Spectator

Thursday

Fraser Nelson

Debunking the Antarctica myths

In January 2009, Nature magazine ran the a cover story (pictured) conveying dramatic news about Antarctica: that most of it had warmed significantly over the last half-century. For years, the data from this frozen continent – with 90 percent of the world’s ice mass – had stubbornly refused to corroborate the global warming narrative. So the study, led by Eric Steig of the University of Washington, was treated as a bit of a scoop. It reverberated around the world. Gavin Schmidt, from the RealClimate blog, declared that Antarctica had silenced the sceptics. Mission, it seemed, was accomplished: Antarctica was no longer an embarrassment to the global warming narrative. He spoke

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 14 February – 20 February

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – providing your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no topic, so there’s no need to stay ‘on topic’ – which means you’ll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything’s fair game – from political stories in your local

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 14 February 2011

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Andrew Neil explains why work experience matters more than ever. Fraser Nelson wonders what will happen next in Egypt, and predicts an imminent and lasting spat between Britain and the EU. James Forsyth discloses details of the coalition’s coming bank deal, and charts the big-society fight-back. David Blackburn examines Ken Clarke’s latest controversial outburst, and evaluates where Europe will be affected by the Arab Street revolutions. Martin Bright has reasons to be optimistic about the Middle East. And Rod Liddle reveals an unacceptable double standard in faith schools.

Monday

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 7 February 2011

…here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Quentin Letts gives his bluffers guide to Egypt. Fraser Nelson says that No.10 needs to get a grip. James Forsyth defends Cameron’s muscular liberalism speech, and hopes for an orderly transition of power in Egypt. Peter Hoskin asks how much we spend on the military, and welcomes David Cameron’s muscular liberalism. David Blackburn gets to grips with a storm in a bedsheet. Daniel Korski argues that the Tories have a depth of competence. Martin Bright says it has been a bad week for the Big Society. Rod Liddle wonders if Baroness Warsi is a muscular liberal. Alex Massie

Saturday

Quentin Letts

Talk like an Egyptian | 5 February 2011

As Fraser promised, here is Quentin Letts’ article from the latest Spectator, for CoffeeHousers’ delectation: Few of us understand what is going on at the dusty end of the Med. There may be a few chinstrokers who cup, in their wizened palms, a concise comprehension of the Cairo crisis — see pages 14 to 18 — but the rest of us struggle for something to say. Vivid reporting has been sparse. The Today programme produced an English-speaking dentist in Cairo but he let the side down by saying, before Thought for the Day, how ‘pissed off’ the protesters were. Use some of your mouthwash, mister! The Times resorted to a

Friday

Jonathan Jones

From the archives: the fall of President Sadat

With protesters in Egypt trying to force President Mubarak to resign, here is the piece that Roger Cooper wrote for The Spectator on the event that propelled him to power: the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981: The legacy of Sadat, Roger Cooper, The Spectator, 10 Oct 1981   Rarely has a political assassination set off such divergent reactions as that of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat on Tuesday.  President Reagan called it ‘outrageous and tragic’, the Pope praised him for ‘his noble vision of reconciliation’, and the Israeli prime minister, Menachem Begin, expressed deep regret at the death of ‘a great leader’.  But there was jubilation in Syria, Libya and

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

In this week’s Spectator | 4 February 2011

What to think about Egypt? Pick up most newspapers and you see a flood of words, but a trickle of information. Not so with this week’s Spectator, which has everything you need to know – and nothing more. Here are some pieces that I thought may interest CoffeeHousers. 1.  What you need to know. Our lead feature is an interview with a dozen people who know their onions. Anne Applebaum on whether it can be compared to Poland, Charles Glass on fifty years of Egyptian dictators, Douglas Murray on neo-conservatism and Islamism, Professor Stephen Walt on the geopolitical fallout and Andrew Roberts on the alarming power of the Cairo mob.

Thursday

Toby Young

Forget Mandarin. Latin is the key to success

As promised, here is an extended version of an article from the skills supplement in this week’s issue of the Spectator. On the face of it, encouraging children to learn Latin doesn’t seem like the solution to our current skills crisis. Why waste valuable curriculum time on a dead language when children could be learning one that’s actually spoken? The prominence of Latin in public schools is a manifestation of the gentleman amateur tradition whereby esoteric subjects are preferred to anything that’s of any practical use. Surely, that’s one of the causes of the crisis in the first place? But dig a little deeper and you’ll find plenty of evidence that this particular

Peter Hoskin

Introducing Britain’s skills crisis

Did you know: Britain trails well behind other countries such as the US, Germany and Poland when it comes to educating its workforce? Did you know: the number of young people not in employment, education or training has risen by around 40 per cent over the last decade? Did you know … oh, you get the idea. All the statistics, and more, are in the booklet on Britain’s Skills Crisis that is included in this week’s Spectator. For CoffeeHousers who don’t buy the magazine (although you should, etc – purchasing options here), you can read the supplement for free via this snazzy, page-turning whatsit. We’ll also put one or two

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 31 January – 6 February

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – providing your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no topic, so there’s no need to stay ‘on topic’ – which means you’ll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything’s fair game – from political stories in your local

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 31 January 2011

…here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Fraser Nelson fears for the outcome of the Egyptian protests, and says that jihadis thrive on Islam’s lack of definition. James Forsyth says that Andrew Lansley needs to explain his reforms better, and watches the situation in Egypt turn from revolt to revolution. Peter Hoskin has ten points about Ed Balls’s first newspaper interview as shadow chancellor, and wonders whether Francics Maude has shut the door in Boris’s face. Daniel Korski inteviews one of the most influential figures of the Bush years, Paul Wolfowitz. Nick Cohen spots similarities between the politics of 1981 and 2011. Alex Massie says

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 28 January 2011

Here are some of the posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the past week: Fraser Nelson explains why the GDP drop may not be as bad as it first appears, and reveals what’s inside this week’s Spectator. James Forsyth wonders what the Tories must do to win in 2015, and reports on the shrinking GDP figures. Peter Hoskin investigates the lineage of the Big Society, and explains how our national debt went up by £1,300 billion in one day. David Blackburn sees Nimrod fall from a symbol of pride to one of decline, and tracks the government’s changes to control orders. Daniel Korski wonders whether Hosni Mubarak will fall. Martin Bright

Thursday

Fraser Nelson

In this week’s Spectator | 27 January 2011

The new issue of The Spectator is out in the shops today – subscribers can read it online, or on Kindle/iPad – and here are a few pieces that I thought might interest CoffeeHousers.   1. The death of meritocracy. Social mobility – or the lack thereof – is a subject that no political party feels comfortable with. And why? For the very good reasons that Andrew Neil outlines in the cover story of this week’s Spectator. One vignette is that when Cameron’s inner circle convened to discuss the recent school sports fiasco, the conversation turned to who played which positions in the Eton Wall game. If you missed his

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 24 January – 30 January

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – providing your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no topic, so there’s no need to stay ‘on topic’ – which means you’ll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything’s fair game – from political stories in your local

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 21 January 2011

Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson warns against under-estimating the two Eds, and watches the inflation crisis deepen. James Forsyth says that appointing Balls as Shadow Chancellor is a gamble on Miliband’s part, and reflects on a bad morning for the government. Peter Hoskin asks if it is worth paying children to remain in secondary education. David Blackburn analyses where Warsi is right and wrong, and is intrigued by David Davis and Jack Straw’s sudden alliance. Nick Cohen explains what he understands by the term ‘Islamophobia’. Rod Liddle has had a problem with an acclaimed book. Alex Massie wonders if Andy

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 17 January – 23 January

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – providing your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no topic, so there’s no need to stay ‘on topic’ – which means you’ll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything’s fair game – from political stories in your local

The Spectator

Just in case you missed them… | 17 January 2011

…here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the weekend. Fraser Nelson explains how it is going right for Ed Miliband. James Forsyth watches Ed Miliband deliver a speech to the Fabian society. Peter Hoskin argues that Ed Miliband is still dodgy on the public finances. David Blackburn doubts that a Tory-Lib pact is workable. Daniel Korski unearths the constitutional IEDs left by Labour. James Plunkett and Gavin Kelly examine forthcoming tax changes. Matthew Hancock reckons that Miliband is in denial. Nick Cohen believes the American right has a problem. Rod Liddle calls the Oldham by-election. And Alex Massie says that time is up for Biffo. 

Friday

The Spectator

The week that was | 14 January 2011

Here are some of the posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. Fraser Nelson introduces an Austrian perspective on the crash, and has the exclusive that Lord Adonis supports Michael Gove’s reforms. James Forsyth considers David Cameron’s party management, and says that Alan Johnson is running out of lives. Peter Hoskin has five more things you need to know about welfare, and notes that the coalition has decided to take the flak over bankers’ bonuses. David Blackburn introduces the new faces of Tory euroscepticism, and wonders if it is time for Nick Clegg to be airing his differences with David Cameron. Martin Bright asks if the coalition is doing

Peter Hoskin

From the archives: Remembering John Gross

As Charles Moore explains in the latest issue of the magazine, the late John Gross achieved the distinction – among many others – of being the “shortest-serving literary editor of The Spectator ever”. For this week’s archival interlude, I have pasted Charles’s account of Gross’s brief appointment in 1983 below, as well as one of the three book reviews that Gross wrote for The Spectator that year. Charles Moore’s memories of John Gross John Gross, who has just died, had many distinctions in the world of letters, but his obituaries did not report that he was the shortest-serving literary editor of The Spectator ever. In 1983, Alexander Chancellor, the editor,

Monday

The Spectator

CoffeeHousers’ Wall, 10 January – 16 January

Welcome to the latest CoffeeHousers’ Wall. For those who haven’t come across the Wall before, it’s a post we put up each Monday, on which – providing your writing isn’t libellous, crammed with swearing, or offensive to common decency – you’ll be able to say whatever you like in the comments section. There is no topic, so there’s no need to stay ‘on topic’ – which means you’ll be able to debate with each other more freely and extensively. There’s also no constraint on the length of what you write – so, in effect, you can become Coffee House bloggers. Anything’s fair game – from political stories in your local