The Spectator

Last week, at a cost of a billion pounds or so, the Chancellor announced a package of measures to boost the housing market, including a temporary raising of the stamp duty threshold and some tinkering with shared equity schemes and social housing budgets. In response, the pound — already depressed by Alistair Darling’s observation that Britain now faces arguably the worst combination of economic circumstances in 60 years — fell a little further. Lord Lamont, the last chancellor to resort to a stamp-duty holiday in the face of a house-price collapse in December 1991, pointed out that the device did no good at all for the housing market or his own reputation.

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Heartbeats of delight Sir: Few would disagree with Paul Johnson’s view that prolonging the human lifespan is of little value if it merely gives us extra years of Alzheimer’s and debility (And another thing, 30 August). But we do not all live for the average span, and one reason for the increase in average age since the early 19th century has been the massive reduction in child mortality. It is difficult to believe that in his historical studies Johnson has not encountered the miseries caused by the death of beloved children. Numerous books, for example, describe the pain which Charles Darwin suffered as a result of the death of his favourite daughter Anne in 1851, and Thomas Huxley’s grief when his son Noel died of scarlet fever in 1860.

Here are some of the posts made over the past week on Spectator.co.uk: Fraser Nelson reports for Americano from the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul.  He gives his take on Sarah Palin's speech here, and on John McCain's speech here.  Also on Americano, James Forsyth suggests that McCain has to sell himself as a reformer. Dominic Grieve gives his answers to CoffeeHousers' questions. James Forsyth wonders whether the Brown-Miliband truce will hold until after conference, and claims that things just keep getting worse for Labour. Peter Hoskin reports on Charles Clarke's latest outburst against Gordon Brown, and notes how the media have registered a vote of no confidence. Daniel Korski outlines the real European conflict.

We did it, not the state Sir: I am not a social historian but surely Liam Byrne fatally undermines his whole argument when he praises the founding of various organisations and movements 150 years ago to deal with the ‘huge change which swept millions from the countryside to the cities’ (‘Give us back our Big Idea, Mr Cameron’, 16 August). Isn’t the whole point that the state did not do this — individuals and groups did? Less state interference allows individuals and groups to help their communities and Britain as a whole rather than being strangled by the red tape, form-filling and box-ticking so beloved by Liam Byrne and New Labour.

Here are some of the posts made over the bank holiday weekend on Spectator.co.uk: A Coffee House poll asks whether the Tories should pledge to cut public spending. Fraser Nelson says it’s getting harder for first-time buyers, and claims a big state means a spying state. James Forsyth picks up on how an MI5 report shies away from mentioning ideology, and reports on another strong opinion poll showing for the Tories. Peter Hoskin suggests that the Tory hares and tortoises are set to do battle once again, and highlights a rather strange quote from Gordon Brown. Clive Davis gives his take on the Olympics handover concert at Buckingham Palace.

Spectator readers respond to recent articles Bombast in Beijing Sir: David Tang is right (Diary, 16 August) that Zhang Yimou, the choreographer of the Olympic ceremony, produced ‘maniacal... bombast...’. Mr Tang suggested Pyongyang as a model. But years ago Mr Zhang told me that he could get his films on screen in China, where they were hardly shown, if he made one like Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will about the 1936 Nazi Olympics. Mr Tang mentions the ‘sleight of hand’ of the faked fireworks — which would have got a similarly faking athlete sent home. But that is only one example of the ceremonial Potemkin. The Chinese internet sites admitted everything, afterwards.

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.