Books and Arts – 11 April 2019
The Spectator
Thursday
to 2400: Unclued
The preamble suggests that unclued entries are partial anagrams of UNCLUED. The ‘repeated cryptic clue (= anagram of CLUE)’ ‘fixes not only’ LUCE ‘but also’ the central 2×2 block as [CE/LU] and ‘as a result’ LUNE. First prize Sue Topham, Elston, Newark Runners-up Ben Stephenson, London SW12; Phillip Wickens, Faygate, West Sussex
Saturday
Theresa May should let Britain leave without a deal
One of the many tragedies of Theresa May’s premiership is that, having come up with a coherent policy on how to enact Brexit, she spent her prime ministerial career failing to follow it. The words she used in her speech at Lancaster House in 2017 seemed clear enough: ‘No deal is better than a bad
Thursday
Barometer | 4 April 2019
German customs The original customs union, or Zollverein, was established by Prussia along with 17 other states which make up modern Germany in 1834. Prior to that, traders crossing what is now Germany, were obliged to make multiple declarations and pay taxes as they moved across state borders. — It had taken 15 years to
Letters | 4 April 2019
About the Bible Sir: I was confirmed by Richard Holloway as a schoolboy at Fettes College, and then taught by John Barton while an Anglican ordinand at Oxford University. So I was intrigued to read Holloway’s review of Barton’s latest book, A History of the Bible (30 March), and disturbed by their conclusions. Indeed, both
Where Brexit failed
One of the many tragedies of Theresa May’s premiership is that, having come up with a coherent policy on how to enact Brexit, she spent her prime ministerial career failing to follow it. The words she used in her speech at Lancaster House in 2017 seemed clear enough: ‘No deal is better than a bad
Portrait of the week | 4 April 2019
Home Brexit exerted ever stranger effects on politics. After an eight-hour cabinet meeting, Theresa May, the Prime Minister, said she would ‘sit down’ with Jeremy Corbyn ‘to try to agree a plan’, though it ‘would have to agree the current withdrawal agreement’. The United Kingdom had been required to present a plan to a European
Books and Arts – 4 April 2019
to 2399: Lines of Work
The unclued lights form the folk rhyme ‘Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar-man, thief’. A.A. Milne (MILNE had to be highlighted) used this as the basis for Cherry-Stones, (9d) though the beggar-man became a ploughboy. Milne’s next five jobs are also mentioned in various clues. First prize Lydia Miller, Vale, Guernsey Runners-up
Supreme but not respected
From ‘The disconsideration of the House of Commons’, 5 April 1919: The House of Commons is legally supreme in the land; it has eaten up and destroyed all competitors and become the sole depository of political power under the Constitution; and yet, instead of earning the respect which one might imagine would belong to such
Saturday
The absurdity of censoring anti-vaxxers
It is not hard to make the case that vaccination programmes have been one of the greatest contributions to mankind over the past century. It is sufficient simply to list the most common causes of death in 1915 of British children aged under five, in descending order: measles, bronchitis, whooping cough, diphtheria, tuberculosis, pneumonia, infective
Friday
Full list: the MPs that voted down May’s Brexit deal
Theresa May’s Brexit deal has been voted down for a third time in Parliament. MPs rejected the Prime Minister’s withdrawal agreement by 344 to 286 votes, a margin of 58. Here is the full list, split by party, of who voted it down: Conservative: Adam Afriyie, Steve Baker, John Baron, Guto Bebb, Peter Bone, Suella
Full list: the MPs who voted for May’s Brexit deal
MPs have rejected Theresa May’s Brexit deal for a third time in the House of Commons. This time, the Withdrawal Agreement had been split from the Political Declaration, which laid out the future relationship the UK would have with the EU. The deal was rejected by 344 votes to 286 – a majority of 58.
Full list: the Tory MPs who have switched to backing May’s deal
Despite suffering two historic losses in the House of Commons, Theresa May will bring her Brexit deal back for a third time today, after separating the withdrawal agreement from the political declaration. At the last vote on her deal, the Prime Minister lost by a majority of 149, which included 75 Tory rebels and 10
Thursday
Barometer | 28 March 2019
Silly signs The Department for Transport ordered councils to remove ‘obsolete and unnecessary’ road signs. Some examples of the art from around the world: — ‘Sign not in use’ (UK) — ‘Please do not throw stones at this sign’ (Ireland) — ‘Road unsafe when this sign is under water’ (US) — ‘Caution: water on road
Letters | 28 March 2019
Still better than Cameron Sir: I disagree with your editorial (‘Agony prolonged’, 23 March) that Theresa May is the worst prime minister in our history. Unlike her predecessor, Mrs May — for all the flaws that have been ruthlessly exposed by the Brexit process — did not fail to learn the readily accessible lessons from the
Healthy debate
It is not hard to make the case that vaccination programmes have been one of the greatest contributions to mankind over the past century. It is sufficient simply to list the most common causes of death in 1915 of British children aged under five, in descending order: measles, bronchitis, whooping cough, diphtheria, tuberculosis, pneumonia, infective
Portrait of the week | 28 March 2019
Home The House of Commons voted to take Brexit business into its own hands, passing by 329 to 302 an amendment by Sir Oliver Letwin. This was immediately described by Sir Bill Cash in the House as ‘constitutional revolution’. Three ministers resigned so as to vote for the amendment: Alistair Burt, Richard Harrington and Steve
Books and Arts – 28 March 2019
to 2398: All steamed up
The unclued lights are the names of FAMOUS STEAM TRAINS including the pairs at 14/15 and 17/30. First prize Jenny Harris, Cheltenham, Glos Runners-up Virginia Porter, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff; Wendy Atkin, Sleaford, Lincs