Coffee House The Spectator Blog
Gordon Brown’s American tour
Gordon Brown’s first Prime Ministerial visit to the United States is working well so far. He has kept his personal distance by wearing a suit and not bringing along his… Continue reading
0 CommentsTime for Cameron to reflect
Perhaps the best outcome of these torrid last few weeks is that the Cameron project has been brought down to earth. After winning the party leadership against all the odds,… Continue reading
17 CommentsAs Brown heads to America, Cameron hits out at Iraq policy
With Gordon Brown en route to Camp David, David Cameron has chosen to deliver his sharpest criticism of Iraq to date; telling the Sunday Times that we must “Learn the… Continue reading
1 CommentWhy Dave needs David
David Davis’s warning to his party to show discipline and stick to the centre ground in today’s Sunday Telegraph is the best news for the other David in a while.… Continue reading
2 CommentsThe world after Bush
This review essay by Samantha Power, a Harvard professor who is close to Obama, on where the Bush presidency is leaving the war on terror is well worth reading. Her… Continue reading
3 CommentsHow bad is it for the Tories?
There is some very astute commentary in the papers this morning about the situation that the Tory party finds itself in. Do read Charles Moore in the Telegraph on how… Continue reading
10 CommentsTony Blair meets the Simpsons
With Gordon jetting off to Camp David and the Simpsons movie coming out this weekend, here’s Tony Blair–he used to be Prime Minister, you know–doing a cameo on the show.… Continue reading
0 CommentsAnother Colgate Moment?
George W. Bush and Tony Blair famously bonded over their mutual use of Colgate toothpaste at their first meeting at Camp David. With Gordon Brown heading there this weekend, one… Continue reading
3 CommentsHow Brown is reversing Blair’s reforms
Doesn’t anyone spot what Gordon Brown is really up to? The great Peter Riddell isn’t convinced that he has altered the Blair reform agenda, and thinks that “changes are at… Continue reading
3 CommentsHaving a blast before blast off
There are few things that can be more boring that floating around in a tin can looking down at the earth. So I’m glad to hear that the astronauts have found… Continue reading
4 CommentsMore poll woe for the Tories
Today’s Telegraph poll is disastrous for Cameron. That the Tories are 9 points behind Labour is not even the worst news in it for him; what should worry him most… Continue reading
9 CommentsWhy Cameron should stand on the centre ground
Geoffrey Wheatcroft has a bizarre piece in today’s Guardian attacking Dave for hugging the "centre-ground" and for surrounding himself with a Blairesque "junta". Too much energy is expended on defining… Continue reading
5 CommentsA few bright spots for the Tories
As Matt suggested, I’m getting some stick from Tories here in the Commons – mainly ones who have just seen today’s Spectator cover (Peter Brooke’s brilliant cartoon of Cameron about… Continue reading
6 CommentsIs their money good here?
If you’re wondering what to make of the Chinese decision to invest in Barclays and the Qatari effort to buy Sainsburys do read this column that Martin Vander Weyer has… Continue reading
0 CommentsThe case Obama should make against Hillary
It’s the electability, stupid should be one of the major themes of the Obama campaign if they want to play harball with Hillary. The Democrats are desperate to take back… Continue reading
0 CommentsObama takes a shot at Hillary
At the YouTube debate Barack Obama and Hillary got into a row about whether or not the US president should meet with some of the world’s least attractive leaders—Castro, Chavez,… Continue reading
1 CommentWhy would Rambo read The Indy?
What do neo-con action hero John Rambo and not-neo-con newspaper The Independent have in common? A bottle of champagne to the first Coffee Houser to get the right answer.
6 CommentsHas the Dianaisation of Britain changed the country for the better?
The new issue of the always excellent Prospect has a great debate between Andrew Marr and Joan Smith about whether the mass emotionalism that followed Diana’s death, and is now… Continue reading
10 CommentsThe will to win
"The present Mayor of London": that is how Our Candidate refers, with terse menace, to Ken Livingstone, in today’s Telegraph. If I were Ken, those five words would give me… Continue reading
2 CommentsThe Tories have no plan b
Fraser’s piece is already making waves. The reason for this is that it poses the question that all Tories are thinking about but dare not voice – not least because… Continue reading
14 Comments