Cameron’s Tangled Webs
Who knows who in the world of Westminster Click to see this feature
The Spectator
Saturday
Friday
The week that was | 8 October 2010
Here is a selection of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson groans as David Cameron resuscitates the Big Society, and urges George Osborne to go even further on middle class benefits. James Forsyth denies that the Tories have committed their ‘10p tax mistake’, and awaits the end of universal benefit.
Thursday
Shadow Cabinet results out: Hain, Bradshaw and Abbott miss out
Here are the results in full: Cooper 232 Healey 192 Balls 179 Burnham 165 Angela Eagle 165 Johnson 163 Alexander 160 Murphy 160 Jowell 152 Flint 139 Denham 129 Benn 128 Khan 128 Creagh 119 McKechin 117 Maria Eagle 107 Hillier 106 Lewis 104 Byrne 100
Wednesday
Reaction: David Cameron’s speech
Here is a selection of the blogosphere’s reaction to Cameron’s speech. Fraser Nelson notes that Cameron has resuscitated the Big Society. James Forsyth urges Cameron to concentrate on people power. Peter Hoskin ponders a peculiar speech from the Prime Minister. David Blackburn wonders what to make of Cameron’s disavowal of laissez-faire. Alex Massie asks if
Monday
CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 4 October – 10 October
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… | 4 October 2010
…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Fraser Nelson says Cameron will seek to de-Toryfy the Tory conference, and praises the coalition’s welfare reform. James Forsyth wonders how many Lib Dems are to the right of their Tory colleagues, and speculates that Ken Clarke is in the firing line. Peter
Saturday
Barometer | 2 October 2010
Among the quango; Labour leadership; Power source; Gay population Among the quangos The government is to axe 177 quangos. Here are some of the most obscure, and their stated purposes: Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees 16 regional bodies which hear disputes over tied housing on farms Commission for the Compact Aids partnership between the government
Letters | 2 October 2010
Spectator readers respond to recent articles Darwinian faith Sir: I am always amazed at how little Darwin’s devotees seem to know about his theory of how evolution came about. In addressing the familiar riddle of why the fossil record does not show ‘intermediate forms’ between one species and another, Mr Lewin (Letters, 25 September) caustically claims that
The Tories need to talk
Liam Fox has certainly given the Tories something to talk about as they gather for the party conference this weekend. Liam Fox has certainly given the Tories something to talk about as they gather for the party conference this weekend. Everything that he wrote in his leaked letter to David Cameron is true: the Conservatives
Portrait of the week | 2 October 2010
The Spectator’s portrait of the week Home Ed Miliband, aged 40, was elected leader of the Labour party by 50.65 per cent of the vote, to 49.35 per cent for his brother David, aged 45. Ed Miliband had gained 15.522 per cent from MPs, 15.198 from party members — both lower figures than his brother,
What’s not to like
The Spectator on Emma Thompson and contemporary English Was Emma Thompson right to berate a group of schoolgirls this week for saying ‘like’ and ‘innit’? Many Spectator readers would, we imagine, have cheered her on. It is annoying the way today’s teenagers pepper their speech with ‘like’ and put ‘innit?’ at the end of each
Friday
The week that was | 1 October 2010
Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson sees the penny drop at the Labour conference, and is sure that Liam Fox did not leak that infamous letter. James Forsyth watches Ed Miliband produce the bare minimum, and notes that the IMF has upset Labour’s plans. Peter Hoskin
Thursday
Who is the Greatest Parliamentarian of the Last 25 Years?
It is 25 years since The Spectator first began to recognise our better politicians with the annual Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. The inaugural winner of our main prize, the Parliamentarian of the Year award itself, was David Owen. Since then, the roll call of victors has grown to include John Smith, Nigel Lawson, Robin
Tuesday
Reaction to Miliband’s speech
Here is a selection of the blogosphere’s reaction to Ed Miliband’s speech. James Forsyth thinks Miliband did what he had to do. Peter Hoskin watches a Janus act from the Leader of the Opposition. David Blackburn sees Red Ed turn into a social conservative. Mary Riddell thinks that Ed’s speech has frozen out David. Tim
Monday
CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 27 September – 3 October
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… | 27 September 2010
…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend Fraser Nelson asks if Ed Miliband will face facts. James Forsyth praises the dignity of David Miliband, and urges the right not to underestimate Ed Miliband. Peter Hoskin examines the Whelan factor, and observes the start of the Ed Miliband de-toxification process. David
Saturday
Blame Games
India has given a good impression of a country that views the Commonwealth as an embarrassment. It should be an honour to host the commonwealth Games. We hoped that India would use the event to show the world that it is not just an emerging superpower with nuclear weapons and a space programme, but a
Barometer | 25 September 2010
Party conferences • Public-sector pay • Who we blame for the deficit • British mammals Party conferences When the Liberal party and SDP merged in 1988 to form the Liberal Democrats, diehards of both parties went on alone. — Not even David Owen’s attempt finally to wind up the SDP in 1990 prevented some carrying
Letters | 25 September 2010
Spectator readers respond to recent articles Thought crime, style crime Sir: I welcome the new presentation of The Spectator, along with the continuing commitment to ‘elegance of expression and originality of thought’, and providing ‘a refuge from an often censorious and humourless world’. These are the reasons why I subscribe, and I am seldom let
The night our house burnt down
Murray Sayle, who died last weekend, wrote regularly for The Spectator. Here is an edited extract from his column of 13 May 1989. Aikawa, near Tokyo The night of 19 December last was cold and starry. Our house stood in a clearing in a pine forest halfway up a mountainside, and the flames could be