In this week’s magazine, Rod Liddle provides a brilliantly acerbic take on the Government’s green agenda. Here’s the bottom line: “The truth is, I suspect, that you can ‘prove’ almost any old rubbish to be environmentally sound or otherwise — the science is so inexact and so open to manipulation. This isn’t an excuse for
This week’s CoffeeHousers’ Wall is here. Head over there to have your say on the week’s events, and to let us know what you’d like to see on Coffee House.
Here are the July monthly traffic figures for Spectator.co.uk: Unique Users — 197,403 Page Views — 1,886,333 These figures represent an impressive year of growth across the site, and include your favourites: Coffee House, Melanie Phillips’ blog, Stephen Pollard’s blog, Clive Davis’s blog and, of course, the weekly magazine content. Thank you to all of our users
…here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Daniel Korski says that Britain needs to support a European defence initiative. Fraser Nelson points out that curbing drinking by taxing alcopops isn’t as straightforward as it looks, and suggests that Blair should have stopped Brown from getting to No10. Peter Hoskin
On Colombian ‘democracy’ Sir: Tristan Garel-Jones’s article misrepresents Justice for Colombia’s work by implying a common agenda with the Farc (‘The day I was kidnapped’, 12 July). JFC works to defend human rights in Colombia. We were the only British organisation to campaign for the release of Ingrid Betancourt. Last year we brought over Ingrid’s
So madly introspective and self-obsessed has Labour become that it seems almost impolite to intrude upon its private agonies. Yet since the party is still notionally governing the nation it is our duty to knock on the door, and ask what all the tears and shouting are about. The conduct of the government since the
A selection of posts made this week on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson wonders whether Alex Salmond is the real threat for Labour, and laments Gordon Brown’s reverse Midas touch. James Forsyth says the numbers don’t add up for David Miliband, and gives his take on the Foreign Secretary’s infamous Guardian op-ed. Peter Hoskin reports on a
We’ve had a few technical problems today, so here are some Coffee House posts that you may have missed: Fraser Nelson wonders whether Alex Salmond is Labour’s biggest threat, and give his thoughts on the Labour leadership struggle. James Forsyth outlines the the internal turmoil that Labour can expect should Brown be ousted, and analyses David Miliband’s op-ed in
…here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Rory Sutherland says it’s out with the flash and in with the smiles to curb speeding on our roads. James Forsyth tips Alan Johnson as the main threat to the Tories, and claims that Cameron wants us to think that the torch has
Sensible scares Sir: To be fair to the scaremongers (Another Voice, 19 July), at least some of the scares mentioned by Matthew Parris (al-Qa’eda, HIV) seem less frightening in retrospect not because they were always insubstantial but because the threats were taken seriously and action was taken to counter them. If the fuss over the
The wonder of the National Curriculum Tests marking scandal is that it has taken a decade for the inadequacies of the school exam system to become widely known. As Liz Brocklehurst, a former exam marker, reveals in this issue (see page 21), the exam system has been in crisis since being politicised in David Blunkett’s
Here are some of the posts made this week on Spectator.co.uk: Chris Grayling wants your questions. George Osborne answers your questions. Fraser Nelson reports on the SNP’s stunning victory in the Glasgow East by-election, and claims that the West needs to solve the Pakistan problem. James Forsyth says Ed Balls should take responsibility for the Sat fiasco, and spells out how reform-minded Labour MPs can establish a
Is Darling his own man? Join the debate over at Trading Floor.
…here are some posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Matthew d’Ancona claims that the latest Batman film is brilliantly dark. Fraser Nelson presents a guide to Glasgow East, and highlights new statistics which show that four out of every five drug addicts are on welfare. James Forsyth suggests that Brown will take a pounding during the summer
Rod for our backs Sir: Each week, Rod Liddle’s column reminds me of the little girl of whom it was written that she hiked up her skirt to show she wasn’t wearing knickers. In the absence of a parent, or in Mr Liddle’s case an editor, one can only look away in embarrassment. So usually
‘Inflation,’ Ronald Reagan declared, ‘is as violent as a mugger.’ In response, the world pursued zero-tolerance policies for two decades, to the point at which politicians and central bankers began to believe they had actually eradicated the menace. When Gordon Brown used to boast that there would be ‘no more boom and bust’, he was
Fraser Nelson wondered if Labour’s welfare reform proposals would cost it Glasgow East and critiqued the Tory plan to import US-style bankruptcy protections for failing firms. James Forsyth looked at where the SATS scandal will go next and what Brown might offer the Unions for their support. Sarah Standing recommended that we all cheer ourselves
Cameron versus Brown Clegg versus Brown As always thanks to the wonderful Politics Home team.
Clemency Burton-Hill, who will be presenting The Proms on BBC 4 this summer, offers her suggestions for what to do and see on the cultural front this summer here. Well worth a read.
Here are some of the posts made over the weekend: The Russian and Chinese veto of sanctions on Zimbabwe is a result of the UN not being designed to be a moral body, argued James Forsyth. Fraser Nelson explained why he and so many of his friends are marrying foreigners. Americano noted a poll that