The Spectator

Today

24 Sep 2020
The Spectator

Letters: It’s too late for Boris

Disastrous decisions Sir: In his otherwise excellent analysis of Boris Johnson’s premiership (‘The missing leader’, 19 September), Fraser Nelson suggests that he could still succeed. It’s too late. Although we ‘know that he’s not responsible for the pandemic’, he is responsible for the government’s response to it. The consequences of that hysterical response, seemingly contrived by a small, mostly unelected cabal, have been, and will be, disastrous for huge numbers of people; the enormity of the failures too great to be set against subsequent successes. Boris persuaded us to support him with a carefully crafted image of a jovial positive thinker, a libertarian and man of the people. He’s been found out. He should prove that he can at least keep his Brexit promises over the next few months, then make way for a courageous Conservative who trusts the people and eschews ruling by fiat.

Letters: It’s too late for Boris

Tuesday

22 Sep 2020
The Spectator

Full text: Keir Starmer’s conference speech

I’m delighted that we’re here in Doncaster. My wife’s mum was born and grew up here – just next to the racecourse. We’re regulars here. Visiting family friends but also to go to the Ledger. Though of course sadly not this year. I’m also told that this is the first Labour leaders’ speech in Yorkshire since Harold Wilson in 1967. The circumstances were a bit different then. For one thing, Wilson was able to update conference about Labour’s achievements after three years in government. So I look forward to coming back one day in the same circumstances that brought Wilson here! I want to say a heartfelt thanks to the Labour party staff and volunteers who have moved a virtual heaven and earth this week. To all the speakers, the panellists and the thousands of members who’ve taken part.

Full text: Keir Starmer’s conference speech

Monday

21 Sep 2020
The Spectator

Full text: Chris Whitty on the second wave

What we've seen is a progression where — after the remarkable efforts which got the rates right down across the country — we first saw very small outbreaks, then we've seen more localised outbreaks which have got larger over time, particularly in the cities. Now what we're seeing is a rate of increase across the great majority of the country.  It's going at different rates, but it is now increasing. And what we found is anywhere that was falling is now beginning to rise and then the rate of that rise continues in an upward direction.  This is not someone else's problem, this is all of our a problem.  This graph is a simple one. It simply shows the number of inpatient cases in England over the period from 1 August.

Full text: Chris Whitty on the second wave

Thursday

17 Sep 2020
The Spectator

Letters: In defence of seagulls

China’s covered Sir: If Charles Moore had contacted the BBC, rather than conducting a fruitless Google search, we would have told him we run three China bureaux — in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong — and that our three mainland correspondents are backed up by production and administrative staff locally. In Hong Kong, we have a team for the BBC’s online Chinese language service. We would have outlined our agenda-setting, and award-winning, reporting on the Uighurs over the last two years, as well as other major issues such as Covid and the situation in Hong Kong. We would have highlighted our BBC2 three-part series on President Xi. And we would have pointed out the audience growth for our Chinese language service, despite our site being officially blocked in China.

Letters: In defence of seagulls

Thursday

10 Sep 2020
The Spectator

Letters: Why does No.10 seem so oblivious to the threat of Scottish independence?

Referendum risk Sir: James Forsyth’s excellent analysis (‘To save the Union, negotiate independence’, 5 September) has one flaw: it is not quite correct to say that ‘there is no way a legal referendum can take place without Westminster’s consent’. That is true for a decisive referendum that would commit the UK to the outcome, but not necessarily true for an advisory one. The Commons Library briefing paper (29 May 2019) says that the devolution legislation is unclear and the matter ‘has not been resolved’. This view is supported by the Institute for Government. Nicola Sturgeon is likely to take the issue to the Supreme Court which, with its two Scottish judges, is quite likely to side with Edinburgh. The Brexit referendum was advisory but the conclusion was hard to resist.

Letters: Why does No.10 seem so oblivious to the threat of Scottish independence?

Wednesday

9 Sep 2020

Thursday

3 Sep 2020
The Spectator

Portrait of the week: Case takes over civil service, Zoom profits rocket and Ocado adopts M&S

Home Simon Case, aged 41, the private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge 2018-20, was appointed Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, in succession to Sir Mark Sedwill. A civil servant since 2006, Case had been Permanent Secretary at Downing Street since May. Six days earlier, Jonathan Slater was dismissed as Permanent Secretary at the Department of Education. Piers Corbyn, the elder brother of Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour party, was given a penalty without trial of £10,000 for his part in organising a rally in Trafalgar Square calling for the repeal of the Coronavirus Act, passed in March, which gave the government sweeping powers. The penalty was imposed under a statutory instrument, not passed by parliament, but brought into force on 28 August by the Health Secretary.

Portrait of the week: Case takes over civil service, Zoom profits rocket and Ocado adopts M&S

Sunday

30 Aug 2020

Thursday

27 Aug 2020
The Spectator

Letters: Why do we need beavers?

It’s not about money Sir: Professor Tombs criticises Alex Massie (Letters, 22 August) for ignoring evidence when the latter claims that economic concerns ‘no longer matter’ in great political decisions. But the evidence from the last Scottish referendum tends to support Massie. At the beginning of the Scottish referendum campaign in 2014, polls showed 26 per cent of Scottish voters favoured independence. The Better Together campaign amassed compelling evidence that independence would be a financial disaster and set about presenting this to the Scottish public in an exercise they christened Project Fear. The result was a rise of support for independence to 45 per cent, and it is widely considered that what kept Scotland in the Union was an emotional televised speech by Gordon Brown appealing to the heart rather than the pocket.

Letters: Why do we need beavers?
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