Squeezing out democracy Sir: Melanie Phillips did a first-rate job in pinning down the Islamofascist ‘elephant in the room’ (‘The clash of uncivilisations’, 24 October). There was, however, one area not touched on: how the Islamists and the BNP are really two sides of the same coin. I live six miles from the BNP heartland
The votes are in, and we now know which parliamentarian has won this year’s Spectator/Threadneedle Readers’ Representative Award. The votes are in, and we now know which parliamentarian has won this year’s Spectator/Threadneedle Readers’ Representative Award. Their name will be revealed at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards lunch But here, first, we can announce
Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week Fraser Nelson sees a cartoon that epitomises modern Britain. James Forsyth argues that Liz Truss’ candidacy must stand, and doubts that the army is being funded to its target level. Peter Hoskin is encouraged that IDS is being tasked with finding “affordable
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. Five articles from the latest issue are available for free online to all website users: The idea of
Spectator Business, the sister magazine of The Spectator, is on the lookout for talent again. We’re tracking down Britain’s best young entrepreneurs of 2009. Last year, we profiled ten young people who had made their mark in industries ranging from media and entertainment to food production and social networking. They included Marc Burton, a partner
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 on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: James Forsyth reports on Iran’s secret nuclear plant, and says that a second round of voting won’t solve all of Afghanistan’s election problems. Peter Hoskin says that there’s still no room for complacency about the BNP, and claims that the Tories now have
The readers’ dinner held at Spectator headquarters last week was, as might be expected, a sparkling, bibulous affair. The readers’ dinner held at Spectator headquarters last week was, as might be expected, a sparkling, bibulous affair. The only cloud was the realisation that, unfortunately, many subscribers had not received the latest issue of the magazine,
Nick Griffin has won an important victory just by being invited to appear on Question Time. To secure such a slot on prime-time television represents the greatest single accomplishment in the history of the fascist and neo-fascist movements in Britain. Oswald Mosley may have once filled the Albert Hall, but that granted him an audience
On the brink of a planned national postal strike, Royal Mail announced it was recruiting 30,000 temporary staff to deal with the existing backlog and the normal Christmas rush, twice the number usually taken on. The Financial Services Authority published rules to make mortgage lenders assess strictly the ability of borrowers to make repayments, and
Race is still an issue Sir: I do not share Samir Shah’s flawed assumption that Britain is no longer a racist society (10 October). How many people of ethnic minorities are members of the current cabinet? How many vice-chancellors are non-whites? Would it be possible, in the current climate of religious prejudice, racial discrimination and
Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson says that the BNP defines itself by race – that distinguishes it from every other party, and asks whether it is legitimate to discuss the strength of the link between HIV and Aids. James Forsyth wonders why the BBC allowed
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. Five articles from the latest issue are available for free online to all website users: The unions are
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 posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Fraser Nelson says that the horror story of the BNP’s success is not over, and argues that current Tory health plans are backward-looking and reactionary. James Forsyth reports on the end of a convenient fiction, and thinks the Tories have found the right way to
No Sants-culotte Sir: I was disheartened but, in these days of sloppy journalism, hardly surprised to read Charles Moore’s snide remarks (The Spectator’s Notes, 10 October) about Hector Sants’s apparently palatial house in Oxford. I have no particular opinion as to whether, as chief executive of the Financial Services Authority, Mr Sants should be paid
Mr Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, is to pay back £12,415.10p that he claimed in expenses between 2004 and 2008 Mr Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, is to pay back £12,415.10p that he claimed in expenses between 2004 and 2008; he had received a letter, along with all other MPs, on the day Parliament returned
It seems that marriage and success go together as surely as love and marriage. A new study by the Office for National Statistics suggests that married men are 33 per cent more likely to find another job after being sacked than men who are single or divorced. Given that unemployment is 2.47 million and rising,
No sooner did parliament return than it was embroiled in the latest instalment of the expenses saga. The scandal is, by now, wearily familiar — but it has lost none of its capacity to shock. It is understandable that MPs feel aggrieved by the retrospective rules applied by Sir Thomas Legg on how much can
Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson debates the politics of growth. James Forsyth believes that the broken society must be rebuilt from the bottom up, and sees Russia pocket Obama’s concession and move on. Peter Hoskin has a feeling of déjà vu, and wonders what the