Putin the gangster Sir: Putin is a gangster’s gangster. While he ruins Russia economically and diplomatically to keep himself in power, he behaves like a renegade in Ukraine and Syria (‘Putin’s triumph’, 10 October). He is a stirrer and an adventurer, who causes danger in the world and to his fellow citizens. In 2011 he
Bang goes the plan The demolition of six tower blocks in Glasgow failed when the top half of two of the blocks settled upright on rubble. Some more demolitions which went wrong: — A girl of 12 was killed and several people injured in 1997 when the Royal Canberra Hospital toppled rather than collapsed in
It would be hard to dream up a more absurd piece of political satire than an agency of the British government called Just Solutions International winning a contract to train prison officers in a country that has executed 175 people in the past year, many of them in public beheadings for offences such as sorcery,
Home Two groups were launched, one in favour of remaining in the European Union and the other in favour of leaving. Vote Leave drew support from Conservatives for Britain, from Labour Leave and from Business for Britain. Lord Rose, chairman of the new group Britain Stronger in Europe, said: ‘To claim that the patriotic course
From ‘Boldness, Boldness and Again Boldness’, The Spectator, 16 October 1915: There are considerations of faith and honour which must in any case control the action of the allies. Serbia has been our ally from the beginning of the war, and it is now absolutely impossible for us to leave her to her fate. We must stand
Geoffrey Howe, the former Conservative chancellor, has died aged 88. Lord Howe was Margaret Thatcher’s longest serving cabinet minister and chancellor from 1979 to 1983. The following profile of him, titled ‘Sir Geoffrey Howe: An advocate who believes’ appeared in The Spectator on 20 July 1973, soon after he had reached the Cabinet. When Sir Geoffrey
'I’m ruined!'
'That's the best of an allotment: fresh food all year round!'
‘It’s his last day tomorrow, so I expect he’ll be dressing down.’
‘I see you having to make some important lifestyle choices.’
‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity — until it acquires a hashtag and starts to trend globally.’
‘These will lessen the side effects from the pills you’re taking to reduce the side effects from those pills I prescribed to ease the side effects of...’
'Do you know if the food’s any good in this place?'
‘They wouldn’t be where they are without their wealthy backers.’
