The Week

Leading article

Sex, lies and education

It is an odd day when Ed Balls is rebuked for pandering to the religious right. Yet that is exactly what happened this week, after the Secretary for Children, Schools and Families introduced an ‘opt-out’ clause in his new education bill which would allow religious schools to teach what they believe about sexual morality alongside

A bully surrounded by cowards

It is not just the revelations about Gordon Brown’s bullying behaviour towards his staff which mark him out as a failed leader; it is his hypocrisy. It is not just the revelations about Gordon Brown’s bullying behaviour towards his staff which mark him out as a failed leader; it is his hypocrisy. No government in

Portrait of the week

Portrait of the week | 27 February 2010

Mr Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, had sworn at senior aides and ‘roughly shoved aside’ an adviser and hit a car seat, according to an extract in the Observer from a forthcoming book by Mr Andrew Rawnsley. Mr Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, had sworn at senior aides and ‘roughly shoved aside’ an adviser and

Ancient and modern

Ancient & modern | 27 February 2010

Gordon Brown using his pen to stab the back seat of his limo in rage puts one in mind of Domitian (emperor ad 81-96) killing flies in rather the same way. Brown’s furious treatment of messengers with bad tidings likewise has many ancient parallels. So our Prime Minister would do well to read some ancient

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Letters

Letters | 27 February 2010

Bashing Gordon Sir: Poor, poor Gordon. Have mercy! We brutish Scots must stick together; if I had the likes of Bob Ainsworth, not to mention the simpering fraudsters of ‘Blair’s babes’, in my office every day, I would be sorely tempted to reach for the birch — if not a cricket bat. Then, of course,