The Spectator
Thursday
Figures
Letters: Lord Lawson is not banned from the BBC, and Wales is wonderful
No ban on Lawson Sir: You write that the BBC ‘has effectively banned’ Lord Lawson from items on climate change unless introduced with ‘a statement discrediting his views’ (Leading article, 12 July). There’s a lot of muddled reporting of this story. Lord Lawson hasn’t been in any sense ‘banned’, and the Editorial Complaints Unit finding didn’t suggest that he shouldn’t take part in future items.
Portrait of the week: ministerial musical chairs, women bishops, giant snails
Home In a ministerial reshuffle, William Hague, who promised to leave Parliament at the election, was made Leader of the House, being replaced as Foreign Secretary by Philip Hammond, who was replaced as Defence Secretary by Michael Fallon. Sir George Young Bt, aged 73, was sacked as Chief Whip. Michael Gove was demoted to Chief Whip. David Cameron, the Prime Minister, said: ‘I wanted one of my big hitters, one of my real stars, one of my great brains, someone who has done extraordinary things for education in this country, to do that job.’ Mr Gove was replaced as Education Secretary by Nicky Morgan, who will keep her portfolio as minister for women. Disabled people got a minister all of their own, Mark Harper.
What Germans are worst at
What Germans do worst Some things Germans aren't very good at: — Making reliable car engines. According to a survey by Warranty Direct last year, Audi came bottom, BMW seventh from bottom and Volkswagen ninth from bottom out of 36 manufacturers for engine failures. — Making love. According to a spurious website survey of 15,000 women in 2009, German men were the world's worst lovers, the main complaint being that they were 'smelly'. (Englishmen were second worst.) — Cricket. But they are not the worst. Germany lies between Ghana and Japan in division 8 of the ICC World Cricket League. This makes them the 42nd best team in the world, above France.
Have David Cameron’s Etonians just given up on state school reform?
During his time as Education Secretary, Michael Gove would often have occasion to quote a passage of Machiavelli: ‘There is nothing more difficult, more doubtful of success or more dangerous than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order.’ In the end, it seems, Gove’s enemies triumphed. They shouted more loudly than those who benefited from the new schools, and persuaded the Prime Minister that his Education Secretary was losing an argument — so he should walk the plank. The teachers’ unions succeeded in posing as the voice of teachers, even though only a fraction of teachers voted for the strikes earlier this month.
Books and arts – 17 July 2014
What Germans do worst
Yes, alright. It turns out that Germans are pretty good at football. But they aren't quite so good at everything, as our Barometer column this week points out. Here are some things Germans aren’t very good at: Making reliable car engines. According to a survey by Warranty Direct last year, Audi came bottom, BMW seventh from bottom and Volkswagen ninth from bottom out of 36 manufacturers for engine failures. Making love. According to a spurious website survey of 15,000 women in 2009, German men were the world’s worst lovers, the main complaint being that they were ‘smelly’. (Englishmen were second worst.) Cricket. But they are not the worst.
BREAKING: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 ‘shot down’ in Ukraine
There are reports from Russian agency Interfax that a passenger airliner, believed to be Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, has been 'shot down' in eastern Ukraine by a ground-to-air missile, 50km away from Russian airspace. 295 passengers and crew are reported to have been killed. Malaysia Airlines confirms that it lost contact with flight MH17, from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, in Ukrainian airspace. Reuters reports that burning wreckage and corpses have been found in eastern Ukraine. Russia Life news reports that Dutch and Malaysian passports have been found on the bodies of the dead. The Ukrainian Interior ministry says that the missile was fired by separatists, and deny categorically that government forces were involved.
Podcast: a misogynistic reshuffle, punishment for ministers and why right-wing women are sexier
In this week’s Spectator, Melissa Kite argues that David Cameron’s reshuffle has been soured by misogyny. The PM doesn’t want the new women in his cabinet to do anything but look nice, she says. Louise Mensch begs to differ. She argues that talented women are rising to the top because they are impressive, and it’s offensive to suggest otherwise. Martha Gill discusses this with her on this week’s podcast. The reshuffle wasn’t all about women though. In his column this week, Charles Moore argues that Cameron has punished the ministers who were brave and active, and target-bombed his party’s natural supporters. He discusses this with Fraser Nelson in the podcast. Plus, are right-wing women sexier? Cosmo Landesman seems to think so.
Tuesday
View from 22 podcast special: reshuffle review
In this View from 22 podcast special, Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman round up some of the key stories from the reshuffle, including Gove's shock demotion, the increased number of women in the Cabinet and whether the government has become more Eurosceptic and less green.
