The Week
Spectator letters: Ken Loach defended, and the music of Pepys
We need religion Sir: Roger Scruton (‘Sacred hunger’, 31 May) describes a reason, dare I say a ‘purpose’, for religion in…
Europe's extremists aren't really on the right
This week, the European parliament took a strong lurch to the left. That is not quite the story that you…
Portrait of the week
Home David Cameron, the Prime Minister, responded to the triumph of the UK Independence Party in the European elections (which…
Peter Mandelson’s diary: The accomplishments of George Osborne – and Vladimir Putin
My trips to meet Russians in Russia these days are a little less controversial than my encounter with them in…
If Alex Salmond is cutting bureaucracy, why does he have so many quangos?
Escape committees An LSE/Institute for Government report estimated the cost of Scottish independence at £2.7 billion, a sum arrived at…
How the Ancient Greeks did wealth taxes
After 685 tightly argued pages, the ‘superstar’ economist Thomas Piketty unfolds his master-plan for closing the gap between the rich…
The slow death of Nato
The Cold War was won by 26 words contained within article five of the Treaty of Washington, which founded Nato…
Portrait of the week
Home Demand for housing posed ‘the biggest risk to financial stability’ according to Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank…
Peter McKay’s diary: Is Kate and William’s Scottish trip a pro-union initiative?
Having dampened local republican ardour during their recent tour of New Zealand and Australia, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge…
A Romanian neighbour? Most people wouldn’t even notice
Parliamentary privilege Some facts and figures about the European Parliament, according to the parliament: — The parliament annually costs €3.10…
How Plato and Aristotle would have tackled unemployment
Labour is up in arms because many of the new jobs currently being created are among the self-employed. This seems…
Spectator letters: America as a genetic experiment, and a gypsy reply to Rod Liddle
An independent policy Sir: James Curran’s review of my book Dangerous Allies (‘Radical nationalist’, 17 May) showed a significant and…
Why does Britain's fight for religious freedom stop at Dover?
‘We don’t do God,’ was Alastair Campbell’s put-down when his charge, Tony Blair, was tempted to raise the issue of…
Portrait of the week
Home David Cameron, the Prime Minister, said on television that he was ‘bullish’ about negotiating change for Britain in the…
Christopher Buckley's diary: Do you have to be American to love Downton?
My wife and I spent the winter in Worcestershire. This allowed me to tell everyone back home in the States:…
Four stories the EU would like the right to have forgotten
Memory holes The EU wants to introduce a law which would force Google to delete from its searches old information…
Xenophon's answer to a budget crisis – more non-doms!
Nearly half of Britain’s billionaires are foreigners, and government hopes many more will now come in on the government ‘start…
What is David Cameron’s big idea?
In almost a decade as Conservative leader, David Cameron has tended to avoid talking about his political philosophy. He has…
Portrait of the week
Home AstraZeneca’s board rejected an increased takeover bid of £63 billion by Pfizer. Commenting on the bid in Parliament, Vince…
Paul Johnson’s diary: Boris would make a great PM – but he must strike now
I feel an intense antipathy for Vladimir Putin. No one on the international scene has aroused in me such dislike…
When judges go to jail
Judges in jail Barrister and part-time judge Constance Briscoe was jailed for 16 months for perverting the course of justice…
Ukraine vs Sparta
As rebels, terrorists, fascists, foreign forces, activists, separatists, militants, militias, nationalist groups, Neo-Nazis, Right Sector forces — take your pick — spread…
Spectator letters: How schools fail boys, Jonathan Croall answers Keith Baxter, and why atheists should love the C of E
Why girls do better Sir: Isabel Hardman notes that girls now outperform boys at every level in education (‘The descent…
A shameful U-turn at the National Trust
What has happened to Dame Helen Ghosh? Last October the director-general of the National Trust seemed prepared to stand against…
Portrait of the week
Home The British economy grew by 0.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2014, disappointing hotheads who’d expected 1 per cent. It…
