No axis of evil Sir: Melanie Phillips’s article (‘Beware the new axis of evangelicals and Islamists’, 7 March) contains untruthful statements about me. I have never said that I wish Israel, in her words, ‘to be destroyed’ or to ‘disappear just as did the apartheid regime in South Africa’. I have never believed this and
For Sinn Fein, the terrorist atrocity on Saturday night that left two British soldiers dead came at the worst possible time and involved the worst possible category of victim. Up until 2007, it seemed possible that the party would soon be in government on both sides of the border. This would have allowed it to
If Prince Charles is guilty of anything in selling the ‘Duchy Herbals Detox Tincture’, now the subject of a hysterical scientific controversy, it is the sin of euphemism. The food supplement is marketed as a way to ‘eliminate toxins and aid digestion’. What this means, in the Queen’s English, is that it aspires to be
We’ve just uploaded David Blackburn’s Web Exclusive report on the latest Spectator / Intelligence Squared event – ‘Afghanistan: the future’. You can read it here.
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
…here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Fraser Nelson reveals why so many people in this country are on welfare. James Forsyth reports in the Labour party and the politics of immigration, and observes that Gordon Brown thinks he has nothing to apologise for. Peter Hoskin wonders whether the Lib
Don’t go Dutch Sir: The Dutch postal service was privatised, you say, ‘with no perceived damage to the services they offer’ (Leading article, 28 February). You would not say that if you lived here. Firstly, deliveries: there is one a day, which arrives at absolutely random times but is usually around 3 p.m. — even here
‘Nobody rings a bell at the bottom of the market,’ says an old adage in the investment world — and anyone who thought they had already heard a distant peal signalling the low point of the current financial crisis has been proved woefully mistaken this week. Some stock-market investors, for example, had begun to feel
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
Here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson says that Gordon Brown’s global audience may ignore him. James Forsyth outlines what Brown can get from his meeting with Barack Obama, and wonders how long this can go on for. Peter Hoskin spots a failure of expectations management, and gives
Bonus issue Sir: Ross Clark (‘Big bonuses in the public sector’, 21 February) summed up the challenge we face. The Institute of Fiscal Studies figure Clark quotes of a 12 per cent premium on public compared to private sector pay should be drilled into all taxpayers’ heads the way Mrs Thatcher used to hit Neil
The sight of massed ranks of public sector workers and Labour backbenchers furiously protesting against a threat of privatisation surely belongs to a past era. Today’s major political trend is in quite the opposite direction, towards nationalisation of banks, and interventions by government in industry to save jobs and avert financial catastrophe. It seems jarringly
Matthew d’Ancona looks forward to the return of Blur. Fraser Nelson reveals the Spectator Inquiry’s questions for Lord Lawson, and watches Mervyn King’s blame game. James Forsyth picks up on an embarrassment for Gordon Brown, and reports on the British civil war in Afghanistan. Peter Hoskin gives his take on the Fred Goodwin pension controversy,
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
…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
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
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
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
We’ve just uploaded some culture recommendations from the Spectator’s Arts Editor, Liz Anderson. You can read them here.
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