The Spectator

Bbc 5

From our UK edition

‘This is the voice of what remains of the BBC, coming to you from a hidden bunker somewhere in the UK…’

Locust

From our UK edition

‘Of course I understand your concern about always being on your own — you’re a locust, after all.’

Leader: Ring-fencing the NHS is only making matters worse

From our UK edition

According to popular wisdom on the left — and even among some in the Conservative party — this ought to have been a tough week for the government. On Monday, the new £26,000 cap on benefits came into effect and with it a new principle: that no one on welfare should receive more than the average working

Letters: The Met Office answers Rupert Darwall, and a defence of Bolívar

From our UK edition

Wild weather Sir: Weather and climate science is not an emotional or political issue — even though emotions and politics run high around it, as illustrated in Rupert Darwall’s article (‘Bad weather’, 13 July). However, it is important that opinions are rooted in evidence, and the article contains numerous errors and misrepresentations about the Met Office

Barometer | 18 July 2013

From our UK edition

Running scared Three participants were gored at the Pamplona bull run. The event has reputation for danger, but how risky is it? —Since 1910, 15 deaths have been recorded, the last in 2009. Five of the deaths have been since 1980. — Counting of the participants began only 2011, when 20,500 people were recorded as

The week in books | 12 July 2013

From our UK edition

The latest issue of the Spectator is full to bursting with sparkling and varied book reviews. Here are some extracts from those reviews: Sam Leith reviews two new books (one by Douglas Hurd and Edward Young, the other by Dick Legend) that, to some extent, debunk the Tory legend of Benjamin Disraeli. ‘Disraeli…, as Hurd