From ‘Bulgaria and Greece’, The Spectator, 9 October 1915: The fact that the British people will in all probability soon be at war with Bulgaria is a matter of very deep regret, for this nation has always watched the development of the peasant state with strong sympathy… But though we can and do sympathise with the
I am so proud to be standing here in front of you today – back in government…and not just any government – a majority Conservative Government. To the people in this hall, I want to say thank you. You are the greatest team a Prime Minister could ever have. And to the British people: When you put your
Thank you Zac, and thank you for just showing once again that you have exactly the qualities of originality and drive that will help you win in London in May. https://soundcloud.com/spectator1828/boris-johnsons-tory-conference-2015 I tell you when I knew we were going to be all right in that amazing election and it wasn’t the Ed stone — the
Let me tell you how proud I am to stand before you the first Conservative Chancellor in a Conservative Government to address a Conservative Conference in eighteen years. If I’d told you twelve months ago that the Member of Parliament for Morley and Outwood was going to come onto this stage and speak in our
Denis Healey, who has died at the age of 98, never led the Labour Party – but it still owes as much to him as to any post-war politician. And not just because of his time at the Treasury. The statements released by Labour figures tonight scarcely do him justice. Of course, he was a “towering figure” – but
‘Good.’
‘Granted, you’re very popular with the poor, but can’t you see how you’re alienating the rich?’
‘I’d appreciate you fixing the boiler quickly. It’s quite a big deal for us not to have heat down here.’
‘Poor devil. Half-past eleven is far too young to die.’
‘Didn’t even one of you think of live-tweeteing the incident?’
‘I’ve been unfriended by my imaginary friend.’
‘It’ll come in handy for soaking rich Martians.’
‘I think I’ve just invented “Top Gear”.’
‘And there, folks, is a colony of common seals and also a couple of upper-class seals.’
Cold-calling ET Sir: Alexander Chancellor has called for Spectator readers to suggest a message to send into space on behalf of the world, in response to some Russian billionaire’s prize of £1 million for the best (Long life, 19 September). Given that the nearest form of intelligent life is at least 60,000,000,000,000 miles away, it had
One of the unforeseen consequences of the reunification of Europe after the Cold War has been a resurgence of independence movements in western Europe. Emboldened by a greater sense of security and influenced by the rebirth of independent nations to the east, separatist parties have begun to challenge the boundaries of nation states which a
