Divorce 3
The Spectator
Thursday
Egypt shows us that elections aren’t enough
Democracy and holding elections are not the same thing. There could be no better demonstration of this than the experience of Egypt. Protesters who two years ago gathered in Cairo to force a dictator out of office, and to win the right to replace him with an elected governmentS, are back — this time to
Barometer | 4 July 2013
A place of greater safety CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden has claimed asylum in 21 countries. How do whistleblowers fare in some of them? China: 5 journalists killed since 1992. One was beaten by traffic police whose corrupt practices he was investigating, another found with his throat cut after probing links between politicians and gangs Venezuela:
Letters: Sir Peter Lampl replies to Charles Moore, and the memories of a wasteful GP
Medical waste Sir: Susan Hill’s article (‘Patient, heal thyself’, 29 June) dealt only with the unnecessary visits to GPs for minor ailments. In Wales we have an extra incentive to waste GPs’ time — all prescriptions are free. There are many people who are prepared to make a GP appointment just to get routine medicines
Portrait of the week | 4 July 2013
Home Business confidence in Britain was at its highest level since 2007, according to a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce, which said it expected gross domestic product to have grown by 0.6 per cent in the second quarter of the year.Ofgem, the energy regulator, warned that spare electricity capacity could fall to 2
Wednesday
How the Spectator blew the whistle on the International Health Service
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, backbencher Philip Lee ambushed David Cameron on the subject of health tourism. He asked: ‘As a doctor who once had to listen incredulously to a patient explain, via a translator, that she only discovered she was nine months’ pregnant on arrival at terminal 3 at Heathrow, I was pleased to
Dear Mary on mobile phone etiquette, playing bridge, and the weather
The Spectator’s Mary Killen — otherwise known as ‘Dear Mary‘ — was on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning discussing whether or not it was right for a Sainsbury’s checkout assistant to refuse to serve a customer who was on her mobile phone. Here’s the clip from this morning’s programme, and below we’ve put together some
A complete and utter fraud
In a perfect world, Kevin Rudd would not be campaigning for election but visiting an analyst. Therapy is the treatment of our age for those the ancient Greeks saw as tragic heroes, personalities at once sparkling and deeply dysfunctional. But an election campaign it is, with the Australian people as the judge and jury, and
Thursday
Tennis
‘I heard this grunting and groaning and thought it was the tennis.’
Vote
Mod
‘It’s not surrender, it’s quantitative appeasing.’
Listen
Daleks 3
‘Phwoar! She’s hot.’
Bug
‘Be careful what you say. I think we’re being monitored.’
Ikea
‘Look! Ikea do a round one that sits up to 150 knights, good and true.’
‘Now print your ticket and boarding pass. If you have a 3D printer, print your own aeroplane and don’t bother us again.’
Damascus
‘That blinding light on the road to Damascus — turns out it was a surface-to-air missile.’
Unemployment
‘You’re not entited to a sense of entitlement.’
Snowden
‘Can you keep a secret, Mr Snowden?’
8947601
‘Some more of that genetically modified spinach, please.’