Sport
Twigg takes aim at Gove on school playing fields
The Olympics may be over, but the political row over school sports fields is set to rumble on into the autumn. Stephen Twigg today announced that Labour will force a… Continue reading
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Labour plays a sensible game on school sport
It would be wrong to say that David Cameron has had a bad Olympics. After all, the Games went extremely well, both in terms of logistics and Britain’s wonderful medal… Continue reading
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Sinophobia, the last acceptable racism
The Chinese have excelled at London 2012, much to the annoyance of their Western rivals. In this week’s issue of the Spectator, Ross Clark argues that the claims against swimmer… Continue reading
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Chariots of fire
When the contestants were lining up for last night’s sensational 5,000 metre race, both of the American contestants waited until the cameras were on them, then crossed themselves and held… Continue reading
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Political games
Whilst everybody is enjoying the spectacle of the greatest Games on earth there is one group of people who are doing their level best to spoil it. If there was… Continue reading
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Downing Street humbled by Mo Farah
The genius of Mo Farah was only underscored by the plodding stupidity of Downing Street’s statements about the “All Must Have Prizes” culture this weekend. If this is the culture… Continue reading
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Medal matters
The Grauniad is running an Olympic medal table to show where all the countries would be if it was weighted for GDP. Needless to say, we do not figure, nor… Continue reading
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Ministers vs the curriculum
David Cameron has not sought to seek personal or political capital from the Olympics, for which he deserves much credit. It doesn’t take much to imagine how Gordon Brown would… Continue reading
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Boris the jellyfish stings again
Boris Johnson has just reminded us how potent he can be at undermining the government right here, right now. At a press conference today on the Olympic legacy, the Mayor… Continue reading
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The Unbearable Weight of Being Kevin Pietersen
How do you solve a problem like Kevin Pietersen? England’s most talented and most infuriating batsman faces another crisis and, yet again, it is a crisis of his own making.… Continue reading
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Cameron’s big sporting society
David Cameron made a spirited defence of school sport this morning when he appeared on LBC radio. Waving a sheet of paper triumphantly, the Prime Minister argued that the 20… Continue reading
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Multicultural Britain, Olympic Games, Danny Boyle - Spectator Blogs
Back from holiday and it seems just about the only “controversy” at these splendid* Olympic Games lies in Danny Boyle’s exhuberant opening ceremony. According to its critics it was multi-cultural… Continue reading
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How state schools can boost their Olympic chances
Lord Moynihan’s comments about the dominance of private school athletes in Team GB have caused a stir. He suggests that the fact that half of our medals in Beijing were… Continue reading
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Pindar vs Boris
Boris will recite an ode in honour of the Olympics – of course he is. He commissioned Dr Armand D’Angour, an Oxford Greats don, to compose the ode in the… Continue reading
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The British invented the Olympics
Is there any chance that you might, at any point in the next three weeks, be talking to anyone? About anything, in any setting, for any length of time? Then… Continue reading
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Compromised by not compromising
‘In a relationship, when does the art of compromise become compromising?’ Thus spoke Carrie Bradshaw. Such knowledge suggests that I have passed her tipping point; my compromises have compromised me.… Continue reading
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Tennis and the rise of the ‘mediocracy’
The discussion of Britain’s latest tennis nearly man has turned inevitably to the culture of a sport which, in this country at least, remains laughably exclusive. Asked on the Today… Continue reading
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The enigma of Mark Ramprakash
A pearl richer than all his tribe who, alas, loved batting not wisely but all too well. If tragedy seems too strong a term for Mark Ramprakash’s career there remains… Continue reading
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England did not deserve to win
If England had won that penalty shoot out against Italy it would have been a travesty. The press has been very kind to the national team this morning, partly because… Continue reading
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The politics of sport
Football dominates the newspapers this morning, with England due to begin their European Championship campaign tomorrow. But the issue of racism in Ukraine, and to a lesser extent Poland, is… Continue reading
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