Hugo Rifkind’s got a superb article in the latest issue of the magazine, outlining what Britain’s political scene might look like ten years from now. It’s all a little tongue-in-cheek, but I’ve noted some of his predictions down, for reference. Here they are: — George Osborne will be Prime Minister — Davina McCall will be presenting
Daniel Kawczynski has written a web exclusive article for The Spectator, apologising for his recent online quarrel with Melanie Phillips. You can read it here. To catch up on the original debate, read Melanie’s posts here and here, and Daniel’s post on Centre Right.
And so the Labour leadership struggle rumbles on, with claims by Team Miliband that the Milburn for Chancellor story was “fictional” – an effort by the Brownites to smear their man as an uber-Blairite, and thereby alienate him from the left of the party. But Rosa Prince of the Telegraph has since claimed, in no uncertain terms,
You may have seen the summer reading list that Tory MPs have been issued with. But here’s an alternative set of book recommendations for you, this time from Spectator staff. Not all the books will be newly-published. But they’re generally books that we’ve read – and enjoyed – recently. Hopefully, we’ll unearth a few gems for you. If so, please
I’ve just re-read this Q&A that the Independent conducted with Gordon Brown on 27 June, 2007. One of our Dear Leader’s responses jumped out at me. Here it is, with the question that prompted it: How will life be different under a Brown government? JOHN BROOKS, by email I will let you answer that question
It’s 80 years since the birth of Andy Warhol – an occasion which I feel shouldn’t go unmarked. To be honest, though, my reaction to his work oscillates wildly. Sometimes it seems warm and inclusive, and I enjoy it. At others, it’s too arch and mechanstic, and I don’t. But I guess that’s Warhol’s allure. His
Eric Pickles – the mastermind behind the Tory success in Crewe & Nantwich – has kindly agreed to a Q&A session with Coffee House. So, post your questions for him in the comments sections below. And, on Sunday, we’ll pick out the best ten and put them to the shadow communities secretary. He’ll get back to us
There are few blunter indictments of this Government’s mismanagement of the health service than the news that numerous hospitals are ‘infested with vermin’. Over £90 billion of public money has been splashed on the health service in the past year alone – in real terms, that’s double what was spent on it in 1999. For all
Today’s Telegraph reports that David Miliband has lined up Alan Milburn to be his Chancellor, should he manage to oust Gordon Brown from office. A good move by Team Miliband? Well, Milburn is certainly a capable political performer, and his presence will help solidify Blairite support. But two potential problems spring to mind. The first is
Here are Chris Grayling’s answers to the questions put forward by CoffeeHousers: Marcus Cotswell “What are your plans for reducing the incidence of means-testing in the benefit system, with particular reference to the impact on incentives to save?” None of us would have wanted to see means testing spread as far as it has throughout
There’s little to say about the Ian Oakley case that Iain Dale didn’t write in his excellent post on the matter earlier. In which case, I’ll echo Iain by saying that Oakley-style campaigns of intimidation have absolutely no place in politics; that the Tories should investigate why their former candidate for Watford could get away with it for so long; and that
Harriet Harman’s spotted the obvious answer to the problem of MPs employing their children, Derek Conway-style – her consultation document recommends banning the practice altogether. Of course, any effort to slow the gravy train should be welcomed, but Harman’s proposal is only the smallest of speed bumps. MPs would still be able to employ their spouses and partners. And
The Sats results have finally been released, and – as the BBC puts it – there has been “a slight improvement” in level 4 results – the level that will be used in creating the school league tables later this year. Meanwhile, here are some findings from a survey of teachers by the think-tank Civitas, released today:
“Don’t worry,” the Government told us when Northern Rock was nationalised, “the £100 billion debt is secured against the bank’s assets.” And what assets might they be? As Guido points out in an excellent post this morning, there’s not a whole lot there. And what is there is rapidly being sold off to get government debt levels down.
The latest is that Brown is going to temporarily scrap stamp duty as part of his economic recovery plan. Read Michael Millar’s take on it over at Trading Floor.
I’d recommend you read Rachel Sylvester’s column in today’s Times. In it, she identifies a split between David Cameron and George Osborne on recognising marriage in the tax system. Cameron’s extremely keen on the idea, and wants to reintroduce the married couple’s allowance. Osborne, on the other hand, isn’t and doesn’t. Here’s the key passage: “Mr Osborne disagrees. For
Those readers who are tiring of the constant stream of Labour leadership speculation would be best advised to look away now. For the rest of you, here’s a quote from Andy Burnham, the culture secretary, speaking on Sky News earlier: “I’m fully behind the Prime Minister. Actually, what I’m talking about today [investment in British sport]
We all know about Brown’s control-freakery when he was at the Treasury. And that he maintains a tight grip on matters economic from No.10 is equally common knowledge. But I still find stories like this one in today’s Standard grimly amusing. This quote from a “Whitehall official” just about sums it up: “Is there an
We’re introducing a new feature to Coffee House – the Sunday Essay. Each Sunday, we’ll post an essay by one of our readers, on any political, cultural or sporting topic. The first essay will appear on Sunday, 10 August. If you’d like your writing to be considered, just e-mail an article of between 500 and 1500 words to me at
Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – provided your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no