The Spectator

It suits a great many people to blame the banks for the financial crisis. It gets everyone else off the hook. How, asks Gordon Brown, was a mere Prime Minister to know that banks were doing such fiendishly complicated things? How, asks George Osborne, was an opposition expected to detect what the government could not? How, asks Mervyn King, was the Bank of England governor supposed to know that these bankers had been so wicked? For all of them, the bankers have been the perfect scapegoat. In truth, all of them failed to spot the massive asset bubble that had deformed the British economy by 2007, a bubble blown by dangerously underpriced debt. Yet even now there is a worrying reluctance to admit that a bubble ever existed.

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the last week. CoffeeHousers reveal their choice for Gordon Brown’s greatest mistake. Fraser Nelson urges policy makers to blame the schools system, not Oxford. James Forsyth says that Cameron needs to tread with care, and explains why the Vickers review won’t harm London’s global competitiveness. Peter Hoskin says there is nothing new but plenty to ponder in Cameron’s immigration speech, and argues that the inflation figures are not all that they seem. David Blackburn sees that two flagship coalition reforms clashing in Brent, and examines Europe’s growing immigration problem. Rod Liddle remembers Sidney Lumet, and not unthinkingly.

Expensive manners Sir: Ivor Roberts says that Oxford University is ‘taking the very best, whatever their background’ — and is not to blame if state schools no longer produce the very best (‘Oxford under siege’, 2 April). And yet studies have found that state-school pupils perform better at Oxford than their privately educated peers, relative to GCSE results. When his university is admitting as many state-school duds as private ones, we’ll know that its admissions tutors are no longer swayed by expensive manners at interview. For now, that remains open to doubt. Benjamin Rockbird London SE15 Cuts tactics Sir: Charles Moore (Notes, 2 April) quotes the late, great Auberon Waugh on cuts.

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the last week. Fraser Nelson calls for the schools revolution to be reinforced. James Forsyth lists the runners and riders in a possible reshuffle, and wonders why Clegg didn’t complain about Lansley’s reforms earlier. Peter Hoskin reveals who has won and who has lost, and considers the fallout from Portugal. David Blackburn explains how the government plans to rescue its NHS reforms, and reveals how Labour is fighting back in Pickles’ war on 'propaganda'. Jonathan Jones says that Grammar schools aren't a solution to the social mobility problem. Rod Liddle could be leader of the British Tea Party, apparently. Alex Massie worries for the poor bloody infantry.

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.

Let Libya split Sir: Back in the days of Good King Idris, I did archaeological fieldwork in Cyrenaica in which I traced the main water supply of ancient Ptolemais from its source to the city’s cisterns. I came to know my patch pretty well and I feel that Peter Jones (‘The two Libyas’, 26 March) has got it right. The most sensible course would be to return to the original frontier between Cyrenaica and the rest of the country, as the present state of Libya was a botched affair thrown together in the wake of the Italian defeat in the second world war. The immediate problem as we all know is to stop the Barbary pirate of Tripoli from exacting his revenge on the people of Cyrenaica, and that is very much a European problem — unlike Iraq.

Here is a selection of articles made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson says we need a rational debate about climate change. James Forsyth reveals that the coalition is straining under the pressure of AV, and comments on Boris’ ability to infuriate Labour. Peter Hoskin introduces another Libyan question, and has a memo for Johann Hari. David Blackburn notes that the government is finally taking steps to reform council funding, and illustrates that the Cameron government has been just as gullible as New Labour about Gaddafi. Daniel Korski has been in Libya. Martin Bright explains why criticism is good for the Arts Council. Nick Cohen reveals the identity of the Tory party’s secret weapon.