From ‘The New War Loan’, The Spectator, 26 June 1915: The case for a new War Loan is overwhelming. Since the yield of the last War Loan ceased to cover the cost of the war, the country has been living from hand to mouth on money brought in by the issue of Treasury bills. These
From ‘The Inexpugnability of Russia’, The Spectator, 26 June 1915: In dealing with the military problems which confront Russia we must never forget the size and the thickness of her Empire. It is like an enormous cloak. The fringe may get very ragged, and you may cut huge pieces out of it before and behind,
From ‘Mr Lloyd George’s Speech‘, The Spectator, 26 June 1915: Though we are short of practically all the munitions of war, our most immediate needs are high-explosive shells and machine guns. Till the shortage here is made up we cannot show that activity which, we must never forget, is the essential element in all military
From ‘Favourite Hours’, The Spectator, 19 June 1915: On a Sunday the Church and the world agree, and declare together that the distinctions between master and servant are merely matters of expediency involving no principle, and those who will not listen to the one can hardly avoid hearing the other. By the by, the persons
From ‘Taxing Wages and War Profits’, The Spectator, 19 June 1915: Tax is growing much too complicated, and the multiplication of exemptions in the last few years has led to an enormous increase of clerical work at Somerset House. At the same time, the Government have never yet had the courage to carry out the
On Wednesday night in the televised Labour leadership hustings, Yvette Cooper channeled Margaret Thatcher, saying: ‘I’m not standing because I want to be something, but because I want to do something.’ So is she trying to pose as Labour’s Iron Lady? After all, it was Thatcher who originally said that: ‘It used to be about trying
From ‘How to Use Our Home Guard Volunteers’, The Spectator, 19 June 1915: There is a technical objection which for the moment seems to raise an insuperable barrier against the military authorities getting what, in many cases, they so eagerly desire, and against the Volunteers rendering the aid which they are equally anxious to render.
‘Here’s our list of things we must pledge never to do again.’
‘Is it because I’m white pretending to be black?’
‘Why couldn’t he hang himself out to dry?’
‘I’ve gone for the countryside look.’
‘Yes, I’ve seen a few changes.’
‘We’ve been on a journey.’
‘My work is selfie-explanatory.’
‘I’ve got to go. I’m needed urgently on Twitter.’
Dropping the Clangers The Clangers made a comeback on BBC television. Some Clanger facts: — The actors doing the voices worked from a script in English, even though they were playing seemingly unintelligible noises on the swanee whistle. It was a good job the young viewers didn’t understand Clanger-language, because the creatures were known to