The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 13 August 2011

  HOME Parliament was recalled as rioting spread across London and to other cities. It began in Tottenham on Saturday night, two days after a black man, Mark Duggan, was shot dead by police during an attempted arrest. Friends gathered at Tottenham police station asking the truth of the incident. The Independent Police Complaints Commission

Leading article: Britain’s riots: burning issues

  When David Cameron returned from holiday on Tuesday to find volunteers cleaning up the mess left by the riots and shopkeepers making plans to protect their property at night, he did not dare mention the Big Society. Perhaps he should have. The Londoners who organised a clean-up — using the same technology as the

The week that was | 12 August 2011

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the last week. James Forsyth says that this is a conservative moment that Cameron must exploit, and responds to Cameron’s Commons’ statement. Peter Hoskin watches Cameron get tough, and exposes Osborne’s debt dilemma. David Blackburn notes that the Eurozone is still trying to maintain the status

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 8 August – 14 August

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… | 8 August 2011

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Fraser Nelson says that Twitter covered the London riots, and watches America continuing to unravel. Peter Hoskin listens to China bearing down on the “debt-ridden” United States, and asks if the Darling Plan would have satisfied the credit rating agencies. Jonathan Jones reveals

Letters | 6 August 2011

Spectator readers respond to recent articles REASONS TO DISLIKE THE WEALTHY Sir: There is much good sense in what Tim Montgomerie writes (‘Afraid of being right’, 30 July), but if his views are to triumph, those who support them need to understand that the people of Great Britain do not hate the wealth-creators because they

Portrait of the week | 6 August 2011

This week’s Portrait of the week HOME William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said there was ‘not a remote possibility’ of using force against Syria, even with United Nations backing. The Commons defence committee said that cuts to the Armed Forces might prevent their doing whatever was needed after 2015. Mike Clasper, the chairman of HM

Leading article: Syria – the wisdom of restraint

Syria – the wisdom of restraint Sometimes it is braver to do nothing; more courageous for a politician to admit openly that he cannot save the day than it is for him to call for immediate action. Too many of our leaders are too quick to cry ‘something must be done’, without worrying about whether

The week that was | 5 August 2011

Here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk during the past week: The Spectator publishes its summer reading list, featuring the revelation that David Cameron reads books backwards. Fraser Nelson says that the ghost of Gordon Brown still hovers over the 50p tax debate. Peter Hoskin reveals which government department could be replaced with

The Spectator’s summer reading list

As the headline suggests, what follows is a list of summer reading recommendations from Spectator staff members and writers — with more to come shortly. Although, it must be said, there is one contributor who doesn’t really count as a Spectator staff member or writer… David Cameron: I’ve been reading a book called Skippy Dies

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 1 August – 6 August

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