The Spectator

Although elder siblings are often claimed to be natural leaders and second children natural rebels, none of the last seven prime ministers have been eldest siblings.     Although elder siblings are often claimed to be natural leaders and second children natural rebels, none of the last seven prime ministers have been eldest siblings.     —David Cameron is third of four children. —Gordon Brown is middle of three sons. —Tony Blair has an elder brother and younger sister. —John Major is younger of two brothers; Margaret Thatcher younger of two sisters. —Jim Callaghan and Harold Wilson both had elder sisters.

Here is a selection of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson groans as David Cameron resuscitates the Big Society, and urges George Osborne to go even further on middle class benefits. James Forsyth denies that the Tories have committed their ‘10p tax mistake’, and awaits the end of universal benefit. Peter Hoskin watches IDS set out a vision to alleviate poverty, and explains how Osborne and IDS are working closely on welfare reform. David Blackburn wonders what the Tory right and libertarians made of Cameron’s disavowal of laissez-faire, and reveals that the Scottish Tories won’t oppose AV. Martin Bright goes in search of the Big Society. Susan Hill joins the conversation.

Here are the results in full: Cooper 232 Healey 192 Balls 179 Burnham 165 Angela Eagle 165 Johnson 163 Alexander 160 Murphy 160 Jowell 152 Flint 139 Denham 129 Benn 128 Khan 128 Creagh 119 McKechin  117 Maria Eagle 107 Hillier 106 Lewis 104 Byrne 100.

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.

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.

India has given a good impression of a country that views the Commonwealth as an embarrassment. It should be an honour to host the commonwealth Games. We hoped that India would use the event to show the world that it is not just an emerging superpower with nuclear weapons and a space programme, but a country with a sense of pride — as China did with the Beijing Olympics. Instead, India has given a good impression of a country that views the Commonwealth as an embarrassment. Advance parties from England, Scotland, Australia and Canada arrived to find squalid and even incomplete accommodation. There were reports of walls bubbling with mould and floors covered with pools of stagnant water. The site is so structurally unsound that one of the footbridges collapsed.