The Week

Leading article

Dangerous Balls

The Spectator on the threat Ed Balls poses to the government For Conservatives, a leadership fight is a blood sport: a feast of passion, revenge and political violence. Labour’s current contest has thus far been the precise opposite: an excruciatingly dull five-way verbal joust between candidates who have nothing new or original to say. Two

University challenge

A small revolution in higher education took place this week when David Willetts, the universities minister, permitted BPP, a business and law college based in Shepherd’s Bush, to use the title ‘university college’. By doing so he created the first private university since Buckingham University opened its doors in 1976. The move was not to

Portrait of the week

Portrait of the week | 31 July 2010

Mr David Cameron, the Prime Minister, visited India, and on the way said he was ‘angry’ that negotiations for Turkey to join the European Union were so slow. Mr David Cameron, the Prime Minister, visited India, and on the way said he was ‘angry’ that negotiations for Turkey to join the European Union were so

Ancient and modern

Ancient & modern | 31 July 2010

The French may legislate to ban the all-enveloping burka/niqab worn by some Muslim women, but Claudius, Roman emperor ad 41-54, would no more have banned them than he did trouser-wearing Frenchman. In ad 48, Gallic chieftains who had long-standing treaties with Rome and were of citizen status decided they wanted the right to enter the

Letters

Letters | 31 July 2010

Colourful Mo Sir: I am surprised to read Charles Moore (The Spectator’s Notes, 24 July) opine that ‘in a better world’ there would have been no film about Mo Mowlam but instead one depicting the ‘heroic struggles’ of Owen Paterson. Mo Mowlam was vibrant, colourful and exuberant — an authentic character who was in every