Alex Massie is Scotland Editor of The Spectator.
The Financial Times has a swell story today, demonstrating how Greece, already a ward of Brussels, is not likely to be trusted with even its own pocket-money, far less be allowed out without a chaperone. She is imprisoned: European creditor countries are demanding 38 specific changes in Greek tax, spending and wage policies by the
It’s still too soon for Veepstakes – that game is supposed to be played in July – and, anyway, there isn’t a nominee yet. Still, Buzzfeed’s scoop that Marco Rubio was a baptised Mormon (and thus is likely still counted, at least by the church, as a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints) is
Poor Mitt Romney. Once upon a time he aspired to run Massachussetts, a state which backs legal abortion; now he aspires to lead a Republican party which will not willingly be led by a politician who calls himself “pro-choice”. No woder Romney’s abortion “journey” has been a remarkable one that, in the end, causes as
At National Review, Mario Loyola offers a pretty succinct summary of the conservative (that is, American conservative) case for attacking Iran: [I]n an editorial, the Wall Street Journal makes the same points that I made on the Corner over the weekend, here and here. The only way to convince Iran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons
Since the NHS is a subject even more boring than American healthcare, I was more interested by the Prime Minister’s response to a question from Angus MacNeill that, though I might have worded it differently, was a perfectly reasonable query that deserved better than the non-answer given by the Prime Minister. This was their exchange:
Alistair Darling’s suggestion that income tax might be devolved (entirely!) to Scotland as part of a new post-referendum “settlement” was, understandably, the headline part of his Scotland on Sunday interview at the weekend. But his views on the Greek crisis were even more candid: His assessment of the Greek crisis is astonishingly frank. “The policy
Mary Wakefield, writing this week’s Diary column for the magazine (remember: subscribe!), deplores the Art Fund’s appeal for public subscribers to help purchase Yinka Shonibare’s Victory in a bottle so it may be displayed at Greenwich: Every day, except when it’s raining, I cycle to work through Trafalgar Square and pause to gaze at the
Almost no belief is so barmy it can’t win the approval of at least one in ten voters. The problem for politicians is that the nutty tenth is not fixed. Indeed, perhaps a majority of the population is, on occasion, likely to be a member of the loopy group. The latest evidence that a tenth
There are many, many reason that explain why Rick Santorum will not be the next President of the United States. His religion problem is just one of them. True, many Americans say they wouldn’t trust an atheist with high office (and som have their doubts about Mormons too) but I also fancy many won’t vote
Well, Pete, I’m not so sure that David Cameron done brilliant in Edinburgh yesterday. To put it mildly, he has complicated an already complex situation. How does the Prime Minister think Scotland should be governed? How much Home Rule does he think is enough Home Rule? What “further powers” does he mean? Neither his speech
David Cameron’s apparent willingness to contemplate greater devolution after an independence referendum (pithily summarised by one SNP MSP as: Vote no to cake today so I might give you some cake tomorrow) really is both sensible and startling. As recently as last month the official UK government position was, if I remember it correctly, independence
At this moment, I dare say industrious hacks are searching for politicians to condemn David Cameron for “selling the jerseys” on the question of further powers for the Scottish parliament after an independence referendum (assuming that Alex Salmond is defeated). Isn’t the Prime Minister in danger of conceding what Salmond really wants? Well, maybe. But
Today’s Chat With Dave is all very well and good but Alex Salmond’s speech to the LSE last night was just as significant. Much of the wrangling about Scottish independence has, for respectable reasons, concentrated on matters of process leaving the substance of what an independent Scotland might actually be like for another day. This
So Dave meets Eck at St Andrews House today. Earlier in the week there had been talk that their tea-time chat was nothing more than a “courtesy call” from the Prime Minister, popping in for a cuppa since, well, he was in the neighbourhood anyway. Perhaps. More importantly, this is the first meeting between the
On the other hand, Jonathan Chait makes an argument that, though “electability” is notionally Mitt Romney’s greatest strength, there’s reason to suppose he’s no more electable than Rick Santorum. It’s true that Santorum, as yet unpummelled on the national stage, can conceivably reach downscale voters for whom Romney’s Bain Capital background is a significant problem.
The Republican presidential circus continues to offer great entertainment. For this, Mitt Romney is owed many thanks. His weakness as a front-runner are the reason you can enjoy Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum being treated as semi-serious contenders. (Though don’t underestimate the impact of the media’s evident desire to prolong the race either.) Michigan –
I am sure Dan Hodges is correct: Abu Qatada is not a great poster boy for civil liberties. He is not a British citizen and seems to have abused the privileges afforded him when he was granted asylum in this country. Deporting him to Jordan, where he is wanted on terrorism charges, must be a
As is customary, one prefaces this post with the observation that there are very many fine state schools and many others, a good number of which are also grand, that do tireless work in demanding circumstances. Nevertheless… According to government data released today, in England last year there were: 137 schools where no pupils were
The SNP’s other big idea – apart from independence – is to make Scotland a kind of renewable energy pioneer. To that end, something close to open season has been declared on parts of the countryside as developers rush to erect as many windfarms as can feasibly be erected in, well, just about every part
The Santorum Surge is, plainly, grand news for pundits desperately in search of new ways of spinning out the low drama and even lower comedy of this year’s Great Presidential Handicap. Nothing, equally plainly, could be better than a race that stretches into June. Nothing, that is, save a deadlocked convention this summer and all