For an alternative take on the news
Visit the website of Press TV, Iran’s new global news channel. The Guardian has a good review of the, how shall we put this, idiosyncrasies of the site’s coverage here.
The Spectator
Tuesday
Monday
Reshuffle round up
If Coffee House has not slaked your thirst for reshuffle analysis, Conservative Home and Iain Dale both have comprehensive takes on it.
A new tack for the Tories?
David Cameron’s choice of Sayeeda Warsi to shadow Hazel Blears, further illustrates how far the Tories are moving away from a hawkish position on the war on terror. Here is what she said soon after 7/7: “We must start engaging with, not agreeing with, the radical groups who we have said in the past are
Tories turn ever further away from neo-conservatism
Dame Pauline Neville Jones recently gave evidence to Paddy Ashdown’s Iraq Commission. With today’s news, her testimony makes for fascinating reading. Here’s the key section of her remarks: “I think liberal intervention jolly difficult, jolly difficult, and we should be careful I think about being terribly gung-ho about the duty to protect, though the duty
Cameron’s answer to Sir Alan West
Dame Pauline Neville Jones is apparently joining the shadow cabinet in a security role. She’s a very establishment figure with very establishment views. Her record over Bosnia suggests that she has fairly realist views.
No Foxy moves
Conservative Home has confirmed that Liam Fox is staying where he is.
Salmond takes centre stage
Not much detail about those arrested over the last few days in connection with the failed Glasgow Airport and London attacks – but Alex Salmond’s administration has been keen to say they’re not “born or raised here in Scotland”. More detail than he should have given, it turns out, but he’s keen to kill off
What motivates them?
So, how much—if at all—does the Israel/Palestine conflict ‘cause’ terrorism? Matt argued yesterday that it is a “great error” to think that there’s a “causal link between the growth of Islamism and the Middle East conflict.” To which, Anthony Barnett over at Our Kingdom responds: “Of course there is a causal link between the growth
Team Brown’s psychological warfare
Gordon Brown has spent a large part of his honeymoon trying to destabilise the other two parties. As Jackie Ashley, whose columns will be essential reading in this new Brown era, writes today: “The offers to Paddy Ashdown and Shirley Williams, and the roles for Julia Neuberger and Anthony Lester, may not have been the
Rocking with the Royals
Last night’s Diana concert was ostensibly a tribute to the late princess on what would have been her 46th birthday. But its deeper function was – yet again – to demonstrate the awesome resilience and adaptability of the monarchy. Those who have doubts about Prince Charles need only look at the next generation, the sons
Sunday
Report: Intelligence warned of Glasgow attack
Interesting report from ABC News on the Glasgow attacks: “U.S. law enforcement officials received intelligence reports two weeks ago warning of a possible terror attack in Glasgow against “airport infrastructure or aircraft,” a senior US law enforcement official tells the Blotter on ABCNews.com.The intelligence reports also warned that airports and aircraft in the Czech Republic
Saturday
Letters to the Editor | 30 June 2007
A partisan presentation Sir: Last week Melanie Phillips attacked the West’s approach to the Palestinians as deluded (‘Gaza: another front in Iran’s war’, 23 June). But if her analysis carried sway it would only reinforce the hand of those who see no point in negotiations. Phillips’s view is based on a partisan presentation of history.
The Glasgow airport attack (updated)
Were they Scottish? The response to the failed Glasgow airport attack will be dictated by the identity of the perpetrators. Early reports say Asian men were seen leaving the car, and Glasgow certainly has a large Asian community – more akin to that that of Bradford than London, ie, poorer and perhaps more susceptible to
Playing modern Britain
I have been trying to work out why the idea of John Simm as the Master in Doctor Who is so compelling. By my calculation, Simm is the eighth actor to play the Doctor’s nemesis, who originally returned to the revived series in the form of Derek Jacobi. Of course, there is innate (not to
Clunk!
Rarely has there been such a triumph of expectation management as the arrival in No. 10 of the new Prime Minister. Only eight weeks ago, Labour was agonising over the loss of 900 council seats in England, the victory of the SNP in Scotland and the gloomy prospect of Gordon Brown’s succession. The then Chancellor’s
Friday
How sad are you to see Blair go?
This four year old girl is very upset that Tony’s not Prime Minister any more and Gordon Brown just won’t do as a replacement. No word yet, though, on who she thinks is the heir to Blair.
Why do politicians want to hire this man so badly?
The former Met Chief Lord Stevens must be the most in-demand man in British politics. The Tories try and get him to run for London Mayor and then after they’ve failed to do that put him in charge of their border security taskforce. Now, Gordon Brown has drafted him as an adviser on international security
Tories and terror
Tim Montgomerie, editor of Conservative Home, and Matthew d’Ancona are debating how the Tories should respond to Brown. You can read the first part of the debate here and the second part below. Dear Matt Thanks for your reply to my opening post of yesterday. Because I agreed with just about everything you wrote and
Background reading
With the news that Shriti Vadera, one of Gordon Brown’s closest aides, is to become a minister at DFID you might want to read this profile of her by Martin Vander Weyer, who was once her speechwriter.
An admirable choice
Gordon Brown’s appointment of the former first Sea Lord Sir Alan West as Home Office Minister for Security is an immensely savvy move. West as a non-political figure will reassure a, sadly, cynical public that the terror threat is not being exaggerated for political gain. His reassuring presence will also give the government’s response to