The Spectator

Monday

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 6 April 2009

Here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Matthew d'Ancona marks the rise of the neo-confs. Fraser Nelson reports on Alistair Darling's less optimistic forecast, and laments Ed Balls's take on education policy. James Forsyth thinks the Government is taking us for fools, and analyses Gordon Brown's global temptation. Peter Hoskin highlights a frugal MP. Daniel Korski gives his take on NATO's new man at the helm. Martin Bright reveals the plight of the lost generation. Clive Davis has an Obama-ish moment. And Alex Massie tells a tale of luck and greed.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 4 April 2009

Bloody rude Sir: Michael Portillo (‘The view from Basra’, 28 March) accuses the British army of arrogance and, effectively, of incompetence. He says we’ve been humiliated. This may accord with his new television persona, but it is still disingenuous, apart from being bloody rude. It is his own political class that has been shown up — shamed, shown treacherous and craven — by reducing the British army again and again, until it could fit into Wembley stadium, but still expecting it to undertake counter-insurgency work. The army has always maintained, in its advice to the politicians, that counter-insurgency in Basra would require a full infantry division.

The Spectator

Lions led by Labour donkeys

The Labour government has been spinning aggressively that British troops are withdrawing from Iraq because the job is done. Major General Andy Salmon, the British Commander, has even made the rather dubious claim that Basra is now safer than Manchester. It is true that the progress made in recent months has been remarkable: there have only been three successful militia bomb attacks during this period. The recent provincial elections saw the extremist Fadhila party, which had controlled the city, well and truly routed. Prime Minister Maliki’s Dawa party won a plurality of the votes and a majority of the seats; a testament to the public’s view of the Charge of the Knights which Maliki launched in March 2008 to drive the militias out of Basra.

The Spectator

Gordon’s April Fool

We at The Spectator would like to say sorry to the Prime Minister. When he declared in October that the world needed a ‘new Bretton Woods’ — a reference to the 1944 conference that established the global financial system — we took him at his word. And when he swore that the G20 summit in London would be a great event, and that world leaders would do ‘whatever it takes’, we assumed he meant what he said. We now realise that we severely underestimated the PM’s sense of humour and failed to see the twinkling eye of surrealist humour in those dour features. In fact, the G20 has been the grandest April Fool in living memory, a spectacular raspberry to the planet by the men and women who are meant to be co-ordinating the recovery of the global economy.

Friday

The Spectator

The Spectator’s Grand National tips

Ahead of tomorrow’s big race, we asked a few Spectator contributors, and friends of Coffee House, for their Grand National tips.  Here are their responses: Robin Oakley Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has had 40 runners in the Grand National without winning.  He trains the favourite, My Will, but you can also get 22-1 on his Big Fella Thanks, which makes him the each way value. Peter Oborne Two horses catch my eye, both at reasonable odds. Brooklyn Brownie was bred by John Kenny, Master of the Ormond Foxhounds, won his bumper in Ireland before being sold to north country trainer Malcolm Jefferson. Brooklyn Brownie will stay the distance, enjoy the expected good going, is in flying form and he ran very well over the National fences at Aintree last November.

The Spectator

The week that was | 3 April 2009

Here are some of the posts made during the past week on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson analyses Gordon Brown’s G20 deal, and gives ten reasons why a Tory government should cut state spending. James Forsyth gives his take on Barack Obama’s gift for the Queen, and reports on David Cameron’s search for a broader shadow cabinet. Peter Hoskin reports on Brown’s G20 sermon, and sets the reasons why the Prime Minister shouldn’t expect a significant post-summit bounce. Lloyd Evans watches the London Summit get under way. Martin Bright says that Boris just doesn’t get it. Clive Davis reports on the G20 meeting. Alex Massie laments Benjamin Netanyahu's recipe for disaster. Melanie Phillips records the essential history.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 30 March – 5 April

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 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… | 30 March 2009

...here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson tracks Gordon Brown's Highway to Hell, and wonders whether Alistair Darling has slipped up over the Dunfermline Building Society. James Forsyth laments the absurd demands of the NUT, and says that governments can recover from rage but not ridicule. Peter Hoskin reports on some pornographic expenses, and gives his take on David Cameron's tough love agenda. Daniel Korski says that tragedy of Afghanistan is that the Taliban has a better coordinated political and military strategy than we do. Martin Bright celebrates the wisdom of Clay Shirky. And Clive Davis observes two kinds of stoicism.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 28 March 2009

No progressive Sir: David Cameron’s article last week (‘It is not enough for Labour to lose this election’) mentioned the post-bureaucratic age ten times. Mr Cameron loves this phrase because it was coined by a progressive — Al Gore’s former speechwriter Andrei Cherney. And as the April date for Mr Cameron’s proposed £5 billion cuts to welfare, skills and charities draws near, he’s clearly hoping that endless use of nice slogans will keep his progressive credentials in check. The slogans however mask the reality. The Conservatives continue to advocate for unregulated markets in public services when no one is even arguing for them any more in the private sector.

The Spectator

Same old rules

A series of selective leaks had suggested that the second edition of the country’s counter-terrorism strategy, released on Tuesday, would see a shift from trying to tackle violent extremism to tackling extremism per se. This would have been a welcome development. Counter-terrorism in Britain has been crippled by a strategic failure to match policy to the reality that terrorism is merely the symptom of a wider problem: namely the hold of extremist Islamism on a small but significant slice of the British population. However, as so often, the spin was misleading. The document is actually deeply cautious — a reflection of the splits in government over this issue.

The Spectator

Nineteen Eighty-Four? Yes, please

Jade Goody was propelled to a very strange form of modern stardom by the reality TV show Big Brother, and even learned of the cancer that finally claimed her life last weekend on the Indian version of that programme. The title of the show was Orwellian. But what the author of Nineteen Eighty-Four could never have predicted is that the citizens would subject themselves to the scrutiny of the cameras voluntarily. The deeper threat to human dignity in 2009 is not state surveillance but pathological exhibitionism. In so many respects, what Orwell foretold has come to pass — with the crucial difference that it has been embraced by consumers not imposed upon them by the totalitarian state.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 27 March 2009

Here are some of the posts made over the past week on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson wonders whether we've witnessed the beginning of the end, and says that Cameron should learn to love the bankers. James Forsyth tracks the internet success of Daniel Hannan's attack on Gordon Brown, and says that Brown is hemmed in. Peter Hoskin wonders how significant Mervyn King's intervention could turn out to be, and claims that the system of MPs' pay and allowances needs an overhaul. Daniel Korski sets out the three Talibans. Martin Bright gives his take on the Left and radical Islam. Clive Davis laments the contestants on The Apprentice. Alex Massie asks: has Obama already failed? Melanie Phillips looks into some claims and facts.

The Spectator

Introducing Scoff!

Stuck for ideas on what and where to eat over the weekend?  Then Scoff! is here to help.  Scoff! is a new, food & drink quarterly pullout in the print edition of The Spectator, although all its content - and more - is available at new.spectator.co.uk/scoff.  Head over there to find out how to make a warm lentil salad; read reviews of restaurants across the country; and get advice on choosing a whisky, among other things.  The Scoff! editors - Jonathan Ray and Dan Jellinek - have also set up a blog where, as usual, you can leave your own comments.  All in all, it's an ideal web destination for the foodies among us.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 23 March – 29 March

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 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… | 23 March 2009

...here are some of the posts made over the weekend on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson says that a 45p tax rate is not what's best for this country, and reveals that that Tories' current plans would leave national debt 60% higher than it is today. James Forsyth sets out what George Osborne is playing it right on 45p tax, and makes the case for prison reform. Peter Hoskin says that Cameron should avoid dancing to Brown's tune, and warns about the state of the public finances. Martin Bright asks whether the left is waking from its slumber. Clive Davis looks into what happened in Gaza. Alex Massie reflects on the life and times and death of Jade Goody. And Melanie Phillips laments the Ha'aretz blood libel.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters | 21 March 2009

Art for money’s sake Sir: It is hardly surprising that Olivia Cole (‘How to put children off art’, 14 March) found so many schoolchildren in the National Gallery and that they seemed to be learning little about art from their visits. The Gallery, like other public bodies, has a funding agreement with its sponsor department, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The agreement for the current financial year is not on the Gallery’s website but for 2007/8 it was set a target for the number of children aged 15 and under visiting the Gallery in ‘organised educational sessions’, of 105,000, which it exceeded. There is no target for the benefit that the children gain from these visits.

The Spectator

The cost of learning

A momentous shift occurred in British politics this week: the National Union of Students accepted the principle that graduates should contribute to the cost of their degrees. This U-turn is proof that the argument that graduates should pay for their tuition has at last been won, 11 years after the introduction of fees in 1998. The system that existed before then, though routinely described as a badge on civilisation, was, in practice, deeply immoral. University education was paid for out of general taxation: the poorest in society were subsidising the education of those who would go on to be the richest.

The Spectator

Marx!

At The Spectator, we are anti-Marxist but pro-musical. So it is with mixed feelings that we learned that Chinese producers in Beijing are to turn Das Kapital into a stage show, complete with big dance numbers and catchy songs. The director, He Nian, told Wen Hui Bao newspaper that ‘the particular performance style we choose is not important, but Marxist theories cannot be distorted’. We disagree. Marx’s theories are wholly discredited, but the style in which musicals are performed is a matter of global importance. Imagine, then, the scene as the two founders of communism perform the duet that will lead to the Russian Revolution and the Cold War. Friedrich Engels returns from hunting and finds his friend reading yet another volume of Hegel by candlelight.

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 20 March 2009

Here are some of the posts made during the past week on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson responds to the latest issue of the New Statesman, and thinks David Cameron got the better of Gordon Brown in PMQS. James Forsyth reports on the government's debt worries, and says that the Tories are in the same position as Labour were nine months before the 1997 landslide. Peter Hoskin picks up on Brown's non-apology, and thinks the Tories are ramping up their spending cut rhetoric. Martin Bright watches Whistleblowers United in action. Clive Davis wonders whether bloggers can actually write. Alex Massie tracks the debate between the traditionalists and reformers over the future of the GOP. Melanie Phillips gives her take on the AJC Durban II controversy.

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 16 March – 22 March

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 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.