Isis 3
‘The fools! Don’t they know we’re already there?’
The Spectator
Thursday
Igloo 2
‘Did you leave the thermostat on high again?’
Rain 2
‘It’s a Twitter storm.’
Cards 4
‘The usual dilemmas — who’s died, who’s had a sex change, who’s converted to Islam…’
Letters | 3 December 2015
Bombers without borders Sir: To define this week’s debate as being about ‘bombing Syria’ (‘The great fake war’, 28 November) is ludicrous. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about fighting Isis. Whatever you call them, and wherever they are. The current deal, under which we bomb Isis in Iraq but not in Syria, is as if
Barometer: Who was the first warmist?
The first warmist The first attempt to quantify the link between CO2 in the atmosphere and global temperatures was attributed to Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius, in a paper in the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science in 1896. He was working on a theory to explain the oscillation between ice ages and interglacial periods. He
Portrait of the week | 3 December 2015
Home The House of Commons voted on air strikes in Syria. Labour MPs had been allowed a free vote by their party amid much ill-feeling. Members of the shadow cabinet shouted at Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition, when he tried to insist that the formal Labour party policy should be to oppose air
It is time to join the fight against IS in Syria
The Islamic State is as monstrous an enemy as we have seen in recent history. It crucifies and decapitates its victims, holds teenage girls in slavery and burns captives alive. It is wrong to call it a medieval force, because such institutionalised barbarity was seldom seen in medieval times. As far as five centuries of
Let unions pay MPs
From ‘Payment of members’, The Spectator, 4 December 1915: If the country could be polled at the present time, there is probably no subject upon which greater unanimity could be secured, apart from the general question of prosecuting the war, than that of payment of Members of Parliament. Barring Members themselves and the political agents whom
Wednesday
Full text of Hilary Benn’s extraordinary speech in favour of Syria airstrikes
Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Before I respond to the debate, I would like to say this directly to the Prime Minister: Although my right honourable friend the Leader of the Opposition and I will walk into different division lobbies tonight, I am proud to speak from the same Despatch Box as him. My
Why it’s time for Britain to join our allies in their fight against the Islamic State
The Islamic State is as monstrous an enemy as that has emerged in recent history. It crucifies and decapitates its victims, holds teenage girls in slavery and burns captives alive. It is wrong to call it a medieval force, because such institutionalised barbarity was seldom seen in medieval times. As far as five centuries of records
The best speeches from the Syria airstrikes debate
Welcome to Coffee House’s coverage of the Syria debate in the House of Commons yesterday. Here are the best speeches in favour of and against the motion, with full quotes and audio clips. 10:15pm: The foreign secretary Philip Hammond has closed the debate on behalf of the government, making the case for the airstrikes: 9:45pm: Shadow foreign
Thursday
Kangaroo
‘Like you, I’m very jumpy.’
Cinema
‘I’m not wasting my money watching that, I’ll download it illegally on my iPad.’
Call
Advent
Defence 3
‘They’re full of money.’
Newspaper 4
‘What about Caterpillar tracks?’
Hmv 4
Office 2
‘Good work, Collins! The bollocking I gave you yesterday has had 10,000 hits on YouTube.’