The Spectator

Saturday

The Spectator

Our real supreme court

It is tempting to cheer the European Court of Human Rights’s ruling in the case of Kevin Gillan and Pennie Quinton. They have been awarded £30,000 in compensation on the grounds that the powers used by the police to detain them at a protest outside an arms fair in Docklands six years ago were illiberal. It is a depressing little tale of how legislation passed by Parliament to fight terrorism has been hijacked by the police for everyday policing. But also a depressing reminder of where legal sovereignty in Britain now lies. We have, in Parliament Square, a new building entitled the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. A lawyer looking for a wheeze should consider instigating an action under the Trade Description Act, because supreme it isn’t.

The Spectator

Cold hearts

Perhaps the least fashionable cause in Britain is the welfare of our elderly. At least 35,000 old men and women will die from the cold this winter: a staggering, scandalous figure. We are a rich country, there are many ingenious and inexpensive ways to heat a house, yet every August, when the number of ‘excess winter deaths’ are disclosed, the extent of our national incompetence or indifference becomes clear. No one asks why so many more pensioners die each winter in Britain than in Norway. The winter cull of our elderly has become accepted as part of national life. Had 35,000 died from the heat, there would have been an outcry. Seven years ago, a heatwave was blamed for 2,000 deaths across the country — and it was regarded as the most urgent political priority.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 15 January 2010

Fraser Nelson congratulates Ross Kemp for giving both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian debate. James Forsyth believes that Jon Cruddas may be Labour’s coming man, and scents Labour’s plotters gathering to oppose international jurisdiction. Peter Hoskin is stunned to hear Ed Balls say the same stuff differently, and praises the Tories sensible re-think of their marriage tax proposal. David Blackburn watches Alastair Campbell appear before the Chilcot Inquiry, and believes it is immaterial who fronts Labour’s election campaign. Martin Bright on the Labour revolt against Israel. Susan Hill rails against edu-cay-shun. Alex Massie debates a political pizza strategy for Labour. Rod Liddle bemoans our deepening double standards.

Thursday

The Spectator

In this week’s Spectator | 14 January 2010

The latest issue of the Specatator is published today. If you are a subscriber you can view it here. If you have not subscribed, but would like to view this week’s content, you can subscribe online here, or purchase a single issue here. A selection of articles from the latest issue is available for free online to all website users: On the face of it, the Robinson scandal is about hypocrisy, staggering hypocrisy. But there is more to it than that. Rod Liddle is convinced that Northern Ireland’s First Minister and his wife held religious beliefs that made ordinary life – and marriage – impossible. The British military has been horribly overstretched by the wars of the Labour years, says Max Hastings.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall 11 January – 17 January

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… | 11 January 2010

...here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Fraser Nelson reveals the full horror of the Brown administration, and analyses David Cameron’s performance on the Andrew Marr show. James Forsyth argues that Darling’s intervention is a very significant moment, and argues that the Cabinet’s lack of love for Brown is a gift to the Tories. Peter Hoskin tells a tale of two interviews, and says that Darling's honesty is good news for the country but tricky news for Labour. David Blackburn objects to the Tories’ commitment to the sacrosanct NHS, and wonders if Geoff Hoon will strike again. Daniel Korski ponders the forthcoming security and defence review. Martin Bright admits overestimating the Labour party.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 9 January 2010

Freedom fights fanaticism Sir: John Deverell (Letters, 19 December) is right to draw attention to the precarious position of Christians in the Middle East: though the implication seems to be that if we keep quiet about the Islamification of Europe, the Islamists penetrate further into Europe; while if we speak out, the Islamists tighten their grip on the Middle East. The deeper issue is the lack of religious freedom in the Muslim world. Christians, Zoroastrians, animists and Hindus are forced either to emigrate or to endure humiliating persecution. The apostasy law imprisons Muslims in Islam as surely as any Berlin Wall; while the laws against the defamation of Islam prevent Muslims from hearing any rational criticism of their religion.

The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 9 January 2010

Mr Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, called a meeting in London on Yemen at the end of the month after al-Qa’eda claimed that it was responsible for the attempted destruction of an airliner approaching Detroit on Christmas Day. Mr Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, called a meeting in London on Yemen at the end of the month after al-Qa’eda claimed that it was responsible for the attempted destruction of an airliner approaching Detroit on Christmas Day. Charges were brought against Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian who had taken his degree at University College London and later spent a few months in Yemen allegedly learning how to set off a bomb hidden in his underpants.

The Spectator

Leave Brown to the voters

One must almost admire the optimism of Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt. Their call to arms — asking Labour members to rise up and topple their leader — is entirely logical. Gordon Brown is easily the Tories’ biggest asset: without saying ‘no more Brown’, their message on the doorsteps would lose much of its impact. A party determined to preserve itself would, indeed, find someone — anyone — else. But if Mr Hoon and Ms Hewitt are so concerned about their party, why did they not speak out last June? Why did they not back Mr Purnell, who sacrificed his political future? The answer is that they were both hoping Mr Brown would send them to Brussels to be EU High Representative: a job which eventually went to the hapless Baroness Ashton.

The Spectator

A golden age for fascism

The re-emergence of fascism in Britain is highly inconvenient for our political parties, it is a distraction from the election campaigns they are all so overly keen to begin. They deal with the BNP by ignoring it, by banning MEPs from parliament to make sure no one has to pass Nick Griffin in a corridor. They pretend the BNP is a strange anomaly, too small to be dangerous with ‘only’ a million voters, and they claim to be baffled as to how such support could emerge. The events of this week left two large clues. The first is the fascist march being called in Wiltshire. No one describes Islam4UK’s proposed anti-war protest in Wootton Bassett as a fascist march — but as Melanie Phillips argued here recently, it is. It’s the reverse side of the fascist coin.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 8 January 2010

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson watches the Labour party lose the plot, and thinks that David Cameron is cowering in the face of Labour attacks. James Forsyth reveals what we have learnt from the failed H&H coup, and argues that any action that wounds Brown without killing him is nectar to the Tories. Peter Hoskin wonders whether he’s found Labour’s election slogan, and wonders why H&H stuck their heads above the parapet. David Blackburn predicts a post-election bloodbath for Labour, and is concerned that the Civil Service’s impartiality is being compromised. Lloyd Evans witnesses an intriguing exchange at PMQs be overshadowed by events. Susan Hill urges writers to write as they please.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall January 4th – January 10th 

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…<br />

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the New Year period. Fraser Nelson asks David Cameron not to take voters for fools, and wishes everyone a boozy New Year. James Forsyth reflects on the Detroit bomber’s radicalisation, and debates the tensions in the Cameron circle. Peter Hoskin says that the Tories are struggling to find a line on tax, and believes that it’s not just bankers who will be hanged. David Blackburn argues that Labour has made a terrible mistake in marginalising Mandy, and thinks that ministers should always be ultimately accountable. Daniel Korski makes his predictions for 2010. Susan Hill takes the attack to Harriet Harman. Alex Massie busts the myth of Brown the battler.

Saturday

The Spectator

Jet-set jihadi

A Nigerian Islamic fanatic flies to the Netherlands and tries to blow up a plane bound for Detroit in Michigan — and yet there was something grimly inevitable about the fact that it was Britain where police were scrambled and London where the fanatic’s accommodation was searched. A Nigerian Islamic fanatic flies to the Netherlands and tries to blow up a plane bound for Detroit in Michigan — and yet there was something grimly inevitable about the fact that it was Britain where police were scrambled and London where the fanatic’s accommodation was searched. As Gordon Brown’s Cabinet plodded into the underground bunker after being summoned for an emergency meeting on Boxing Day, they might well have asked: why is it always us?

The Spectator

Letters | 2 January 2010

In the wrong hands Sir: It simply will not do for Ed Balls to dismiss the loathsome pamphlet written by Farah Ahmed, head teacher of the Hizb ut Tahrir-linked school he supports and funds, on the grounds that it is ‘not evidence of extremist views actually being taught in the classroom’ (Letters, 12 December). In fact, what should ‘actually be taught in the classroom’ was precisely the subject Mrs Ahmed was writing about. And the school’s curriculum, which I also mentioned in my article, displays striking parallels between what Hizb teaches its recruits and Mrs Ahmed teaches her pupils.

Tuesday

The Spectator

Apologies | 29 December 2009

We have been experiencing techinical problems at Spectator.co.uk today and some readers may have been unable to access the site. We hope that the situation will be fully resolved shortly.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 28 December – 3 January

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.

Wednesday

The Spectator

Happy Christmas | 23 December 2009

Barring major political catastrophe, Coffee House will be falling silent over the next few days as we all celebrate Christmas.  Many thanks to CoffeeHousers for your contributions over the past year.  We hope you enjoy a happy holiday. If you're looking to fill your time, then Paul Johnson's and Lloyd Evans' pieces from the Christmas issue of the magazine are well worth a read.  We'll be uploading more magazine content over the next week.

Tuesday

The Spectator

Apologies | 22 December 2009

We've been experiencing a few technical difficulties on Spectator.co.uk today, which means some of you may not have been able to access the site. We hope that things will be fully fixed shortly.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall 21 December – 27 December

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.