Coffee House The Spectator Blog
Chaos at the BBC
The BBC crisis continues to dominate the airwaves. George Entwistle’s £1.3 million payoff has set outraged tongues wagging. Tim Montgomerie has collected the furious comments made by several Tory MPs.… Continue reading
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Chris Patten claims he has a ‘grip’ on the BBC’s crisis
Chris Patten has just appeared on the Andrew Marr Show to discuss the resignation of George Entwistle and to evaluate its fallout. Patten conceded that the BBC is mired in… Continue reading
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Osborne goes for Balls over Libor scandal
The Libor scandal is yet another blow to the reputation of the City of London. Alistair Darling may have been right when he told George Osborne that we’re ‘kidding ourselves… Continue reading
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Your guide to the Warsi allegations
What is Baroness Warsi accused of? The main allegation in yesterday’s Sunday Times is that, in early 2008, Warsi was ‘claiming parliamentary expenses for overnight accommodation when she was staying… Continue reading
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Hunt has questions to answer
Adam Smith’s Leveson ordeal is now over. The testimony we’ve heard from Smith and Fred Michel has left Hunt’s position weaker in one key regard. The crucial allegation is that… Continue reading
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Labour’s baggage stops it from gaining the upper hand
It now seems as if Downing Street is moving towards releasing a list of Chequers guests. This is belated recognition of the fact that their best hope of getting beyond… Continue reading
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How will the Lib Dems respond?
The key thing to watch for during Francis Maude’s statement is the Lib Dem reaction. At the moment, the Tories can rebut Labour’s criticisms of them by pointing to both… Continue reading
31 CommentsCameron’s Downing St dinners with donors
14 July 2010, dinner at No.10 Anthony and Carol Bamford Michael and Dorothy Hintze Murdoch and Elsa Maclennan Lord John and Lady Sainsbury Andrew Feldman Jill and Paul Ruddock Mike… Continue reading
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Cameron u-turns on donor secrecy — but what now?
One distinct feature of the ‘cash for access’ row is that we’ve seen it all before. And not just the glutinous mix of politics and money, but also the debate… Continue reading
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The problem for Cameron is his proximity to the problem
The happiest news for David Cameron this morning is that the ‘cash for access’ story hasn’t quite made it onto every front page. But that’s it, really, so far as… Continue reading
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Why access Cameron? The Lib Dems would be an easier target…
Why would anyone pay £250,000 to change Tory policy when the Liberal Democrats would do it for £2.50 and a hug? The brilliant Sunday Times investigation today makes you wonder… Continue reading
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The ‘next big scandal’ detonates under Cameron
‘It will be awesome for your business.’ So said Peter Cruddas, co-treasurer of the Tory party, as he tried to peddle access to David Cameron for £250,000 a shot. Only… Continue reading
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Rumble in the Commons
From the Sun: ‘A LABOUR MP was arrested late last night for assault after allegedly headbutting a Tory rival in a House of Commons bar. Witnesses allege Eric Joyce, 51,… Continue reading
38 CommentsFrom the archives: The Great Communicator stumbles
It’s been 25 years since the Iran-Contra affair – the scandal about the US government selling arms to Iran and using the proceeds to fund the Nicaraguan rebels. It saw… Continue reading
4 CommentsClark rounds on May
Has anyone used the “Mayday” gag yet? Perhaps it’s too cheap and obvious, but it’s certainly applicable today. Not only are Theresa May’s troubles still splayed across the newspapers —… Continue reading
30 CommentsWere the police hacking phones too?
"As an American who spent many years in this underground industry, I can tell you that the British phone hacking scandal has exposed only a tiny part of a vast… Continue reading
2 CommentsCain accused
We’ve been following Herman Cain since the start of the Republican nomination race, and seen him rise to prominence in the process. But now there’s an extra obstacle between him… Continue reading
16 CommentsFox unlikely to cause trouble for Cameron
As soon as the news about G3′s funding of Adam Werritty emerged, it became clear that Liam Fox was going to have to go. Downing Street had no desire to… Continue reading
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