The Spectator

Saturday

The Spectator

Barometer | 19 February 2011

Gay marriage The government has proposed to allow gay couples the full rights of marriage. The first country to do this was the Netherlands in 2001, but the world’s first gay ‘wedding’ is often reported as that between 74-year-old Axel Lundahl-Madsen and 67-year-old Eigil Eskildsen in Copenhagen City Hall on 1 October 1989, the day on which the Danish Registered Partnership Act came into force. —While hailed by gay activists around the world at the time, registered partnerships would now be regarded by many as illiberal. Gay couples were banned from adopting children and, in the case of women, from undergoing artificial insemination.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 19 February 2011

Home Inflation rose to an annual rate of 4 per cent in January from 3.7 per cent in December, far above the Bank of England’s target of 2 per cent. The rate according to the Retail Prices Index rose to 5.1 per cent from 4.8 per cent. David Cameron, the Prime Minister, defended his idea of the Big Society and the government’s economic policy, saying: ‘We have to make these cuts, we have to raise those taxes,’ even though ‘it will make me unpopular’. Unemployment rose to 7.9 per cent, with 965,000 16- to 24-year-olds without jobs. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, said that big banks should be split up to prevent them making too much profit and developing a bonus culture. Barclays announced profits of £6.1 billion for 2010.

The Spectator

Leader: Against the grain

In Britain, surging grocery prices are painful, but not life-threatening. For much of the rest of the world, by contrast, food prices are a matter of life or death. China, the world’s largest wheat producer, is suffering a severe winter drought which looks likely to devastate this year’s harvest. It is setting aside a billion dollars to snap up supplies in the market, with the inevitable result that other, poorer countries will lose out. When global food costs surge, starvation usually follows. At times like this, it is harder than ever to justify why we in the West are encouraging farmers to grow crops to fill car petrol tanks, rather than people’s stomachs.

The Spectator

Australian Books: Mushy methods

What Makes Us Tick? The Ten Desires That Drive Us By Hugh Mackay Hachette, $35, pp 319 ISBN 9780733625077 Hugh Mackay has been studying Australian society for more than three decades, and has a number of interesting books and reports under his belt. What Makes Us Tick? is presented as a distillation of what he has learned from his research and observations, but anyone expecting insights about shifting political allegiances, the generational confusion of ideologies and the broader social landscape of the country will not find it here. Mackay’s focus, instead, is on the internal drivers of personality, not in Australians in particular, but in Westerners in general. The result is a piece of work which is not uninteresting but certainly on the vague side.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 18 February 2011

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson discusses the Big Society, and makes the case for raising interest rates. James Forsyth says that Strasbourg is only half the human rights problem, and notes that The Sun is shining on Miliband. David Blackburn reckons the government's getting a reputation, and asks if Cameron's counter-offensive is heading in the wrong direction. Martin Bright relates his adventures in the Big Society. Nick Cohen says Cleggy's going to Hollywood. Rod Liddle bemoans the curse of bureaucratic self-importance. Alex Massie reluctantly considers the Scottish elections. And Melanie Phillips decries yet more double standards.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 14 February – 20 February

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… | 14 February 2011

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Andrew Neil explains why work experience matters more than ever. Fraser Nelson wonders what will happen next in Egypt, and predicts an imminent and lasting spat between Britain and the EU. James Forsyth discloses details of the coalition’s coming bank deal, and charts the big-society fight-back. David Blackburn examines Ken Clarke’s latest controversial outburst, and evaluates where Europe will be affected by the Arab Street revolutions. Martin Bright has reasons to be optimistic about the Middle East. And Rod Liddle reveals an unacceptable double standard in faith schools.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 12 February 2011

Missing in Egypt Sir: Your pundits on the Egyptian crisis (‘The Egyptian explosion’, 5 February) left out one major consideration. The ballast for a solid democracy depends more than anything else on the commitment of a professional, educated middle class with a stake in stability as well as human rights. In the Arab world, this class may play a prominent and vocal role in the removal of tyrannies, but, as soon as things get difficult in the messy aftermath, they are all too ready to jump ship to the West. How can there ever be democracy in the Arab world, so long as the Arab middle classes play at politics while keeping an escape ticket in their back pocket?

The Spectator

Barometer | 12 February 2011

Whose cultures? David Cameron declared multiculturalism a failure last week. But where does the idea come from? — In the late 1960s the Canadian government set up a Royal Commission into ‘Bilingualism and Biculturalism’ to unite the English- and French-speaking parts of the country. It suggested a policy to champion other ethnic groups, too. Prime minister Pierre Trudeau welcomed this as ‘the most suitable means of assuring the cultural freedom of Canadians’. — Canada set up a Multicultural Directorate in 1972, then a Ministry of Multiculturalism in 1973. — One of the fundamental themes was that Canadians of all ethnic backgrounds should learn at least one of English or French.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 12 February 2011

Home David Cameron, the Prime Minister, called for Islamist extremism to be countered by ‘a clear sense of shared national identity that is open to everyone’. Speaking at a security conference in Munich, he said that ‘under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives’. About 1,500 supporters of the English Defence League and 1,000 of Unite Against Fascism marched through Luton. Three Muslims serving life sentences went on trial charged with the attempted murder of a Bosnian war criminal held in Wakefield jail. The Queen caught a train from King’s Lynn to King’s Cross at a cost of £47.20, or £31.50 with a senior citizen’s railcard.

The Spectator

Leader: Family fortunes

It is a curious fact about modern Britain that while we romanticise marriage and stable families as never before, our government still bribes us to split up. There has been much nonsense talked this week of the perils of introducing a ‘marriage bias’ into the tax system. But the truth is that a distinct and deplorable bias already exists — against couples. Families on low incomes are usually financially better off apart than they are together — in terms of various state hand-outs and housing benefit. The payments offered by the welfare state have robbed the low-income family of its economic function. Although one hesitates to say so on the eve of St Valentine’s day, this can often be a deciding factor in whether a couple stays together.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 11 February 2011

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson witnesses the first bout of Osborne versus Balls, and worries that Mervyn King’s credibility is faltering. James Forsyth unpicks Lord Oakeshott’s exit, and praises Project Merlin. Peter Hoskin reveals the doubts that remain over al-Megrahi, and explains why the government is right to look beyond ASBOs. David Blackburn watches grassroots Liberal Democrats turn on the government, and says that, despite its practical difficulties, the Big Society has been a tactical success. Nick Cohen examines Labour’s working class problem. Rod Liddle introduces DJ Naughtie and MC Filth. Alex Massie considers 17 days that shook the world.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall 7 February – 13 February

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… | 7 February 2011

…here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Quentin Letts gives his bluffers guide to Egypt. Fraser Nelson says that No.10 needs to get a grip. James Forsyth defends Cameron’s muscular liberalism speech, and hopes for an orderly transition of power in Egypt. Peter Hoskin asks how much we spend on the military, and welcomes David Cameron's muscular liberalism. David Blackburn gets to grips with a storm in a bedsheet. Daniel Korski argues that the Tories have a depth of competence. Martin Bright says it has been a bad week for the Big Society. Rod Liddle wonders if Baroness Warsi is a muscular liberal. Alex Massie revisits the cult of Reagan.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 5 February 2011

The route to Westminster Sir: Andrew Neil is admirably fair in his article on the over-representation of Oxbridge types and the privately educated in both the Labour and Conservative parties (‘The fall of the meritocracy’, 29 January). In my view, this even-handedness is a missed opportunity, as it is surely more to the discredit of the Labour party, which allegedly represents the common man. Yet the evidence suggests that for a state-educated person from a humble background, it would be very difficult to make a career as a Labour politician, whereas it would be by no means impossible in the Conservative party.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 5 February 2011

Home The Health and Social Care Bill, which changes the organisation of the National Health Service, passed its second reading by 321 votes to 235. Lawyers opined that the European Court of Human Rights required the government to give prisoners in Scotland and Wales the right to vote in May’s elections or risk claims for compensation; the government had already faced a demand to give prisoners votes in Westminster and European parliamentary elections. BP announced a loss of £3.1 billion for 2010, its first annual loss since 1992, because of the oil spill in Gulf of Mexico, but said it would restore dividends for shareholders. The Mexican ambassador to London complained about a remark on Top Gear that ‘Mexican cars are just going to be lazy’.

The Spectator

Prisoners of Strasbourg

Does it matter if prisoners are allowed to vote or not? Save for in the odd council ward in Brixton or on Dartmoor, some 84,000 prisoners — among an electorate of 46 million — are unlikely to have a material effect on the outcome of British elections. Does it matter if prisoners are allowed to vote or not? Save for in the odd council ward in Brixton or on Dartmoor, some 84,000 prisoners — among an electorate of 46 million — are unlikely to have a material effect on the outcome of British elections. But there is a good reason why David Cameron this week did not even attempt to whip his MPs into supporting prisoners’ votes: such a move would have prompted a fierce rebellion among Tory backbenchers.

The Spectator

The world after Mubarak

Experts debate what happens next in Egypt and the countries around it In his retirement, Dwight Eisenhower admitted that the biggest foreign policy mistake of his presidency had been not supporting Anthony Eden over the Suez crisis. How right he was. If Arab nationalism had been strangled in its cradle in 1956 by the vigorous action that Eden, and also initially Hugh Gaitskell, prescribed, then the oil-price hikes of the early 1970s and all the economic woes that flowed from them would never have happened. I doubt there would have been a 9/11, either. Today, instead, we face a situation whereby, since half of Israel’s natural gas consumption comes from Egypt and because of Gaza’s geographical situation, regional catastrophe looms.