The Spectator

Barometer | 10 December 2011

Let the Games begin The budget for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics has been doubled to £81 million, the government has announced. The move has ignited fears that the ceremony could prove an expensive disaster — but there is no guarantee that things will go well even when kept simple.   — The

Portrait of the week | 10 December 2011

Home David Cameron, the Prime Minister, said before an EU summit on the eurozone debt crisis that he would not agree to any treaty change ‘that fails to protect our interests’. Downing Street rejected suggestions by Iain Duncan Smith that a referendum on the EU would be made necessary by the changes proposed. Sir Mervyn

Leadership, please

Is a time of economic crisis an opportunity for fundamental reform, or a time to muddle through while waiting for calmer waters in which to effect lasting political and economic change? When he came to power last year, David Cameron argued for reform. He laid out plans so radical that Vince Cable complained they were

The week that was | 9 December 2011

Here is a selection of posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the past week: Fraser Nelson highlights the New York Times’s austerity myth, and wonders how Europe’s 17-plus-six will proceed now. James Forsyth says that the Brussels summit was a defining moment for British politics, and posts an extended version of his interview with Owen Paterson.

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 5-11 December 2011

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which — providing your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency — you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no

Just in case you missed them… | 5 December 2011

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Fraser Nelson says auterity is not enough – what we need is a real plan to kick start growth – and reports on Herman Cain’s exit from the US Presidential race. James Forsyth highlights the political advantage in setting spending plans beyond the next election.