The Spectator

Portrait of the week | 23 July 2015

issue 25 July 2015

Home

Parents would be able to have their children’s passports removed if they were suspected of planning to travel abroad to join a radical group, under provisions outlined by David Cameron, the Prime Minister, to deal with Islamist extremism. It emerged that five British pilots embedded with allied forces had been taking part in air strikes over Syria, which Parliament had voted against in 2013. Julian Lewis, the Conservative chairman of the Defence Select Committee, accused Mr Cameron of making up policy ‘on the hoof’. Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, the former Chief of the Defence Staff, said that in order to defeat the Islamic State, ‘tanks would have to roll and there’s going to have to be boots on the ground’. A man was charged with the murder of Don Lock, aged 79, who was stabbed at Findon, West Sussex, after a minor collision.

Forty-eight Labour members, including 18 new MPs, defied Harriet Harman the acting leader and the whip, and voted against the government’s Welfare Bill, which passed by 308 to 124.

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in