…here are some posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Matthew d’Ancona reviews Blur’s gig at Hyde Park. Fraser Nelson tracks details Ed Balls’ involvement in the Government’s approach to the public finances. James Forsyth reveals the greatest edit in history, and says that Tony Blair is right on climate change. Peter Hoskin highlights a
On the Iraq inquiries Sir: Lest myths become accepted as facts, may I correct two aspects of John Kampfner’s article (‘The secret Iraq deal’, 27 June) about the Iraq Intelligence Review, which I chaired. First, a myth has grown up that the Review’s criticisms of the government were originally more trenchant but were watered down
As Mark Earls writes on page 16, the rush to mourn Michael Jackson has been matched only by the surge of instant jokes about the singer — many of them in catastrophically poor taste. Our very own Taki lets one or two out of the bag this week (see page 44). Some say these one-liners
Tuesday was a busy day for Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. Not only did he launch ‘Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future’, the government’s new White Paper on schools reform, a document which he claimed enshrined ‘a radical devolution of power to head teachers, backed up by stronger accountability,
Here are some of the posts made over the past week on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson reveals Ed Balls’ lies, and outlines the scale of the debt crisis. James Forsyth says a shadow Cabinet member needs to call Brown on his lies, and sets out the Tories’ higher goal for education. Peter Hoskin looks at how
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 – provided 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
The full audio of The Spectator’s debate on grammar schools with David Davis and Stephen Pollard speaking for them and Charles Clarke, Fiona Millar and Simon Jenkins opposing is now available online. You can listen here.
A nuclear Iran Sir: Should there be any doubt, following James Forsyth’s article (‘What to do about Iran and the bomb’, 20 June), that the Iranian government intends to build atomic weapons, it is answered by the forest of anti-aircraft weapons protecting their uranium enrichment plant at Nantaz. When in the area two weeks ago
Taking the country to war is one of the most serious decisions a government can make. So it is right and proper that once the troops return home, there is a full investigation. To the greatest extent possible — given intelligence relationships and the need not to reveal information that could compromise national security —
A journalist who wrote for last week’s Spectator has been detained by the Iranian regime. He should be freed immediately. Last week’s Spectator carried a fine atmospheric despatch from Tehran by the Greek journalist Iason Athanasiadis, who has also been covering the disputed presidential election for the Washington Times. At some point in the past week —
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 – provided 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
…here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Fraser Nelson highlights more lies from Gordon Brown, and observes the latest Cabinet split. James Forsyth investigates how Brown views himself, and charts the PM’s latest effort to relaunch himself. Martin Bright has the latest from your thinker in residence. Clive Davis highlights
Built on a lie Sir: J. Alan Smith (Letters, 13 June) points out that Churchill from 1940-45 was, like Gordon Brown today, ‘a prime minister who was “unelected”’ — as though that should allay concerns about the democratic legitimacy of Mr Brown’s premiership. But the main concern about Mr Brown’s democratic legitimacy is not so much
Just to remind CoffeeHousers that the deadline for the Spectator’s short story competition is fast-approaching. Entries have to be in before the end of Thursday, 25 June. Here are details for anyone who’s interested: To celebrate the launch of the Spectator Book Club, The Spectator is giving you the chance to have a short story
Since his brush with political death, Gordon Brown has made ‘candour’ his word for the month. So it was extraordinary to hear how brazenly the Prime Minister distorted the truth in his address on Tuesday to the GMB’s conference in Blackpool: a thunderous campaign speech which sought to draw the sharpest of ‘dividing lines’ between
There was something magnificently comic about Lord Rogers of Riverside accusing the Prince of Wales of ‘unconstitutional’ behaviour. The modernist architect is predictably outraged that his hideous design for a development on the site of the old Chelsea Barracks has now been ditched — after Prince Charles wrote to a member of the Qatari royal family,
Here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the past week: Matthew d’Ancona introduces the Spectator’s 50 Essential Films, and observes Gordon Brown following a dividing line to oblivion. Fraser Nelson notes George Osborne’s milestone article, and watches Brown do the Time Warp again. James Forsyth thinks that Margaret Beckett would only just
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 – provided 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
Here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson sets out the two sorts of cuts. James Forsyth reports on a morning of Mandelson and Miliband, and says that the next Speaker must command cross-party support. Peter Hoskin watches Ken Clarke both clarify and muddy the Tory position on Europe,
Back to Black Sir: Taki (High Life, 16 May) exaggerated the ineptitude of my counsel in Chicago, and in this I am happy to agree with Tom Bower (Letters, 23 May), but they were not my counsel of choice, whom I was prevented from retaining by an asset seizure that was subsequently judged by the