BBC
'Religion of peace' is not a harmless platitude
Despite what our leaders tell us, Islamic extremism is all about Islam
Shirley Williams: Saving my mother from the scriptwriters
Jasper Rees talks to Shirley Williams about the forthcoming screen portrayal of her mother
Without childhood traumas, how did Alan Bennett ever become a writer?
‘So — take heart,’ said Alan Bennett, sending us out from his play, Cocktail Sticks, on a cheery note. The…
How to win MasterChef - and why salmon is the fish of the devil
If ever my near-neighbour William Sitwell is killed in a bizarre shooting accident and I end up taking his place…
Sex, lies and El Sistema
An explosive new book uncovers abuse at the heart of one of classical music’s most revered institutions. Damian Thompson investigates
Jeremy Paxman’s diary: Why must Songs of Praise chase advertiser-friendly viewers?
The most unfashionable show on television, Songs of Praise, has had a makeover. The BBC had apparently discovered that the…
The one economic indicator that never stops rising: meet the Negroni Index
This dispatch comes to you from Venice — where I arrived at sunset on the Orient Express. More of that…
I love that people assume I’m gay
At a birthday dinner over the weekend I was introduced to this delightful party girl of a certain age whose…
How independence will impoverish Scottish culture
Daniel Jackson foresees an impoverished cultural landscape for an independentScotland, with artists forced to do Salmond’s bidding
Rona Fairhead will be good for the BBC – but who was so keen to nobble her rival?
Hats off to Rona Fairhead, the former Financial Times executive who will succeed Lord Patten as chairman of the BBC…
Frankie Boyle is a cowardly bully, and I’m ashamed I ever stood up for him
‘Outspoken comic Frankie Boyle has called on the BBC to sack “cultural tumour” Jeremy Clarkson.’ Can anyone tell me what’s…
Letters: Lord Lawson is not banned from the BBC, and Wales is wonderful
No ban on Lawson Sir: You write that the BBC ‘has effectively banned’ Lord Lawson from items on climate change…
In apologising for having Nigel Lawson on to discuss climate change, the BBC has breached its charter
Listen to ‘Is climate change a factor in the recent extreme weather?’ on Audioboo It is only a matter of…
Spectator letters: VAT and sugar, Boris Johnson and cricket, whisky and bagpipes
Sugar added tax Sir: Julia Pickles (Letters, 14 June) suggests a sugar tax to combat the obesity epidemic and discourage…
Jonathan Dimbleby’s notebook: In defence of Chris Patten
I usually spend most of the week at home in South Devon in front of my computer. But for the…
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…
My application to be chairman of the BBC
To: Karen Moran, HR Director, BBC Dear Ms Moran, I have decided to give up on the gardening this year,…
Why the BBC will never match Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation
No modern critic would dare match Kenneth Clark’s fearless way with sweeping statements
Without Paxman, the BBC will have just one interrogator: John Humphrys
In a double blow for the beleaguered BBC, the corporation has lost three of its most compelling attractions in little…
Ukip isn’t a national party. It’s a Tory sickness
It can happen that something ought to feel wrong yet somehow doesn’t; and you wonder whether this means that in…
The lefty liberals may be losing their hold over the arts world
If you happen to be reading this column at breakfast, I’d recommend you skip to something more agreeable like Dear…
An ex-fascist or two isn't the BBC's problem. Its boss class is
Duncan Weldon’s past – as a Labour adviser and elsewhere – doesn’t affect his ability to do the job
MH370 isn't the only flight that's still missing
Plane vanished Some other planes, besides Flight MH370, which have disappeared without trace: — A Boeing 727 cargo plane that…
So now we know – the BBC is more scared of offending Muslims than gay people
Are there enough black and minority ethnic people on our television screens? The comedian Lenny Henry thinks not and has…
'One warm night in June 1917 I became the man who nearly killed the Kaiser'
Daniel Swift 1 March 2014 9:00 am
The traditional story told about the first world war is that it changed everything: that it was the end of…