Lilliput
‘I’m from the Lilliput Echo — I wonder if you can tell me how it felt when you woke up and found you couldn’t move?’
The Spectator
Thursday
Letters: The Syria debate, plus Giles Milton on Andro Linklater
Syrian matters Sir: Though Syria (Leading article, 31 August) is certainly no laughing matter, the turmoil prevailing over a ‘punitive strike’ does bring to mind the little jingle of A.P. Herbert, during the Phony War of 1940. Some great minds were contemplating a ‘strike’ on the Soviet Union to punish it for its invasion of
How Australia’s Tony Abbott pulled off a great conservative victory
By conventional wisdom, Tony Abbott should not become Prime Minister of Australia this weekend. He ought to be too conservative, a throwback to a bygone age. He is sceptical about global warming, and proposed to abolish a carbon tax on the grounds of its expense and uselessness. He is a churchgoer who is against abortion
Portrait of the week | 5 September 2013
Home Having recalled Parliament to debate British military action over Syria, David Cameron, the Prime Minister, found the government defeated, much to his surprise, by 285-272, thanks to 30 Conservatives and nine Liberal Democrats voting with the opposition. He immediately told the Commons: ‘It is clear to me that the British Parliament, reflecting the views
Books and Arts – 5 September 2013
Barometer – 5 September 2013
Shining examples The ‘Walkie Talkie’, a new tower block in Fenchurch Street, was blamed for partially melting the interior of a Jaguar parked in a spot where the sun’s rays are focused by the building’s concave exterior. Other buildings with the same problem: — Vdara Hotel, Las Vegas. In 2010 a guest complained that he
Toby Young: Should I be an MP?
In this week’s Spectator, columnist Toby Young toys with the idea of standing as a Conservative candidate in in Hammersmith. He examines the factors stacked against any chance of success, and the reasons he has for standing: Suppose I won. Then what? I’d be faced with the pride-swallowing siege that is the life of a
Barometer | 5 September 2013
Market price Independent schooling versus private tutoring: which is the biggest market? Some 579,700 pupils are educated at independent schools, for an average annual fee of £13,788, making for a total market of £7.99 billion. Based on a 35-hour week and a 40-week academic year, parents are paying an average of £9.80 per hour. A
Friday
Syria: How MPs voted
Here is a list of all MPs and how they voted – or did not vote – in last night’s division on the government’s motion on Syria. MPs who voted on Labour’s amendment and then did not vote on the government motion: Adam Afriyie (Conservative) Christopher Chope (Conservative) Justine Greening (Conservative) Edward Leigh (Conservative) John
Syria defeat: The Tory and Lib Dem rebels
These are the names of the MPs who voted against last night’s government motion on Syria: Conservatives (30): David Amess, Steve Baker, Richard Bacon, John Baron, Andrew Bingham, Crispin Blunt, Fiona Bruce, Tracey Crouch, David TC Davies, Philip Davies, David Davis, Nick de Bois, Richard Drax, Gordon Henderson, Philip Hollobone, Adam Holloway, Dr Phillip Lee, Dr Julian Lewis, Tim Loughton, Jason McCartney, Nigel Mills, Anne Marie Morris, Andrew Percy, Sir Richard Shepherd, Sir Peter Tapsell, Andrew Turner, Martin Vickers, Charles Walker, Chris White, Dr
Thursday
Cake
‘You’ve no idea how hard it was finding a cake made from grass.’
Babies
‘Look at that — smooth as a prime minister’s chest.’
Milk
Corn
‘So this is what you do all day. Sit at the computer watching corn.’
Shoal
Dodgems
Piggies
‘At last, some interest!’