The Spectator

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters to the Editor | 13 October 2007

From our UK edition

A-bomb or B-movie? Sir: I have no idea whether or not we really came close to WW3 last month, as your correspondents Douglas Davis and James Forsyth insist (‘We came so close’, 6 October), but one line in their exciting piece brings doubts to mind. After ‘secretly’ crossing into Syria (as opposed to coming in on a guided tour, presumably) soil samples collected by ‘elite’ Israeli commandos (thank heavens they didn’t use run-of-the-mill commandos) at Tartous ‘suggested that the cargo [from North Korea] was nuclear’. Really? Presumably any such nuclear material would have been transported and stored in rather robust, sealed and shielded containers.

Tuesday

The Spectator

The City Cottons on to the IHT con

From our UK edition

By Fraser Nelson Pennies are dropping in the city about the inheritance tax con. Here is Nigel May at MacIntyre Hudson:  "The Chancellor has done some wonderful arithmetic here by adding together two allowances that already exist, and passing it off as doubling the allowance.  Any married couple receiving advice about reducing their inheritance tax bill would have been able to use both allowances by either passing on assets or using a nil-rate discretionary trust on the death of the first spouse." Does the Treasury really believe it's worth this, just to fool the TV news for a few hours? Truly pathetic.

The Spectator

The inheritance tax con

From our UK edition

By Fraser Nelson Here’s the weasel. The Inheritance Tax "reduction" is a canard. Anyone with financial acumen (or a lawyer) will not benefit at all. KPMG have just been on the phone explaining it all to me and explain it here. “This change, although likely to grab headlines, is in practice only giving to most people what they already have,” says Carolyn Steppler, its tax director. Why? At present, couples can take out a zero-rate Discretionary Trust which in practise pools their inheritance tax allowances. Only those who have not availed themselves of this would be helped by today’s announcement. Yet Brown estimates this will cost him £1.4 billion – I suspect this figure is designed to shrink rapidly.

The Spectator

The impact of the PBR

From our UK edition

By Fraser Nelson • Buy-to-let bonanza: Previously, if you sold a buy-to-let house you’d pay between 24% and 40% on the capital gains. Now it’s 18%. Great news, which may help housing market liquidity.  • Welfare: Might Brown be aping Cameron on welfare reform as well? The CSR balances by assuming a fairly heroic 5% annual reduction in the UK welfare bill until 2010-11. I’m all in favour of this, but it’s an ambitious undertaking.  • More aping Osborne: The Tories proposed a £25,000 charge on non-doms. Brown will introduce a £30,000 charge – but after they have been non doms for seven years. NB, this is just a proposal and there will be a consultation. So the removal vans might not be needed just yet.

The Spectator

How much have taxes risen by?

From our UK edition

By James Forsyth The Tories, who have been pumping out information at a ferocious rate all afternoon, are saying that taxes will rise by £2.2bn over the next 3 years. They are basing their calculation on page 164 of the Pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review, which is—in tune with the political buzz word of the day—entitled Meeting the Aspirations of the British People.

The Spectator

A tax raising report | 9 October 2007

From our UK edition

By Fraser Nelson I now have the costings. This is indeed a tax raising budget. By 2010-11 they plan to net £1.4 billion extra in tax. Highlights are: £440m a year by "state second pension white paper reforms".... Sounds dodgy.... Raise £500m from non doms, lose £1.4 billion on inheritance tax (nb Tory proposal would have cost £3.5bn) and £900m from the raid on venture capitalists plus £500m on the new airline tax. In the first two years this would be a net loss to the Exchequer, but overall taxes are up.

The Spectator

Live Blog Darling’s speech

From our UK edition

3:30pm: The House is in confrontational mood and Darling is off on a party political point scoring exercise straight away. First mention of aspiration, the new political buzz word. 3:35 Darling has just, as expected, downgraded his growth forecast for 2008 to 2 to 2.5%. Darling has adopted the Brown strategy of death by figures and throwing international comparisons around like confetti—a sure sign that  there is something to hide. 3:40pm Here’s Fraser’s early take: 1)      Language. It’s pure Brown! Right up from the preamble to weird sentenced like “Britain: the fastest growing major economy in the world”. You’d think the speechwriters would attempt a slight stylistic change. The result is simply hilarious.

Monday

The Spectator

Listen live, tomorrow at 6:45pm

From our UK edition

Tomorrow night from 6:45 pm, we’ll be broadcasting via this site a debate on the motion, “We should not be reluctant to assert the superiority of Western values.”  There is an all star cast of speakers involved.  David Aaronovitch, Douglas Murray and Ibn Warraq are speaking for the motion while Tariq Ramadan, William Dalrymple and Charles Glass are opposing it. Click here to read a piece that Douglas has written for us setting out his position.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters to the Editor | 6 October 2007

From our UK edition

Arnie on the big screen Sir: There’s no truth in Fraser Nelson’s suggestion that Governor Schwarzenegger changed his schedule in response to polls or any other political considerations (‘This will be Cameron’s finest hour’, 29 September). The Governor was delighted by the opportunity to speak to the Conservative conference, and only regrets that other responsibilities prevented him from making an appearance. We’re grateful that technology allowed the Governor to appear via a video link. Governor Schwarzenegger appreciated Mr Cameron’s invitation and was pleased to highlight how California’s move away from hardline partisanship has helped the Governor’s administration achieve groundbreaking new policies.

The Spectator

Brown bottles out, no election this year

From our UK edition

Gordon Brown has ruled out an election this year following a poll of marginal seats that showed Labour significantly behind the Tories. No election is now expected until 2009. Coffee House has reaction and analysis to this news. Click here to read the latest from our political team.

The Spectator

A man worthy to be Prime Minister

From our UK edition

Ten years after New Labour came to power, it is remarkable that the unions can still hold us all to ransom. This issue of The Spectator has gone to press a day earlier than usual, to minimise the risk of disruption to our readers from the threatened postal strike. It is depressing that such precautions should still be necessary in 2007. So much for strong, Thatcher-esque leadership in No. 10. Those who ask why the country needs a fresh start need look no further than this petty display of Jurassic union power. In Blackpool this week, David Cameron confounded those who said that he is incapable of leading the Tories into government.

Wednesday

The Spectator

Coffee House on your phone

From our UK edition

If you want to follow Coffee House’s coverage of and reaction to David Cameron’s speech on your mobile phone just text SPECTATOR to 88010 *Normal operator data charges apply.

Tuesday

The Spectator

Back in the game

From our UK edition

I was surprised to see Andy Coulson, George Eustice et al at the packed (and hot) Telegraph party last night with big smiles. Seeing today’s papers, I see why. This is the best day for the Tories for a long, long time. “9 Million Families Free from Death Tax” says the Mail. The Times, Telegraph & Sun are similarly supportive. All indicative of a party which is back in the game. The reaction? Gordon Brown is as panicked as he was when he saw the Broken Society theme doing so well. Then, he ended the good headlines by scrapping the Manchester Supercasino. Now, he has brought forward the Iraq withdrawal announcement he was planning for next week And that is perhaps the surest sign that things are going better than expected in Blackpool.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters to the Editor | 29 September 2007

From our UK edition

Thank you for Peter Oborne’s ruthlessly accurate exposé of the Political Class (‘The Establishment is dead’, 15 September). Established truths Sir: Thank you for Peter Oborne’s ruthlessly accurate exposé of the Political Class (‘The Establishment is dead’, 15 September). The collateral damage caused by the killing of the Establishment can be distilled into just five words: the death of independent thought. This seems to apply to the populace as a whole as much as to politicians of all parties.   Ten short years ago Frank Field, an intelligent and thoughtful man, was appointed minister of welfare reform in the Department of Social Security with a mandate from Tony Blair to ‘think the unthinkable’.

The Spectator

Did the Tories rock in Blackpool?

From our UK edition

Spectator.co.uk has full coverage of the Tory Conference. Matthew d’Ancona and Fraser Nelson are reporting the latest development from Blackpool here. George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor and Tory election coordinator, is blogging for Coffee House, to read his thoughts click here. Up and coming Tory MP Nadine Dorries is also lending her unique perspective to Coffee House. While Tamzin Lightwater is keeping us up to date on all the latest gossip from inside Team Cameron. Norman Tebbit tells Cameron to ignore his advisers and instead listen to St. Paul, in his pre-conference essay. Frank Luntz, the American pollster, reveals what his focus groups are saying here. While Fraser Nelson previews the biggest speech of David Cameron’s life in this week’s cover story.

The Spectator

The right stuff | 29 September 2007

From our UK edition

Ostensibly, Gordon Brown’s first Labour conference speech as Prime Minister on Monday was grandly non-partisan: there was not a single mention of the Tories or of David Cameron. In practice, the Conservative party generally, and Mr Cameron specifically, were present in every line. Though presented as a lofty civic oratory by the father of the nation, this was in fact a brutally partisan speech by an expert Scottish machine politician. Everything was achieved by implication, but heavy implication. First, Mr Brown presented himself as a sort of Sarkozy from Fife, translating ‘love France or leave it’ into an extended discourse on playing by the rules, British values, the need for migrants to speak English and ‘British jobs for British workers’.

Tuesday

The Spectator

How does Brown plan to deliver on his promises?

From our UK edition

There is a consensus in the papers this morning that for all the politiical skill of Gordon Brown’s speech, it puts us no closer to knowing how Brown plans to achieve his ambitious aims. As Peter Riddell says in The Times, “we are no nearer to understanding how a Brown Britain would work in five or ten years’ time.” In The Guardian, Jonathan Freedland reports that, “One unreconciled Blairite listening to it all shook his head in despair, branding the speech as "dire". Everyone wants a personalised NHS, he bellowed. "How's he going to do it? "This central question - how?" - remained unanswered.

Monday

The Spectator

Conference Update

From our UK edition

We’ve just posted the latest instalment of Jon Cruddas’s conference diary which includes details of a classic encounter with Peter Mandelson and an explanation of what Gordon Brown is trying to appeal to. We also have a sketch from Lloyd Evans on Gordon Brown’s performance which absolutely skewers the Labour leader.

The Spectator

Brown’s national party

From our UK edition

Talk here is turning to Brown's decision not to blast the Tories in his speech. This fits with the idea of him transcending party division, and of course wooing Tory voters. The new business cards they're handing out here say "New Labour for Britain" the last two words in far larger type. And this is the new hype: Labour is trying to mutate into a British national party (so to speak) quietly picking up the flags, rhetoric and other nationalistic paraphernalia junked by the Cameroon Tories.