about that now.) To give things an urban edge, our special music guest stars will perform hip hop hymns. As you know, Dave has always been a big fan of gangsta rap. Can’t wait to hear ‘I Vow to Thee, Emcee, My Country’! In the conference hall: ‘Get To Know Birmingham’ with

Daniel Hannan

The modern Tory hero should be Jefferson

In theory, Europeans find American elections vulgar and plutocratic. In practice, they find them utterly gripping. This is partly because the US is wealthy and powerful, but mainly because American campaigns, being more participatory than European ones, are more interesting. All organisations grow according to the DNA encoded at the time of their conception. The US was founded in a revolt against a distant and autocratic regime. In consequence, its polity developed according to what we might call Jeffersonian principles: the idea that power should be diffused and that government officials, wherever possible, should be elected. Most European constitutions, by contrast, were drawn up after the second world war. Their

Michael Tanner

Make do and mend

Otello Welsh National Opera, Cardiff La fanciulla del West Royal Opera House Otello, for me the most perfect though not the greatest of Verdi’s operas, continues Welsh National Opera’s survey of his late works, in a new production by Paul Curran. The first night was a much tamer affair than it should have been, though the performance wasn’t cautious or underprepared. Nor could one say that it was under- or miscast. Carlo Rizzi conducted a rapid but detailed account, with the orchestra on good form, though one could have wished for a stronger string section. The chorus was tremendous, with plausible movements during the opening storm scene, where often there

Gary Dexter

Surprising literary ventures | 24 September 2008

Using the Oxford Junior Dictionary (1979), by Philip Pullman Before Lyra, before polar bears and His Dark Materials, and before his first children’s book, Count Karlstein, in 1982, Philip Pullman was a lowly drudge in the very humblest halls of lexicography. Pullman in fact spent his earliest career in teaching, working at various Oxford middle schools before moving in 1986 to Westminster College, where he taught B. Ed. students. In 1979 he did some jobbing work for Oxford University Press and produced the booklet at hand, Using the Oxford Junior Dictionary (his name appears only on the inside cover, though he is the sole author). It is the usual fare

Tuesday

23 Sep 2008

Alex Massie

Caption Contest! | 23 September 2008

I remain perplexed. People are still talking about David Milliband as Gordon Brown’s successor. I just don’t see it. Miliband’s the sort of kid who was always picked last in a game of playground football. Even if he’s better than some of the other kids, you still wouldn’t want him on your side. He’s that irritating. Anyway, what’s Gordon saying to him here? [Via Danny Finkelstein]

Alex Massie

The Kenyan Connection

I guess this isn’t too much of a surprise. But here’s Rush Limbaugh talking about Barack Obama’s ancestors, yesterday: LIMBAUGH: These polls on how one-third of blue-collar white Democrats won’t vote for Obama because he’s black, and — but he’s not black. Do you know he has not one shred of African-American blood? He doesn’t have any African — that’s why when they asked whether he was authentic, whether he’s down for the struggle. He’s Arab. You know, he’s from Africa. He’s from Arab parts of Africa. He’s not — his father was — he’s not African-American. The last thing that he is is African-American. I guess that’s splitting hairs,

Alex Massie

Hamlet: the Facebook Folio

Courtesy of Sarah Schmelling at McSweeney’s: Horatio thinks he saw a ghost. Hamlet thinks it’s annoying when your uncle marries your mother right after your dad dies. The king thinks Hamlet’s annoying. Laertes thinks Ophelia can do better. Hamlet’s father is now a zombie. – – – – The king poked the queen. The queen poked the king back. Hamlet and the queen are no longer friends. Marcellus is pretty sure something’s rotten around here. Hamlet became a fan of daggers. V droll. [Hat-tip: Ezra Klein]

Alex Massie

Singapore Years

From the Telegraph’s obituary of John Burrows, an intelligence officer who spent part of the war working at Bletchley Park: In August 1939 he married Enid Carter, an employee of the British Sugar Corporation, and a few weeks later, on the outbreak of war, he volunteered for the Intelligence Corps. “When I joined the Army, I was a teacher of modern languages,” he said. “I admitted to a working knowledge of German and was immediately posted to Singapore.” Relatedly, today’s paper also carries an obituary for Phyllis Thom, who, like my grandfather, spent most of the war in a Japanese POW camp: By 1944 death had become an everyday occurrence,

James Forsyth

Cometh the hour, cometh the Harman?

Gordon Brown’s speech hasn’t changed the fact that Labour still have to fight the Glenthroes by-election at some point. If Labour lose that—as all the people I’ve spoken to who know Scottish politics thinks they will—then Labour will face its moment of decision: will it go down to a massive defeat under Brown’s leadership or will it at least try and rally under a new leader. If it takes the latter option, I don’t expect David Miliband to win the ensuing leadership contest. The electoral college works against him and he hasn’t helped himself this week. His speech didn’t win any new converts to his cause and the weird set

James Forsyth

Brown’s speech was no game-changer

I’m in a minority in thinking that Brown’s speech didn’t do what it had to do. I agree that the ‘no time for a novice’ line was an effective swipe at David Miliband and the Tory top team of Cameron and Osborne. But – and this is why I believe the speech will be seen as a failure in the medium-term – it failed to change the terms of debate. It left British politics on essentially the same course as before: a course that ends in an epic defeat for Labour. Brown has little left in the locker now. His wife has been deployed to try and protect him, he

Jon Cruddas

Jon Cruddas’s conference diary: part 4

Monday Night. The guy did very well. David Miliband rose to the task at hand both in terms of the content but also the performance – as well as demonstration of unity with the PM! His was the most difficult speech of the week and the general consensus is he did very well. It also demonstrates how he really has to watch being seen as captive to a diminishing faction within the party; not least because he is simply better than that. Earlier Chancellor Darling did not provide the equivalent of Paulson’s $700 billion bail-out legislation; but he did offer reassurance and connected with the party delegates. He is the

James Forsyth

Have we heard it all before?

We haven’t seen the details yet of Brown’s internet announcement but the Tories are already pointing out how it is not new. Indeed, it should already have happened by now, given what Labour promised back in 2004. “Our country and its people prospering in the knowledge economy. Increasing by £1 billion the investment in science, boosting support to small businesses and ending the digital divide by bringing broadband technology to every home in Britain that wants it by 2008.” P.S. The Coffee House team will be live-blogging Brown’s speech later. Tune in from just after 2pm.

Monday

22 Sep 2008

Alex Massie

Outrage of the Week

Kudos to Outskirts Bar and Grill in Canton, Illinois for making possible the best headline of this troubled week: Liquor license suspended after topless ‘midget wrestling’. [Via Best of the Web]

James Forsyth

A Friday reshuffle could be fatal to Brown

A report on Politics Home has sparked off speculation here in Manchester that Brown will reshuffle his Cabinet before the end of this week. It is easy to see why this might appeal to the Brownites; the rebels are still not sure what to do next, David Miliband can’t decide whether to go for it or not and Brown’s authority is getting a temporary boost from conference. But this option is fraught with risk. First, there is the danger that a Minister might simply refuse to move—one has let it be known that he would walk rather relinquish his current job. Second, for any reshuffle to actually do anything for

James Forsyth

The voters – not Miliband – will have to do for Brown

As I wrote earlier, Miliband did fine today. But, as Nick Robinson says, the speech did not have the electricity to inspire Labour to dump Gordon. Of course, they might well still end up doing so. But – on today’s evidence – it won’t be because they’re particularly enthused by the idea of Prime Minister David Miliband. I suspect that Brown’s address tomorrow will not be as decisive as people are expecting. Brown’s conference speeches are never great but they are always adequate. Adequate tomorrow will buy Brown some time but it won’t end the leadership speculation. As soon as the date is named for the Glenrothes by-election, all the

James Forsyth

Miliband’s performance

David Miliband’s speech was neither a triumph nor a disaster. It was, as a fellow scribbler put it to me afterwards, a seven out of ten speech. I doubt that many people who weren’t for Miliband before it thought he was the man Labour needs after it. But equally Miliband’s supporters will have been relieved that he didn’t bomb liked he did last year. Miliband confidently walked the leadership speculation tightrope. Early in the speech, he turned to Brown and praised him for his role in increasing international development funding. Praise for the leader but on an issue that everyone knows won’t decide the election. Then, at the end Miliband

Jon Cruddas

Jon Cruddas’s conference diary: part 3

Monday lunchtime. Forget Sarah Palin, Boo Weekley is the guy. As anticipated, Poulter won. But no one else did. A bad golf night. Personally I saw very little- but my staff excelled themselves in their hole-by-hole commentary provided through the Blackberry. The highlight of a long night was a teenager taking a swing at me in the gents at the Radisson. At least I think that was what he was doing as he bounced off the walls talking about ‘no return to old labour’, ‘cannot go back to the 70s’ ‘I’m nuts for Hazel’ etc, etc. Poor bloke reminded me of the guys who used to sell Militant; I bet

James Forsyth

Darling’s Speech

Darling’s speech suggests that Labour will not tack that left during this financial crisis. The Chancellor did attack the bonus culture. But all he said was that the government would “look at the culture of huge bonuses that have distorted the way decisions are made” which is not the kind of language that suggests he is actually planning on doing anything. Generally, there was little meat in the speech. Darling did admit that inflation was too high. He, understandably, pointed out that his comments about the toughest economic times for sixty years now look rather prescient. And there were some pro-forma attacks on The Tories and praise for Gordon Brown.

Peter Hoskin

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 22 September – 28 September

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – provided your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no topic, so there’s no need to stay ‘on topic’ – which means you’ll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything’s fair game – from political stories in your local

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 22 September 2008

COFFEE HOUSE CHALLENGE WINNER: A few weeks ago, we asked CoffeeHousers to “sell” a Cabinet. The winning entry is the post by ‘Ian’. Congratulations to Ian – to claim the prize of a bottle of champagne please send an email to phoskin @ spectator.co.uk. And here are some of the posts made over the weekend at spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson tallies up the latest Brownies, and reports on his run-in with John Prescott. James Forsyth describes how Alan Johnson is ruling himself out of a leadership bid, but reminds us that Miliband and Purnell are both very much in the running. Jon Cruddas treats us to the first two instalments of his conference