The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 23 February – 1 March

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 – provided 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… | 23 February 2009

…here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson says that David Cameron needs to level with the public, and observes that Jade Goody’s dying wish indicts the British education system. James Forsyth urges British politicians to start talking about Iran, and notes that Gordon Brown still believes. Peter Hoskin

Letters | 21 February 2009

Hidden behind Smith Sir: Matthew Parris (Another Voice, 14 February) correctly emphasised the cyclical pattern of economic markets in an optimistic tone that heralded a future recovery. As is almost always the case, writers from Adam Smith onwards are given the credit for the exposition of market theory. However, it was Josiah Tucker (1713-1799), an

The closet radical

David Cameron’s path towards power has been long and winding, and may twist and turn yet more before the general election. Tony Blair’s march to Number 10 between 1994 and 1997 was relatively linear. Mr Cameron, in contrast, was underdog in his party’s leadership race in 2005, wobbled badly in the summer of 2007, recovered

The week that was | 20 February 2009

Fraser Nelson continues the Spectator Inquiry into the causes of the recession, and marks a first anniversary that shouldn’t be celebrated. James Forsyth gives his take on the Labour leadership speculation, and says that the London G20 Summit can’t live up to expectations. Peter Hoskin outlines a day of good and bad news for the

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 16 February – 22 February

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 – provided 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… | 16 February 2009

Here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Matthew d’Ancona looks back on the Satanic Verses controversy. Fraser Nelson laments the hole in Britain’s public finances, and says that there are more defections to the Tories in the pipeline. James Forsyth picks up on Moore pain for Brown, and says that

Letters | 14 February 2009

Solidarity with the strikers Sir: As a member of the English working class I write to express my approval of and agreement with Rod Liddle’s article (‘Would the working class vote Labour now?, 7 February). I would compare the action of the strikers with those of the shipyard workers of Gdansk in 1980 whose actions

Bonus points

Not all bankers are bad people. Not all banks are surviving only with the support of the billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money. Not all bankers’ bonuses are rewards for failure. It is important to state these things, obvious though they may be, because Downing Street has undoubtedly poured petrol on the bonfire of rage

The week that was | 13 February 2009

Fraser Nelson launches the Spectator Inquiry into the causes of the recession, and reveals where British jobs are going. James Forsyth remembers when Cameron faced down Paxman, and thinks the bankers should learn from Profumo. Peter Hoskin gives his take on the Geert Wilders controversy, and reports on white collar jobs for white collar workers.

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 9 February – 15 February

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 – provided 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… | 9 February 2009

Here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Martin Bright has joined Spectator.co.uk.  Read his introductory post here, and his post on creating a modern New Deal here. Fraser Nelson highlights an important voice on African development, and discusses how government can track taxpayers’ cash. James Forsyth says it’s time for

Letters | 7 February 2009

A failure of fairness Sir: Rod Liddle’s defence of the BBC (Liddle Britain, 31 January) does not stack up. Of course people with close connections to Palestinians, those fully aware of their sufferings and traumas, were in the forefront of calling for the BBC to air the charity’s appeal. How could it be otherwise? Yet

Snowbama

As Britain awoke to the stunning snowscapes of Monday morning, the nation could not make its mind up whether it was on the set of a huge Richard Curtis film, congratulating itself on its social cohesion and snowball-throwing geniality — or whether we were all suddenly locked in a post-apocalyptic nightmare in which no amenities

The week that was | 6 February 2009

Fraser Nelson thinks that the Tories’ education policy is transformative, and suggests that we shouldn’t ignore the poverty in our own country. James Forsyth says that the bad war is coming good and the good war is going bad, and gives his take on the Carol Thatcher controversy. Peter Hoskin wonders whether David Miliband has in

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 2 February –  8 February

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 – provided 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