The Spectator

Parting could be sweet Sir: Your leader (‘Disunited Kingdom’, 7 May) omitted to mention that if Scotland becomes independent, tens of thousands of British government jobs will be moved to England, and as many again from the private sector will invigorate our northern cities, as the financial organisations now based in Edinburgh will have to move their operations to be based in the country in which most of their business is transacted. Obviously, the Shetland Islands will have to be given the option of independence from both England and Scotland, which they will undoubtedly accept, and the North Sea oil fields will then be divided between the three countries according to international law.

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the last week. Coffee House has an A to Z of the coalition’s first year in office. Michael Thomas Duffy, a veteran of charter schools in the US, gives his exclusive insights on the free schools programme in England. And Ed Howker reveals that some Labour figures are supporting Gove’s reforms. Fraser Nelson comments on the gulf in opinion between rulers and ruled over the European Union. James Forsyth reports on the mood on the Lib Dem benches, and considers how the coalition might get out of its current difficulties. Peter Hoskin explains where Cameron has drawn the boundary for Lib Dem assertiveness, and examines the AV campaign.

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 Queen and I Sir: I did not expect Andrew Roberts (‘The meaning of a marriage’, 23/30 April), to agree with my New York Review of Books article on the royal family but, since he quoted from it, I would have thought he might have read it all the way through. True, the piece begins by setting out the reasons why one might have assumed these to be ‘anxious times for the House of Windsor’, from austerity to the Duke of York’s travails.

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson listens to John Humphrys inadvertently make the case for No2AV, and reveals that this week’s Spectator considers life after bin Laden. James Forsyth says that electoral calamity may lead to concessions for Clegg, and explains the significance of this week’s Cabinet bust-up. Peter Hoskin notes that the CIA’s director has blasted Pakistan’s intelligence services, and has kept abreast of the Libyan campaign. David Blackburn interviews Nigel Farage, and explains why there may not be TV debates at the next election. Jonathan Jones has the figures from the recent Canadian election.

….Coffee House carried extensive coverage of the Royal Wedding and the death of Osama bin Laden. In addition to those stories, here are some of the other posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the Bank Holiday weekend. Fraser Nelson believes that a degree of separation will strengthen the coalition. James Forsyth argues that the Gaddafi family are legitimate targets for NATO, and says that the recriminations over the defeat of AV will change the debate over Lords reform. Peter Hoskin catches Chris Huhne courting the left, and ponders James Purnell’s latest intervention in the welfare debate. Jonathan Jones has a brief guide to the Canadian elections. Hamish Macdonell says that Labour is still off course in Scotland.

Rubio for President? Sir: Richard Littlejohn’s idea of a President Rubio (‘Who will fight Obama?’, 16 April) is little more than wishful thinking. The Florida senator is at most a lukewarm conservative, which will become increasingly obvious over his six-year term. (Obama is only the second man in 50 years to go directly from Senate to White House — it’s a difficult path because legislative service forces a politician to commit his views to the record.) Littlejohn is impressed that Rubio could draw a crowd of 5,000 in his home state, yet there are a half-dozen other Republicans with at least as much pull — including figures such as Palin, Bachmann and Trump, whom Littlejohn rightly discounts.