Top dogs Sir: I very much enjoyed the excerpts from Dean Spanley (The Spectator’s Notes, 8 January). Hitherto my favourite depiction of the canine mindset had come from Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K. Jerome: Montmorency’s ambition in life is to get in the way and be sworn at. If he can squirm in
A collector’s item — The Lord Chamberlain ruled that there would be no official commemorative tea towel for the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. Some manufacturers are going to produce them regardless. But will they be a good investment? Consider the four Charles and Diana tea towels were for sale on eBay last
Home David Chaytor, the Labour MP for Bury North from 1997 to 2010, was sentenced to 18 months for false accounting under the Theft Act 1968 regarding his claims for parliamentary expenses. Eric Illsley, the Labour MP for Barnsley, who was re-elected last May with a majority of 11,000, was convicted of fraudulently claiming more
Almost 20 years ago, Samuel Huntingdon forecast a ‘clash of civilisations’. Almost 20 years ago, Samuel Huntingdon forecast a ‘clash of civilisations’. In the past few months, this clash has become outright war. Christian minorities, who have lived peacefully in Muslim countries for generations, are finding themselves subject to increasingly violent persecution. Churches are being
Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson introduces an Austrian perspective on the crash, and has the exclusive that Lord Adonis supports Michael Gove’s reforms. James Forsyth considers David Cameron’s party management, and says that Alan Johnson is running out of lives. Peter Hoskin has five more
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
…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Fraser Nelson examines the government’s economic policy. James Forsyth relays Michael Gove’s latest initiative, and explains why the Cameroons care about the Lib Dem poll rating. Peter Hoskin reports that Labour are running away with it in Oldham East.
Godly geologists Sir: Bruce Anderson’s article in your Christmas special (‘Confession of an atheist’, 18/25 December) was a great example of the thoughtful and reasonable atheism of which we have been starved over recent years. That said, he still makes one howling and oft-repeated error when he claims that Christianity never recovered ‘from the loss
Prison regimes A riot at Ford Open Prison in Sussex raised questions as to the regime in jails. This is some of what prisoners can expect: — Category A (Whitemoor, Cambs): work opportunities in recycling, laundry and restoring computers for schools in Africa. Courses in thinking skills and anger management. Gym, sports hall and Astroturf.
Home Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, said that the rise in VAT from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent would cost the average family £7.50 a week. George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: ‘If you look at the population and how much they spend, then VAT is progressive.’ The average price of
When George Osborne decided to raise VAT, more months ago than he will admit, he did not imagine that he would be compounding the worst inflation in Western Europe. Prices are currently falling in Ireland, flat in Germany and rising only slightly throughout the rest of the Eurozone and America. But in Britain, inflation is
Inflation is one of the most important topics around right how so I thought I’d respond to CoffeeHousers’ comments in a post rather than the original thread. Nick and Gareth Sutcliffe say that inflation is due to global forces (and they’re right insofar as metals, food, etc are all going up). But if the money
Here is a selection of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson is pleased that Gove’s school reforms have reached a ‘tipping point’, and weighs up King’s ransom. James Forsyth charts the political fallout from the VAT increase, and says there is all to play for in Oldham East. Peter Hoskin
…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the Christmas holiday. Fraser Nelson considers the future of the newspaper industry, and welcomes you to a debt-filled 2011. James Forsyth says that the Oldham East by-election will determine whether Clegg or Miliband is under pressure, and previews the rebellions to come. Peter Hoskin argues
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
An education Sir: Quite apart from the pressure the Gaokao exam puts on students (Letters, 18/25 December), the Chinese education system is unsatisfactory in other ways. I taught English to undergraduates in Beijing for two years and it could be a dispiriting experience. Chinese students are taught very intensively, there is a lot of learning
Every day of this new year, some 200,000 people are likely to be lifted out of what the United Nations defines as extreme poverty: living on $1.25 a day or less. Every day of this new year, some 200,000 people are likely to be lifted out of what the United Nations defines as extreme poverty:
Home Nine men were charged with conspiracy to bomb London targets such as the Stock Exchange and the tower of Big Ben before Christmas. Three of the men, aged between 19 and 28, came from Cardiff, two from London and four from Stoke-on-Trent. The Rt Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, Bishop of Winchester, spoke of ‘an imbalance
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
Coffee House will be going a bit quieter over the next few days – so a quick post just to wish CoffeeHousers a happy Christmas, and to thank you for reading and contributing over the past year. We won’t be falling completely silent, though. Tune in over Christmas for occasional posts, as well as a
