Robin Hood
‘Granted, you’re very popular with the poor, but can’t you see how you’re alienating the rich?’
The Spectator
Thursday
Market
Hell 3
‘I’d appreciate you fixing the boiler quickly. It’s quite a big deal for us not to have heat down here.’
Die
‘Poor devil. Half-past eleven is far too young to die.’
Accident 2
‘Didn’t even one of you think of live-tweeteing the incident?’
Facebook 4
‘I’ve been unfriended by my imaginary friend.’
Labour 6
‘It’ll come in handy for soaking rich Martians.’
Wheel 3
‘I think I’ve just invented “Top Gear”.’
Bullingdon
Seals
‘And there, folks, is a colony of common seals and also a couple of upper-class seals.’
Letters | 1 October 2015
Cold-calling ET Sir: Alexander Chancellor has called for Spectator readers to suggest a message to send into space on behalf of the world, in response to some Russian billionaire’s prize of £1 million for the best (Long life, 19 September). Given that the nearest form of intelligent life is at least 60,000,000,000,000 miles away, it had
Will Spain learn?
One of the unforeseen consequences of the reunification of Europe after the Cold War has been a resurgence of independence movements in western Europe. Emboldened by a greater sense of security and influenced by the rebirth of independent nations to the east, separatist parties have begun to challenge the boundaries of nation states which a
Barometer | 1 October 2015
Water worlds Nasa announced it had found evidence of running water on Mars in the form of dark streaks on mountains and cliff edges. On which other planets and celestial bodies can you slake your thirst? — Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, is believed to have an ocean of liquid water 60 miles deep, beneath
Portrait of the week | 1 October 2015
Home In his speech at the Labour party conference, much of it taken from material that had been on the internet for some time, Jeremy Corbyn, its new leader, told the British people that most of them shared his values, such as ‘fair play for all, solidarity and not walking by on the other side
Slow march to victory
From ‘The western victories’, The Spectator, 2 October 1915: As this is a war of heavy artillery, masses of slow-moving guns and ammunition have to be brought to fresh positions, and there installed with all the exacting formalities which are foreign to the handling of field-guns and horse artillery. Patience is as valuable as determination. There
Tuesday
Jeremy Corbyn’s speech to Labour conference – full audio and full text
Jeremy Corbyn has just finished delivering his speech at Labour’s annual conference. The audio can be listened to here: Friends, thank you so much for that incredible welcome and Rohit, thank you so much for that incredible welcome. Rohit, thank you so much for the way you introduced me and the way our family and you
Monday
John McDonnell’s speech to the Labour party conference – full text
I warn you this is not my usual rant, they get me into trouble and I’ve promised Jeremy to behave myself. Jeremy and I sat down at the beginning of his campaign for the Labour leadership to discuss what they call the strap line for his campaign leaflets and posters. We came up with the
Thursday
Pinocchio
‘Oh, Pinocchio! All that fuss about becoming a real boy — and now you want to be a girl!’
Wine
‘...whereas this one induces mild aggression followed by extreme soporiferousness.’