The Spectator

Saturday

The Spectator

Not-so-little Britain

From our UK edition

It is almost 40 years since Enoch Powell delivered his notorious speech on immigration to the Annual General Meeting of the West Midlands Area Conservative Political Centre on 20 April 1968. ‘As I look ahead,’ said Powell, ‘I am filled with foreboding. Like the Roman, I seem to see “the River Tiber foaming with much blood”.’ That Virgilian prophecy has not come to pass, but the effect of Powell’s incendiary speech — combined with the restrictive power of town hall ‘multiculturalism’ in the 1980s — was to make level-headed discussion of immigration all but impossible. That discussion is now, at last, beginning — better late than never — and it could scarcely be more important.

Monday

The Spectator

Melanie Phillips joins Spectator.co.uk

From our UK edition

Matthew d'Ancona, editor of The Spectator, writes: I am proud to welcome Melanie Phillips to Spectator.co.uk as one of our regular bloggers. The essence of The Spectator, in print and online, is distinctive voices and great writing. Melanie is one of the best and most fearless columnists in Britain today, constantly forcing us to reconsider our preconceptions and to challenge stodgy orthodoxies. In her writings on politics, education, family policy, the Middle East, Islamism and countless other subjects, she is simply unmissable: she has received acclaim around the world, quite rightly, for her magnificent book, Londonistan, which exposed the extent to which our capital city had become a hub in which radical Muslims plotted and recruited freely. So her blog, www.Spectator.co.

Saturday

The Spectator

Letters to the Editor | 20 October 2007

From our UK edition

Promises, promises Sir: Fraser Nelson (Politics, 6 October) suggests that the approach that won David Cameron the leadership in 2005 was conveyed in messages like ‘social responsibility’ and ‘general wellbeing’. I, and I believe many others, decided to vote for Mr Cameron after he promised to withdraw the Conservatives from the EPP/ED Group in the European Parliament. A new Tory strategy based on specific promises will only be successful if there is a genuine commitment to carry these out. Richard Soper New Zealand Lib Dems and the EU Sir: We read that again the Liberal Democrats are blaming their leader for their fall in popularity in the polls. Does it not occur to them that it is their policies which are unpopular rather than their leader?

The Spectator

De quoi avez-vous peur, Gordon?

From our UK edition

Let us step aside for a moment from the political posturing and horse-trading at the Lisbon EU summit and go back to the beginning. On 20 April 2004, Tony Blair announced to the House of Commons that there would, after all, be a referendum on the EU Constitutional Treaty. It is important to restate the precise reasons the then Prime Minister cited for his dramatic U-turn. Mr Blair was emphatic that his decision did not in any sense signify a recognition that the proposals represented a fundamental constitutional change. ‘The Treaty,’ he stressed, ‘does not and will not alter the fundamental nature of the relationship between member states and the European Union.’ Set aside for a moment the accuracy or inaccuracy of that claim.

Friday

Saturday

The Spectator

From clunk to cluck

From our UK edition

Rattled, hoarse and angry, Gordon Brown did not look a happy man at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. Small wonder: it is only weeks since his clunking fist was pounding the Tories into submission. Now, he has allowed himself to be caricatured as a clucking chicken, as fearful of an election as he is of an EU referendum. ‘How long are we going to have to wait till the past makes way for the future?’ David Cameron asked — and the PM had no convincing reply. It may be true that Mr Brown’s decision not to go to the country this November will fast fade from public memory, and that the nickname ‘Bottler Brown’ and the jokes about ‘bottle banks’ will not last.

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.