The Spectator

Saturday

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 4 June 2011

This week's Portrait of the week Home The Court of Appeal ruled that Sharon Shoesmith had been sacked unfairly in 2008 as head of children’s services in Haringey after the death of baby Peter; asked if she blamed herself for the child’s death, she said: ‘I am not into the blame game. I don’t do blame.’ Southern Cross, Britain’s biggest care home company, caring for 30,000 people, agreed with its landlords to defer 30 per cent of its rent for four months. Four people were arrested after a Panorama programme about abuse of patients with learning difficulties and autism at a residential hospital in Bristol. In the first quarter of the year 300 cases of measles were recorded, four times last year’s incidence.

The Spectator

Lead article: Half baked

When you put your loose coppers in an Oxfam tin, it is tempting to think that they will be going towards a bag of grain for a drought-torn African village. When you put your loose coppers in an Oxfam tin, it is tempting to think that they will be going towards a bag of grain for a drought-torn African village. Maybe they will, but there is also a chance they will be spent on the likes of ‘Growing a Better Future: food justice in a resource-constrained world’, a pamphlet published this week. Not alone among charities, Oxfam is diversifying into the think-tank business.

The Spectator

Travel

The Spectator's supplements on Travel, since June 2011 The Spectator's supplements on Travel, since June 2011 The Spectator Guide to Cruises — Autumn 2011 View online version  |  View print version 17th September 2011 The very idea of a cruise holiday sends shivers down some spines — and not necessarily shivers of excitement. There’s something about the stereotypical swirly carpets and afternoon dance classes that puts a lot of people off.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 3 June 2011

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson has been reminded of the proximity of evil. James Forsyth asks if FIFA really matters, and reveals the extent of Ken Clarke’s crimes. Peter Hoskin reveals the scale of Britain’s debt crisis, and notes that Clegg has ermine troubles. David Blackburn sees the Lords trying to frustrate the coalition’s EU referendum lock, and examines Labour’s malfunctioning front bench. Jonathan Jones believes Sarah Palin hasn’t a chance of becoming President. Rod Liddle has a complaint. Alex Massie anatomises Sri Lanka’s dramatic collapse. And Melanie Phillips awaits the arrival of the floating theatre of jihad.

Tuesday

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 31 May 2011

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the Bank Holiday weekend. James Forsyth says you couldn’t make the Wayne Bishop story up, and wonders if Sarah Palin is about to launch a bid for the Republican nomination. David Blackburn reveals the unlikely triumvirate opposing the government’s energy policy, and argues that the Shoesmith case is about much more than the tragedy of Baby P. Daniel Korski is back in Cairo, finding out where the Egyptian revolution has got to. And Melanie Phillips says that Cameron has been drinking the Kool-Aid.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 30 May – 5 June

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 – providing 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 topic, so there's no need to stay 'on topic' – which means you'll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There's also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything's fair game – from political stories in your local paper, to chat about the latest football results.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 28 May 2011

Clarity? New Labour? Sir: I read with growing disbelief your leader ‘Lost Labour’ (14 May), but I now realise that it must have been intended as joke. ‘The tragedy of the Labour years was that so many good ideas were mooted…’; ‘The New Labour years can now be regarded as… a moment of clarity…’ You can’t be serious. Blair did indeed talk fervently about welfare reform. He talked fervently about many things, such as fictitious WMDs capable of striking within 45 minutes or the elimination of poverty not only in this country but in Africa and indeed everywhere. One of his favourite fervent words was ‘reform’, which for him meant to wreck what is in place and working.

The Spectator

Barometer | 28 May 2011

Irish quarter Is there any such thing as a US president without Irish roots? The US genealogist Gary Boyd Roberts has researched the origins of all US presidents and concluded that 20 of the 44 US presidents had some Irish family connections. Half of these, however, have been within the past 50 years. — Until the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961 only 11 out of 34 presidents had had some Irish blood. Since then, nine out of ten presidents have had some Irish ancestry, although it is tenuous in the case of Bill Clinton, in spite of his claim: ‘I mean, I’m sort of… I look Irish’.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 28 May 2011

Home President Barack Obama arrived in Britain for a state visit, having fled Ireland a day early lest the ash cloud from the Grimsvötn volcano in Iceland engulf his aeroplane. In Ireland he met his eighth cousin at Moneygall, where he drank a pint of Guinness, said ‘I’ve come home to find the apostrophe we lost somewhere’, and got his armour-plated car stuck on a bump in the road. In London he stayed at Buckingham Palace, attended a state banquet and addressed Parliament. In a joint newspaper article with David Cameron, the Prime Minister, he wrote: ‘Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship — for us and for the world.’ Hundreds of flights were cancelled in Scotland as the ash cloud blew into its airspace.

The Spectator

Lead article: Water, water everywhere

Scottish readers may be puzzled to see so many newspaper headlines about drought. Parts of the country, notably the Borders and the western Highlands, have already received one and a half times their normal rainfall for May. On Monday — as the water companies proposed seasonal tariffs to discourage customers from watering their gardens and taking baths in dry summers — Rannoch Moor in the Highlands received two and a half inches of rain. Where the headlines were written, however, the drought is acute. In London, Kent and East Anglia, there has not been a full day’s rain for nearly three months. Rainfall in May over a wide band of eastern England has been less than a fifth of normal. Crops are threatened and reservoirs are emptying.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 27 May 2011

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the last week. Fraser Nelson cuts through the BS, and points out that the austerity hasn’t even started yet. James Forsyth considers the super-injunctions saga, and watches Barack Obama reaffirm the special relationship. Peter Hoskin notes that there are limits to Obama and Cameron's mutual appreciation, and explains why Miliband needs to be more specific. David Blackburn examines the ‘essential relationship’, and says that the helicopters fiasco has added to the Libyan fog of war. Jonathan Jones discovers that DSK’s troubles have not benefitted Sarko. Nick Cohen has some advice for the footballer formerly known as CTB.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 23 May – 29 May

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 – providing 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 topic, so there's no need to stay 'on topic' – which means you'll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There's also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything's fair game – from political stories in your local paper, to chat about the latest football results.

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 23 May 2011

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Fraser Nelson has some thoughts on Cameron’s Cabinet of the undead, and some more thoughts on Cameron’s Cabinet of the undead. James Forsyth considers how Mitch Daniels’ decision not to stand will affect the race to the White House, and explains why the race will change America’s foreign policy. Peter Hoskin says that Miliband’s national plan lacks purpose, and reports on Vince Cable's latest warnings and provocations. David Blackburn examines the press’s previews of President Obama’s visit. Jonathan Jones analyses how ‘the rapture’ might affect voting. Daniel Korski defends Cathy Ashton.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 21 May 2011

The full Scottish Sir: Iain Martin (‘How to save the Union’, 14 May) has an excellent appreciation of the issues, bar one: what Scotland seeks is a return to statehood such as other nations have. The lack is grievous. Scotland does not have representation in important international bodies. We lack a commissioner in the European Commission and both diplomatic and consular services worldwide. Fishing is not within our control. England, anticipating events, recently gerrymandered the sea boundaries, tilting them northeastward, to her advantage in oil and gas. There is more to independence than separation from England. Helen C. Bovey Edinburgh Sir: Charles Moore (The Spectator’s Notes, 14 May) claims that most English people are apathetic about Scots independence.

The Spectator

Barometer | 21 May 2011

Royal reception — The first visit to Ireland by a British monarch in 100 years has focused attention on the last, by George V on his coronation tour in July 1911. He remarked on the warmth of his reception, even though this was just five years before the Easter Rising. — One visit that went less well, at least behind the scenes, was that of Victoria in 1900. The Admiralty lost the royal yacht, believing it to be in Dublin when it was off the south coast of England. And a wooden pier at Kingstown Harbour was completed with minutes to spare, and was ‘most unsatisfactory’ according to the Ministry of Public Works, which also complained about the cost of its decorations.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 21 May 2011

Home Police decided to investigate an allegation that Chris Huhne, the Energy Secretary, had persuaded someone else to take penalty points for speeding that he should have incurred. In parliament, Mr Huhne outlined plans for Britain to halve carbon emissions by 2027. Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, outlined plans for a new House of Lords to contain 300 members, 80 per cent of them elected. Two teenagers were convicted of murder and three of manslaughter for the killing of Sofyen Belamouadden, aged 15, at Victoria Station in London last year. Mothercare announced the closure of a quarter of its shops. Catholics in England and Wales were told by their bishops to abstain once more from eating meat on Fridays from 16 September.

The Spectator

Lead article: Charity, not waste

The British are a generous people. We donate more to humanitarian causes than anyone else in Europe, and by some margin. The average Brit gives twice as much as a Norwegian, three times more than a Belgian, six times more than a German and seven times more than a Frenchman. All told, British households send about £4 billion a year to overseas charities — more than any people in the world, in fact, apart from the Americans. So it is by no means clear why David Cameron believes that, in the middle of a fiscal crisis, he should extract a further £4 billion from us through the tax system and give the money to charities of his choice. The British are a generous people. We donate more to humanitarian causes than anyone else in Europe, and by some margin.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 20 May 2011

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson ponders the power of Eurovision. James Forsyth reveals that the Cameroons can’t wait to get of Ken Clarke, and considers the fallout from the leaked Liam Fox letter. Peter Hoskin notes George Osborne return his attention to the post-bureaucratic age, and analyses the latest inflation figures. David Blackburn is pleased to see Andy Burnham drop his blanket opposition to free schools, and watches Clegg’s drive for Lords reform falter. Martin Bright warns of a disaster waiting to happen. Rod Liddle is disappointed by Slut Walk. Alex Massie celebrates the achievements of Garret Fitzgerald.

The Spectator

An appeal to polemical readers

It is fifty years since the publication of Catch-22. The Spectator Book Club will be running a series of pieces on the book and we hope that readers will lead the debate, as part of our reader’s review feature. Catch-22 is a book you either love or hate. So, we want to publish two polemics (a genre that may suit some of you!): one for, the other against. The word limit is six hundred words and the deadline for submissions is Thursday 30 June. The selected pieces will then be run together on Friday 1 July. All submissions should be sent to dblackburn @ spectator.co.uk. For ease of reference, this page can be accessed via the Book of the Month tag in the top right hand corner of any Spectator Books page.   We eagerly await your response.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 16 May – 22 May

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 – providing 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 topic, so there's no need to stay 'on topic' – which means you'll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There's also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything's fair game – from political stories in your local paper, to chat about the latest football results.