The Spectator

Thursday

The Spectator

Do wars always start in years ending ‘14’?

From our UK edition

Years of war Imaginative souls have tried to compared the situation in Ukraine with that which preceded the first world war 100 years ago. Are years ending in 14 especially violent? — 1414 saw the Polish-Teutonic war, one of a dozen skirmishes between Poland and Teutonic knights between the 14th and 16th centuries. The war was noted for the efforts to starve opposing armies by razing crops. — 1714 saw the outbreak of the seventh Ottoman-Venetian War, which like the first world war lasted four years. It ended with Venice losing control of the Peloponnese. — 1814 saw the Swedish-Norwegian War, which resulted in Norway entering a union with Sweden.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 13 March 2014

From our UK edition

Home Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour party, promised that, if elected, his administration would hold a referendum on membership of the European Union only if there was a new transfer of power to Brussels, which he called ‘unlikely’. If Scotland votes for independence, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds might have to move their legal homes to London under European Union law, the BBC reported. BBC Three is to be closed as an on-air channel, to go online only. The future of BBC Four is also in question. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, told the Treasury Select Committee that interest rates could reach 3 per cent within three years.

Wednesday

The Spectator

Ed Miliband’s speech on Europe: full text

From our UK edition

In a speech today at the London Business School, Ed Miliband set out Labour's policy on an EU referendum: unless there are further transfers of powers, there won't be one. Here's what he said: listen to ‘Ed Miliband on an EU referendum’ on Audioboo It is great to be here at the London Business School. For fifty years, in the teaching you provide you have made a major contribution to helping businesses succeed across the world. And today I want to talk about an issue that I know is close to your heart: Britain’s place in the European Union. I want to set out why I believe our country’s future lies in the EU. Why the EU needs to change.

Tuesday

The Spectator

RMT leader Bob Crow dies – reaction

From our UK edition

RMT leader Bob Crow has died aged 52, the Press Association is reporting. Only yesterday the union boss was giving broadcast interviews, including this one on BBC Radio 4's PM programme. The RMT released a statement this morning saying: 'It is with the deepest regret that RMT has to confirm that our General Secretary Bob Crow sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning. 'The union’s offices will be closed for the rest of the day and the union will make further announcements in due course. The media have been asked to respect the privacy of Bob’s friends and family at this difficult and distressing time.' Here's Boris Johnson, Mayor of London: 'I'm shocked. Bob Crow was a fighter and a man of character.

Sunday

The Spectator

Nick Clegg’s ‘I love Britain’ speech: full text

From our UK edition

Since I became the Deputy Prime Minister I have had the privilege of spending a bit of time representing Britain’s interests in other parts of the world. I have visited Latin America and Asia to boost exports. I have been to Africa, where we are building better education systems as well as helping fight corruption, poverty and disease. I have travelled to different parts of Europe and the United States to promote British trade. And while each trip varies from the last, there is a thread which runs through them all: you get to see Britain through other people’s eyes. Everywhere I have been – every nation around the planet – has its own story about Britain.

Thursday