The Spectator

Saturday

The Spectator

Barometer: Ministers for fun

From our UK edition

Ministers for funDavid Cameron was reported to be an expert in ‘chillaxing’ through tennis and karaoke. How have other prime ministers been reported to relax? William Gladstone Chopping down trees on his estate Winston Churchill PaintingEdward Heath Sailing, conductingHarold Wilson CookingJim Callaghan FarmingMargaret Thatcher Sorting out piles of towelsJohn Major Watching cricket, making model aeroplanesTony Blair Tennis, swimming after church on SundaysGordon Brown Listening to the Arctic Monkeys Power StruggleThe government published a draft energy bill.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 26 May 2012

From our UK edition

HomeThe International Monetary Fund suggested Britain should undertake more quantitative easing or even cut interest rates. But Christine Lagarde, the IMF’s managing director, said ‘I shiver’ at the thought of Britain’s deficit in 2010 having been left without plans for fiscal consolidation. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, made a noise for his side of the coalition by writing in the Sun about the report on employment commissioned by the government from Adrian Beecroft, the venture capitalist: ‘Some people think that if labour rights were stripped down to the most basic minimum, employers would start hiring and the economy would soar again. This is complete nonsense.

The Spectator

What’s stopping us?

From our UK edition

The Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, promised this week to ‘reduce the volatility of energy bills’. Unfortunately, his proposal to eliminate the peaks and troughs in the electricity market involves elevating bills to a much higher level and leaving them there. Besides the pain this will inflict on already stretched households, the result of the highly rigged energy market envisaged by the government will be to make British industry chronically uncompetitive. The conceit that fossil fuel prices are necessarily set on an upward and increasingly volatile trend over the coming decades has been put about by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) for years in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 25 May 2012

From our UK edition

Here is a selection of articles and discussions from this week on Spectator.co.uk... James Forsyth says the Beecroft report is — to many Tory MPs — symbolic of how the Lib Dems are holding the government back on growth, and explains what Nigel Farage’s offer means for David Cameron.  Peter Hoskin asks where our politicians’ obsession with Francois Hollande will lead, and says the Tories’ immigration ‘aspiration’ looks like a tall order. Jonathan Jones explains why Ed Balls is wrong about Barack Obama, and reports on Theresa May’s support for gay marriage. Lloyd Evans finds David Cameron’s ‘muttering idiot’ attack on Ed Balls endearing.

The Spectator

Interview: Paul Durcan on poetry and art

From our UK edition

Before we begin, Paul Durcan produces a piece of paper. Just ten minutes previously, he felt a sudden urge, he says, to remember the last verse from W.H Auden’s ‘Fall of Rome’. He raises the note, which he’s scribbled on with black biro, projecting each word with a careful steady cadence: ‘All together elsewhere, vast/ Herds of reindeer move across/ miles and miles of golden moss/ Silently and very fast.’ We’re here to talk about Durcan’s 22nd collection of poetry Praise In Which I Live and Move And Have My Being, but the conversation has strayed to a time when the naive 19-year-old poet arrived in London in search of work. The year was 1964. He came with his friend and fellow poet: the late Michael Hartnett.

The Spectator

Spectator debate: It’s time to let Scotland go

From our UK edition

The campaign for an independent Scotland launches today — but the date to really keep in mind is the 27th June, when The Spectator will hold its own debate on Scotland’s future. The motion is ‘It’s time to let Scotland go’. The venue is the Royal Geographic Society in London. The chair is Andrew Neil. And we’ve collected a great bunch of speakers to argue for and against, including Gerry Hassan and Kelvin Mackenzie on the ‘For’ side, and Malcolm Rifkind, Rory Stewart and Iain Martin on the ‘Against’. For further details — and tickets — click here. We’d be delighted to see you there.

Wednesday

The Spectator

Shelf Life: Mary Killen

From our UK edition

The journalist and author Mary Killen is in the limelight this week. In addition to writing the Dear Mary column in the Spectator every week, she has written a self-help book about the loving Queen. How the Queen Can Make You Happy will be published on 1 June. 1) As a child, what did you read under the covers? The William stories by Richmal Crompton and the The Passion Flower Hotel, which turned out to be secretly written not by a schoolgirl but by Roger Longrigg the father of Fan Longrigg, the singer and producer of The Land of Sometimes a charming 2012 CD to inspire musical participation in children, Sir Robert Mayer-style.  . 2) Has a book ever made you cry, and if so which one?

Monday

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 21 May 2012

From our UK edition

...here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Fraser Nelson says Cameron's Fruit Ninja obsession is real, explains why reason doesn't apply to the eurozone and flies in to Gatwick to find a chaotic disgrace. James Forsyth reports on the strains on the Cameron-Hilton relationship and says the coalition partners need to co-operate on growth. Peter Hoskin remarks on the weird hold President Hollande has on UK politics. Allister Heath presents the 2020 Tax Commission's report. Martin Bright gives his thoughts on the nature of the Lobby. And Rod Liddle recommends staying away from Dubai, and describes what standing up to the banks really looks like.

Saturday