We at The Spectator are concerned about our occasional contributor, Frank Field. In last week’s magazine, the MP for Birkenhead declared that ‘the 10p revolt is unlike any other faced by the Labour leadership over the past 11 years… it has at a stroke placed clear red water between practically the whole of the Parliamentary
Fraser Nelson outlines the high cost of living, and claims that James Purnell could be the next Labour leader. James Forsyth asks CoffeeHousers to suggest what the Tories would achieve if in power, and wonders whether Ken Livingstone’s heading for Parliament. And Peter Hoskin says the bleak economic horizon spells trouble for Brown, and hopes
Over on Americano, some thoughts on Hillary Clinton’s primary win in West Virginia, why John McCain should style himself as a Reform Republican and Obama’s tendency to blame his staff for his mistakes.
Head over to Trading Floor for an update on consumer prospects. As Fraser reports, food inflation’s getting worse, whilst Pete picks up on a similar story for energy prices. And – on a different note – what do Russians think they need for making a fortune? According to a new survey – highlighted by James – the
…here are some of the posts made over the weekend: Fraser Nelson is amazed at how quickly the public are turning against Gordon Brown, and highlights the Blairites’ coordinated effort to undermine the Prime Minister. James Forsyth wonders how the Blairs will fit into the next general election campaign. And, over at Americano, James also
Israel and Palestine Sir: Melanie Phillips (‘Happy 60th birthday, Israel’, 3 May) denies Israel one of its greatest successes over the last 60 years by deliberately ignoring its status as a regional military and economic superpower. The image of Israel as a David to an Arab Goliath is massively outdated. Arab states have long since
In September 2006, as Tony Blair was forced to bring forward his departure date by backbench rebellion, The Spectator predicted a Labour civil war. It was not clear when this conflict would erupt, only that its coming was inexorable. This week, battle commenced. In the wake of disastrous local election results and the loss of
David Cameron answers your questions Matthew d’Ancona wonders whether Brown has broken the New Labour pact. Fraser Nelson serves up ‘Brownie No.3 – Gordon Brown’s “transitional” 10p tax rate’, and gives the word from Scotland on Wendy Alexander’s call for a referendum. James Forsyth suggests that Gordon Brown should embrace the fight over the Union,
The champagne was flowing freely at this week’s party in celebration of the The Spectator’s 180th anniversary. We’ve just put up exclusive footage of the bash on a special corner of the website – new.spectator.co.uk/party. Check it out for red carpet access, celebrity interviews and all the happenings from behind-the-scenes.
We’ve just released the first issue of the monthly Spectator Business magazine. You can access all of its content online – just head over here to check it out.
What was the massive – and politically fatal – mistake that Hillary Clinton made at the start of her campaign? Find out over at Americano.
Call that a crisis? Sir: Ian Hay Davison (‘How to rescue a bank’, 19 April) is right that the Northern Rock episode was far from unprecedented. But there is much more to say. The difficulties of a number of relatively minor institutions in the early 1990s, including National Mortgage Bank (to which he refers), were
Scroll down for full Coffee House coverage. Here are some selected highlights: Matthew d’Ancona congratulates Boris. Mary Wakefield reflects on how Boris and Ken came to like each other during the campaign. Can Brown change or is he doomed to go down to defeat asks James Forsyth. Pete Hoskin points to the moment that summed
In its 6 October 2007 edition, The Spectator reported on Israel’s air-strike on Syria exactly a month before. We noted that the 6 September raid ‘may have saved the world from a devastating threat’ and revealed that a senior British ministerial source had told us that: ‘If people had known how close we came to
Peter Hoskin reports from Israel on life in the town of Sderot, and on efforts to forge peace with Syria. James Forsyth says Gordon Brown has spectacularly failed his first electoral test, and suggests that Cameron is walking into trouble over the 42-day detention plans. And Fraser Nelson keeps track of the Prime Minister’s Brownies, and highlights
We’ve just launched Apollo magazine’s Muse blog. It’s a new and exciting destination for news and topical comment on the latest debates, controversies and happenings in the art world. It will also feature a weekly competition, the first of which can be accessed here.
Stay with Coffee House tonight for all the latest on the local elections. Expect frequent updates, as well as analysis from Matthew d’Ancona, Fraser Nelson, Mary Wakefield, James Forsyth and Peter Hoskin. In the meantime, you can always flick through the briefing that the Electoral Reform Society has put together. When are results coming in? Where are
Few questions have divided opinion as much as this one in recent years, Tonight, Spectator.co.uk broadcasts a debate on this topic featuring an all star set of speakers. Arguing for the motion are Matthew Parris, Will Self and John Gray. Opposing it are Simon Schama, Howard Jacobson and Martin Amis. You can listen to it
Here are some of the posts made over the weekend: Matthew d’Ancona reflects on how the Carole Capln story could so easily have been about Tony not Cherie. Boris Johnson should urge his supporters to give their second preferences to Brian Paddick argues James Forsyth. A new poll of battleground seats has the Tories on
United State of Europe Sir: Your musings (‘England Rides Again’, 19 April) upon the complexity of being English, Scottish or British have, I fear, the relevance of the archangels upon the proverbial pinhead. This is because we are all being ineluctibly subsumed into the coming United State of Europe. This process will accelerate impressively after