According to popular wisdom on the left — and even among some in the Conservative party — this ought to have been a tough week for the government. On Monday, the new £26,000 cap on benefits came into effect and with it a new principle: that no one on welfare should receive more than the average working
Wild weather Sir: Weather and climate science is not an emotional or political issue — even though emotions and politics run high around it, as illustrated in Rupert Darwall’s article (‘Bad weather’, 13 July). However, it is important that opinions are rooted in evidence, and the article contains numerous errors and misrepresentations about the Met Office
Running scared Three participants were gored at the Pamplona bull run. The event has reputation for danger, but how risky is it? —Since 1910, 15 deaths have been recorded, the last in 2009. Five of the deaths have been since 1980. — Counting of the participants began only 2011, when 20,500 people were recorded as
The latest issue of the Spectator is full to bursting with sparkling and varied book reviews. Here are some extracts from those reviews: Sam Leith reviews two new books (one by Douglas Hurd and Edward Young, the other by Dick Legend) that, to some extent, debunk the Tory legend of Benjamin Disraeli. ‘Disraeli…, as Hurd
‘A table away from any children, not next to any toilets and no wobbly legs.’
‘I’ll call you back — I’m about to go through a tunnel.’
‘We suspect it may be powering a cannabis farm.’
‘I’ll be honest with you, Lloyd: the company’s in trouble…’
‘Grandad, tell me again about the old days when we were rubbish at sport and Britain never won anything.’
‘The dog’s been on the internet again.’
‘But I always like an e-cigarette after internet sex.’
‘Oh, great — we’re stuck. I told you not to always trust the sat nav.’
‘A Life’, 1975, by Kitaj can be seen at the British Museum and at Marlborough Fine Art
‘It says here that the artist is a former hitman.’
‘Another day, another “selfie”.’
‘Will this be a cash robbery or a card robbery, sir?’
Ed Miliband’s relationship with Len McCluskey was defined in a brief camera shot at the Labour party conference in 2010. After praising trade unions, Miliband added that he would have no patience with ‘waves of irresponsible strikes’. Several rows back, McCluskey, who three days earlier had helped Ed defeat his brother David in the leadership
Tax breaks for families Sir: Hugo Rifkind is wrong to imply (6 July) that the current income tax system is indifferent to family structure, and thus the Conservative party’s attempt to give tax breaks to married couples is ‘a blatant attempt at social engineering’. Is it not social engineering when the current system demands more tax
