The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 14 December – 20 December

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… | 14 December 2009

…here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Fraser Nelson lambasts the government for playing politics with the public finances, and reports on some mixed poll results for the Tories. James Forsyth spots the signs that a fourth term Labour government would be even more fiscally irresponsible, and Labour fell between

Letters | 12 December 2009

Balls to Gilligan Sir: As Andrew Gilligan well knows, I abhor the anti-semitic and anti-democratic views ascribed to Hizb ut Tahrir and I take any accusations of extremist views being taught in schools very seriously (‘Minister for Hizb ut Tahrir’, 5 December). That is why when allegations about links between Hizb ut Tahrir and the

Portrait of the Week – 12 December 2009

Mr Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his pre-Budget statement, made hostile gestures at bonus-earning bankers to distract attention from the borrowings of £178 billion that Britain will have to make this year. Mr Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his pre-Budget statement, made hostile gestures at bonus-earning bankers to distract

Brown’s toxic farewell

The Pre-Budget Report was, like the Queen’s Speech that preceded it in November, an almost empty sideshow. The Pre-Budget Report was, like the Queen’s Speech that preceded it in November, an almost empty sideshow. The Chancellor’s threatened assault on bankers’ bonuses and Gordon Brown’s sudden diatribe against high public-sector salaries were feeble attempts to distract

The week that was | 11 December 2009

Here are some posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the past week: Fraser Nelson says we shouldn’t worry about the tax on jobs, and reveals the hidden cuts in the Pre-Budget Report. James Forsyth wonders whether Labour has u-turned on defence spending, and says the Tories should attack the national insurance increase. Peter Hoskin gives his

Apologies | 11 December 2009

We’ve been experiencing a few technical difficulties on Spectator.co.uk this morning, which mean some of you may not have been able to access the site We’re hoping that things will be fully fixed shortly. But, in the meantime, blogging may be a little sporadic.

In this week’s Spectator | 10 December 2009

The latest issue of The Spectator is released today. If you are a subscriber you can view it here. If you have not subscribed, but would like to view this week’s content, you can subscribe online here, or purchase a single issue here. A selection of articles from the latest issue are available for free

Just in case you missed them… | 9 December 2009

It’s been a busy day on Coffee House.  Here’s a selection of our PBR coverage, in case you missed them the first time around: Fraser Nelson dissects Alistair Darling’s growth forecasts, and reveals the spending cuts hidden in the PBR. James Forsyth wonders whether Labour have u-turned on defence spending, and says the Tories should

CoffeeHousers’ Wall 7 December – 13 December

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… | 7 December 2009

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk Fraser Nelson relates what happened when he tried to debate climate change with an expert, and says that Brown is ready to strike. James Forsyth argues that the Tories musn’t allow Labour to define their tax policy, and finds a quote from the NUT that epitomises

Letters | 5 December 2009

Shooting, moi? Sir: We act for Cherie Blair. We are instructed with regard to an article… The Spectator’s Notes by Charles Moore (28 November). It alleged that our client attended a shooting party at Lord Rothschild’s house in Buckinghamshire with ‘Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator, and the man who escorted the Lockerbie

Portrait of the week | 5 December 2009

Mr Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, announced that Britain would send an extra 500 troops to Afghanistan, bringing its strength there to 10,000. Earlier he had criticised Pakistan for not making ‘more progress in taking out’ the leader of al-Qa’eda: ‘We have got to ask ourselves why, eight years after September 11, nobody has been

Battle for the City

For years, the French have resented the success of the City of London. It has become the Rome of the globalised world, where the best financiers flock to do business, make money and pay tax. When Britain wisely stayed out of the eurozone, the City consolidated its lead as Europe’s only world-league financial centre. The

Salmond may save Labour

Pity Alex Salmond and his separatist supporters. The publication of their manifesto for Scottish independence this week is no threat to the Union, but a requiem for a dream now vanquished. The devolution settlement gave them the rope, and now they’ve managed to hang themselves with it. During Mr Salmond’s tenure as First Minister, Scotland’s

The week that was | 4 December 2009

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson calls for a debate, a proper debate, about climate change, and asks who cares about the playing fields of Eton. James Forsyth ponders some testing times for the Tories, and reckons there might be life in the class war yet.

In this week’s Spectator | 3 December 2009

The latest issue of the Spectator is released today. If you are a subscriber you can view it here. If you have not subscribed, but would like to view this week’s content, you can subscribe online now. Six articles from the latest issue are available for free online to all website users: As the world

CoffeeHousers’ Wall 30 November – 6 December

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… | 30 November 2009

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend Fraser Nelson considers the Iraq inquiry we should be having. James Forsyth argues that the Tories must develop a three-pronged strategy in light of recent polls, and describes Zac Goldsmith’s tax status as a major embarrassment for the Tories. Peter Hoskin ponders PBR

Letters | 28 November 2009

Not so special Sir: The only ‘disrespect’ Obama can really be accused of is a degree of indifference to the British delusion of a ‘special relationship’ with the USA (‘A special form of disrespect’, 21 November). One would have thought that after the con-trick of Lend-lease, the wholesale vacuuming-up of British nuclear and aviation technology,