The Spectator

LIVE: Cameron’s Europe speech

From our UK edition

16:05: So, how does Cameron intend to make British law supreme? 16:06: We cannot hold a referendum to stop this treaty any more than we can stop the sun rising in the morning. And now Cameron lets rip. He points out that the betrayal was Blair's and Brown's, ably supported by the LibDems. The Conservatives have been consistent. 16:08: The Tories will reform the European Communities Act to ensure that such a betrayal never happens again. Every treaty and European reform will be placed before the people. Here is Cameron's Lincolnian paradign, that dominated his Confernece speech again - power for the people is his mantra. It confims his avowed Euroscepticism without declaring war on the EU. There is however doubt about the need for further treaties post-Lisbon.

CoffeeHousers’ Wall 2 November – 8 November 

From our UK edition

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.

Just in case you missed them… | 2 November 2009

From our UK edition

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. James Forsyth argues that the press will make a mountain out of each of Lord Ashcroft’s actions unless he clarifies his tax status, and believes that Theresa Villiers is the ideal candidate to sell the Tories’ arguments in Europe. Daniel Korski celebrates Flemming Rose’s war, and analyses the effect Abdullah Abdullah’s withdrawal from the Afghan run-off. David Blackburn believes that Lt. Col. Thorneloe’s memo and death should serve as an epitaph for the government’s dereliction of duty. Fraser Nelson debates David Miliband’s candidature for EU Foreign Minister. Susan Hill conducts a poll in the heart of Middle England.

Sacred cows

From our UK edition

The cow has had it too easy for too long. For years we humans have been jetting across the world, guiltily clutching complimentary snacks, shamed by the feeling that every minute of our flight was damaging our planet’s fragile climate. Our bovine friends, meanwhile, have been openly flatulent, emitting devastating global warming gases without fear of reprisal. Thank goodness then for Lord Stern of Brentford, the New Labour climate change guru who this week has finally focused the nation’s opprobrium where it is deserved. Of course it’s not quite true that every time a cow farts, a baby polar bear falls through the ice, but Lord Stern does have science on his side.

Portrait of the Week – 31 October 2009

From our UK edition

Mr Gordon Brown is prepared to campaign actively for Mr Tony Blair, whom he replaced as Prime Minister, to be the first permanent president of the European Council of the European Union, Downing Street said. Mr David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, had said earlier that Mr Blair would be a good candidate because ‘we need someone who, when he or she lands in Beijing or Washington or Moscow, the traffic does need to stop’. Sir Christopher Kelly, the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, told party leaders the outline of his report on MPs’ expenses, to be published next week, and shortly afterwards there was a leak of his recommendations that MPs should no longer be able to claim for mortgage payments on second homes or to employ spouses as secretaries.

Letters | 31 October 2009

From our UK edition

Squeezing out democracy Sir: Melanie Phillips did a first-rate job in pinning down the Islamofascist ‘elephant in the room’ (‘The clash of uncivilisations’, 24 October). There was, however, one area not touched on: how the Islamists and the BNP are really two sides of the same coin. I live six miles from the BNP heartland of Burnley and stood as a Labour council candidate in a nearby borough last year. Trudging through council estates, I made it my business to ignore instructions from the party to knock only on the doors of former Labour voters.

The Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards 2009

From our UK edition

The votes are in, and we now know which parliamentarian has won this year’s Spectator/Threadneedle Readers’ Representative Award. The votes are in, and we now know which parliamentarian has won this year’s Spectator/Threadneedle Readers’ Representative Award. Their name will be revealed at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards lunch But here, first, we can announce which reader’s nomination most caught the judges’ collective eye. So congratulations, Sam Rice, whose impassioned support for Douglas Carswell has earned him a bottle of champagne and two tickets to the lunch at Claridges where the awards are announced. Here is Sam’s nomination: ‘I would like to nominate Douglas Carswell MP for Parliamentarian of the Year.

The week that was | 30 October 2009

From our UK edition

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week Fraser Nelson sees a cartoon that epitomises modern Britain. James Forsyth argues that Liz Truss’ candidacy must stand, and doubts that the army is being funded to its target level. Peter Hoskin is encouraged that IDS is being tasked with finding “affordable policy solutions”, and waits as the Tories prime their civil service shake-up. David Blackburn believes that MPs should get a free vote on the Kelly Review, and says that Thursday was another day where Brown was on the road to perdition. Lloyd Evans watches Dave miss another opportunity. Susan Hill can see rural poverty and deprivation all around. Rod Liddle wants to start a campaign of mass disobedience.

In this week’s Spectator<br />

From our UK edition

The latest issue of the Spectator is released 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 now. Five articles from the latest issue are available for free online to all website users: The idea of President Blair has seen the re-emergence of the Tories’ Blair complex. James Forsyth argues that the Tories’ attempts to scupper the advent of President Blair pay their target the highest compliment; Blair will be flattered.   Christina Lamb has witnessed over 20 years of war in Afghanistan. She has always maintained that the answer to the war on terror’s Afghan dimension was to send more troops.

Nominate a young entrepreneur

From our UK edition

Spectator Business, the sister magazine of The Spectator, is on the lookout for talent again.  We're tracking down Britain's best young entrepreneurs of 2009. Last year, we profiled ten young people who had made their mark in industries ranging from media and entertainment to food production and social networking. They included Marc Burton, a partner in exclusive London nightspot Whisky Mist, and Victoria Lennox, who was then president of Oxford Entrepreneurs and has since gone on to head up the National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs. This year, we are inviting readers and contributors to nominate entrepreneurs under the ago of 30 who have impressed you with their vision and determination.

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 26 October – 1 November

From our UK edition

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.

Just in case you missed them… | 26 October 2009

From our UK edition

...here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: James Forsyth reports on Iran's secret nuclear plant, and says that a second round of voting won't solve all of Afghanistan's election problems. Peter Hoskin says that there's still no room for complacency about the BNP, and claims that the Tories now have a monopoly on the language of optimism. David Blackburn reports on the latest news about Tony Blair and the EU Presidency, and analyses a poll on Afghanistan. Daniel Korski wonders whether Richard Holbrooke is on his way out. Martin Bright looks into secrecy. Susan Hill reveals the other face of hunting. And Alex Massie talks about immigration.

Lost in the post

The readers’ dinner held at Spectator headquarters last week was, as might be expected, a sparkling, bibulous affair. The readers’ dinner held at Spectator headquarters last week was, as might be expected, a sparkling, bibulous affair. The only cloud was the realisation that, unfortunately, many subscribers had not received the latest issue of the magazine, thanks to the inefficiency of the Royal Mail and the disruption caused by recent industrial activity. Alas, this sorry situation seems likely to continue for some time to come, as the postal workers’ union seems hell-bent on trying the public’s patience still further.

Will no one take on the BNP?

Nick Griffin has won an important victory just by being invited to appear on Question Time. To secure such a slot on prime-time television represents the greatest single accomplishment in the history of the fascist and neo-fascist movements in Britain. Oswald Mosley may have once filled the Albert Hall, but that granted him an audience of 5,000 and all were converts. The BBC delivers an audience of millions. For every 50 people who conclude that Griffin is a buffoon, one may decide he just might have a point. And that is all the BNP needs. Instead of complaining to the BBC, as several ministers have done, we should instead ask why almost a million British voters supported Griffin’s party at the latest local and European elections. It’s not because they share its racist agenda.

Portrait of the Week – 24 October 2009

On the brink of a planned national postal strike, Royal Mail announced it was recruiting 30,000 temporary staff to deal with the existing backlog and the normal Christmas rush, twice the number usually taken on. The Financial Services Authority published rules to make mortgage lenders assess strictly the ability of borrowers to make repayments, and to ban ‘self-certification’, which had allowed a million borrowers to take up mortgages without providing evidence of income. Five prison managers faced charges of gross misconduct after the Chief Inspector of Prisons found that prisoners at Wandsworth and Pentonville had been switched on the eve of inspections.

Letters | 24 October 2009

Race is still an issue Sir: I do not share Samir Shah’s flawed assumption that Britain is no longer a racist society (10 October). How many people of ethnic minorities are members of the current cabinet? How many vice-chancellors are non-whites? Would it be possible, in the current climate of religious prejudice, racial discrimination and Islamophobia, for a person of any ethnic minority group to become prime minister? Are ethnic minorities fairly represented in the house of lords and house of commons? Yes, Britain is more racially tolerant than it was ten years ago, but it still has a long way to go before it can break down social, cultural and racial barriers, and be unshackled from its centuries-old white supremacy and slavery mindset.

The week that was | 23 October 2009

From our UK edition

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson says that the BNP defines itself by race - that distinguishes it from every other party, and asks whether it is legitimate to discuss the strength of the link between HIV and Aids. James Forsyth wonders why the BBC allowed Question Time to become Griffin time, and thinks that MPs should be allowed to employ their relatives. Peter Hoskin argues that Brown’s lose-lose position will prevent our broken politics being fixed, and tries to unravel those strange post-conference polls. David Blackburn sees the same old mistakes being repeated in Afghanistan, and says that the BNP’s appropriation of British institutions must be resisted. Lloyd Evans witnesses a below par Dave at PMQs.

In this week’s Spectator

From our UK edition

The latest issue of the Spectator is released 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 now. Five articles from the latest issue are available for free online to all website users: The unions are on the rise again. The Royal Mail dispute illustrates that concerted union action could frustrate the Tories’ reform agenda in the future. James Forsyth reveals how the Tories plan to tame the unions. The BNP are using the public’s real fear of Islamism to attract support for their racist movement, says Melanie Phillips. If the political class wants to take on Griffin, it must first join the fight against Islamofascism.