The Spectator

The ringfence cycle

By now, George Osborne had hoped to have completed his austerity programme. Instead, he finds himself making what is, still, the most ambitious round of cuts of any finance minister in the developed world. The Chancellor is paying the price for the leisurely pace that he decided to take in the last parliament – due

The perfect Christmas hamper

Savoury Rich olives salted à la Grecque with herbs Provence Waitrose family hamper: Not Provencal or Greek but Moroccan, these black Beldi olives, sprinkled with dried herbs, are plump, soft and not too salty. — Clare Asquith Mini crocq salami bites Harrods Montpelier hamper: Little parcels of meaty joy to go with cheese and wine.

Capitalism for all

From ‘Public loans and private savings’, The Spectator, 27 November 1915: In the nature of things there is no reason for the permanent maintenance of the existing gulf between capitalists and wage-earners. Every wage-earner ought to be to some extent himself a capitalist, and every capitalist certainly ought to be in one way or another a

Letters | 19 November 2015

The NHS and politicians Sir: The NHS is indeed in need of fundamental reform, but Max Pemberton’s excellent article (‘The wrong cuts’, 14 November) exemplifies why politicians are least well qualified to conduct it. The public loves the NHS and has every reason to distrust political meddling. NHS England should become a public corporation with a

Portrait of the week | 19 November 2015

Home After the killings in Paris, David Cameron, the Prime Minister, said that seven terrorist attacks on Britain had been prevented in the past six months. He met President Vladimir Putin of Russia at a G20 meeting at Antalya in Turkey. Mr Putin said: ‘We should join efforts in preventing terror. Unfortunately our bilateral relations