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
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
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
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
‘You’ve no idea how hard it was finding a cake made from grass.’
‘Look at that — smooth as a prime minister’s chest.’
‘So this is what you do all day. Sit at the computer watching corn.’
‘At last, some interest!’
‘Why do I always fall for bad boys? He’s a fracking engineer.’
‘Don’t come in! I’m changing.’
‘You’ve been supergluing yourself to other women!’
‘Here comes another equal pay request.’
There is something deeply disturbing about switching on the television and finding Jack Straw talking about the need to take military action against a Ba’athist dictator who is using weapons of mass destruction against his own people. Tony Blair has also popped up to urge moral purpose. And all this before the UN weapons inspectors
