The Spectator

Conservatives at war

No, this has nothing to do with the Tory response to Gordon Brown — or to Quentin Davies. This is about what, in another context, Richard Hofstadter called ‘the paranoid style in American politics’. In the latest issue of the liberal New Republic Johann Hari has an immensely funny piece about his adventures on a

How about a really radical reshuffle?

All this “talent” business is getting out of hand. In some of Gordon’s speeches, it sounds like a reference to the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30). And, for the record, this is how that particular Gospel story ends for the unfortunate soul who squanders his asset: “Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer

A healthy reshuffle

Patricia Hewitt to stand down as Health Secretary. No surprises there. Gordon has been saying throughout his grand tour that, while education is his “passion”, health is his “priority”. And no wonder: the Tories have stolen Labour’s lead on health policy, perhaps Cameron’s most remarkable and certainly his cheekiest achievement. Brown is an implacable believer

Brown’s agenda

The school motto of Kirkcaldy High School: “I will try my utmost”. That was the principle which Gordon Brown promised to make the foundation of his work as Prime Minister. It is up there with Boxer’s “I will work harder” in Animal Farm. But this was the son of the Manse speaking from the heart.

Welcome Prime Minister Brown, goodbye Mr. Blair

We’ve just posted The Spectator leader that will be in this week’s print magazine; it looks at the challenges facing Gordon Brown. We’ve also put up a fantastic essay by Clemency Burton-Hill on what it was like growing up with Tony Blair. Do give them a read and keep on coming back for more.

Paging John Bercow (UPDATED)

I don’t know where John Bercow is having lunch right now, but a lot of people wish he’d switch his phone on. Perhaps thanks to Guido, there’s a rumour flying around Westminster that he’s the next to cross the floor and join Labour. Well, didn’t Ed Balls omninously suggest there are more Tory MPs out

The coming battle

We’ve got two great pieces up today on the new political landscape. James O’Shaughnessy explains why the master tactician Gordon Brown is putting housing at the top of his agenda. While Martin Vander Weyer looks at whether business will prefer David Cameron or the devil it knows, Gordon Brown. Check back for more later in the day.

What’s the next Brown surprise?

Iain Dale reports that Ed Balls was understandably gloating about the defection of Quentin Davies last night at a Fabian Society reception last night and promised his audience that, “There’s more to come – as I know.”

How important is the defection of Quentin Davies?

Two contrasting views in the papers this morning. Here’s the key passage from The Guardian’s leader on it: “There has been no more brutal assault on a Tory leader since Sir Geoffrey Howe plunged the knife between Mrs Thatcher’s shoulders in 1990. Mr Davies’s withering comments will be endlessly repeated. They represent a huge new

Who we are

Where better to spend the last night of the Blair era than in the company of ageing rockers? These days, The Who smash their tambourines rather than their guitars. But, other than that, they are still as sharp as the sharpest Carnaby Street winkle pickers and as taut as the tires on a brand new

Should Gordon worry about Tony’s new job?

There are two reasons for Brown to be concerned about Blair becoming the quartet’s envoy to the Palestinians. First, it is going to exacerbate the problem of Brown establishing himself on the world stage. Back in 2005 one of Brown’s closest allies told Newsweek’s Stryker McGuire how when he was in the States during the

Dangerous poppycock from Blair

Today’s news that Afghanistan’s opium production is soaring takes me back to perhaps the biggest lie Tony Blair has uttered during the war on terror. He told the 2001 Labour conference that “90% of the heroin on British streets originates in Afghanistan. The arms the Taliban are buying today are paid for with the lives of young

Why can’t London be more like Munich

Just back from a weekend in Munich, escaping from the grey, the rain and the Blair/Brown folderol to help a friend, about to take up the reins as president of the European patent office, move into her new apartment. Oh, the joys of a well organized German city. Standard issue recycling bins for every sort