The Spectator

Use the force Sir: The problem with Alasdair Palmer’s argument against police reform (‘The coalition’s police reforms will fail’, 21 August) is that it merely echoed Gordon Brown’s mantra for the last ten years. According to this view, what matters most is how much money is spent on public services. The more we spend on our police, schools, etc, the better they are bound to be. Some of us questioned this idea from the beginning. Others began to have doubts when services failed to improve in proportion to the substantial resources pumped in. Most people finally rejected the age of big spending when the country went bust.

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson reveals the war being waged against schools reform, and hears Mark Hoban become the first victim of New Labour’s landmines. James Forsyth says the coalition has five lessons to learn, and reports on the truce between IDS and George Osborne. Peter Hoskin rounds up the double dip predictions, and explains how the coalition can build its case for fairness. David Blackburn considers Labour’s DfID problem, and says that George Osborne will beat IDS. Eamonn Butler wants care for the elderly to be a family thing. Patrick Nolan explains how the spending review will affect welfare. And Alex Massie asks what Ed Miliband knows of liberalism.

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.

What the PCC is for Sir: While I really do not wish to react humourlessly to Douglas Murray’s thoughtful piece on society’s collective sense of humour failure (‘Why can’t anyone take a joke any more?’, 14 August), I would like to clear up a couple of his points about the Press Complaints Commission. He says that we encourage people to ‘claim an offence’ if they do not like something they read. Not quite true. The PCC deliberately makes no judgment on taste or decency, and actively discourages people from complaining on the grounds simply that they have been offended. We encourage people to complain about accuracy and intrusion and the like, but that is surely to be expected.

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.

Vive le TGV Sir: I was surprised to read about the vexations of Ross Clark on the TGV (‘Train à Grande Vexation’, 7 August). My experiences on this train have always been excellent. Last winter I was able to buy a return ticket between London and Avignon for only £110. Changing trains in Lille was perfectly easy, as the platforms were adjacent. And I find it a particular blessing that passengers are not allowed to use mobile telephones in the carriages. Rail passengers are far more likely to encounter problems in France when they are using ordinary trains, particularly those travelling from east to west or vice versa.