Home Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, said that the party now had more members than the Conservatives. On Christmas Day, 451 migrants crossed the Channel; another 1,000 arrived in the next three days but three died off Sangatte. Lord Mandelson, having failed to be elected Chancellor of Oxford University, was appointed ambassador to
The pairs of unclued lights (1 and 13; 15 and 11; 20 and 34; 25 and 39; 26 and 31/16 reversed) are literal anagrams of each other. First prize Justin Hughes, Petersfield, Hants Runners-up Jacqui Sohn, Gorleston, Norfolk; John Bennett, Havant, Hants
Finishing touches A reminder of the campaigns trying to persuade us to give stuff up for January: – Veganuary: crowdfunded campaign set up in 2014 by a UK-based charity to persuade us to give up meat for a month. Claimed 500,000 supporters in 2021, although there is no data on how many people kept up
Free thinking Sir: Your leading article (‘Article of faith’, 14 December) appears to have forgotten the connection between rationalism and natural rights. Liberals indeed think in utilitarian, Rousseauian and what they consider ‘rationalistic’ terms. But what about the logic of natural rights that come from John Rawls or Robert Nozick? The Declaration of Independence, the
Betting men Sir: The bet between Martin Rees and me that Matt Ridley recounts pits two kinds of scruples of disinterested rationality against each other (‘Wuhan wager’, 7 December). One is the scientific ethos that calls for factoring in all relevant information in updating one’s degree of credence in a hypothesis. The other is the
Events, dear boy 1. Cheddar cheese 2. Cooper’s Hill 3. Mary Poppins 4. By breaking away and running loose for six miles through London while being exercised by Life Guards of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (they recovered from their injuries) 5. Sir Winston Churchill 6. The Courtauld Gallery 7. Copenhagen 8. Victoria Wood 9. Jupiter
The unclued lights are all types of sweet. The title indicated SWEETIES, an anagram of ‘I SEE WETS’. First prize Will Devison, Shaldon, Devon Runners-up Philip Grindrod, London W4; Emma Corke, Abinger Hammer, Surrey
Jonathan Meades This is a crowded field. A few years ago, I was delighted when Tracey Emin walked out of an address I was giving at the Royal Academy. But she’s no painter. The crown, then, has to go to Lucian Freud who was, unquestionably, a painter but a really bad one. Early on in
For what should we give thanks this Christmas? The faith that sustains millions through life’s challenges and inspires countless acts of compassion every day? The hope that our world may be redeemed by love? The charity that makes us think of the voiceless and the vulnerable who need our love and protection? Faith, hope and
January After an ITV drama, the government suddenly proposed to do something about the unjust prosecution of sub-postmasters. Junior doctors went on strike. There was a surge in scabies. The King went to hospital and was later found to have cancer. The Princess of Wales was in hospital with what turned out to be cancer.
Root cause As in every year since 1947, a spruce tree given by the people of Oslo adorns Trafalgar Square. Yet the tradition actually began in 1942 in the middle of the second world war when a Norwegian commando and resistance fighter, Mons Urangsvag, conducted a raid on the island of Hisoy, off Bergen. He
Juno Dawson complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that spectator.co.uk breached Clause 12 (Discrimination) of the Editors’ Code of Practice in an article headlined “The sad truth about ‘saint’ Nicola Sturgeon”, published on 21 May 2024. The complaint was upheld, and IPSO required spectator.co.uk to publish this adjudication to remedy the breach of the Code. The article under complaint was
Vote of no confidence Sir: Rod Liddle is too harsh on those calling for another general election (‘I hope you didn’t sign that petition’, 30 November). You do not have to be a Trumpian denialist to believe the result in July raised serious concerns. Labour received just 33.7 per cent of the votes cast, yet
Volt-face Luton’s Vauxhall plant is to close, partly because of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate which obliges manufacturers to sell increasing proportions of electric vehicles. Remarkably, the history of the electric car can be traced back half a century earlier than the combustion engine. There are several possible claims as to who built the
There is nothing new, nor necessarily fatal, about making a poor start in government. Margaret Thatcher had a torrid first couple of years in office, set back by galloping inflation and mass unemployment, before she found her direction. Those who assume that Keir Starmer is doomed to be a one-term prime minister thanks to his
Home The Labour government announced a ‘Plan for Change’ that it refused to call a reset. Sir Chris Wormald was named Cabinet Secretary. In his Guildhall speech at the Lord Mayor’s banquet, Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, said that ‘the idea that we must choose between our allies, that somehow we’re with either America
The two works are THE OLD WIVES’ TALE (1A/8) by ARNOLD (34) Bennett, born in HANLEY(25), and TALKING HEADS (27/36) by ALAN (35) Bennett, born in ARMLEY (17). BENNETT, in the fourth row starting at 16, had to be shaded. First prize Alison Latham, East Wittering, West Sussex Runners-up Stephen Saunders, Midford, Bath Mike Carter, Kirkby
Losing the plot Sir: Your leading article ‘Blight on the land’ (23 November) is right to call out the hypocrisy and vindictiveness of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Agricultural Property Relief cuts. Sadly, this is just one part of the Labour government’s multi-pronged attack on farmers, in sharp contrast to the promises they made before the general
What is the Confederation of British Industry for? Indeed, who is it for? The soi-disant voice of British business held its conference this week. As one might expect, the organisation’s chief executive, Rain Newton-Smith, lamented the tax increases levied on employers in the Budget. She issued a plea to the Chancellor for the CBI to be
Home A white paper outlined measures to counter economic inactivity (which had risen by September to 41.2 per cent among those aged 16 to 24): everyone aged 18 to 21 would be offered an apprenticeship, training, education or help to find a job; Jobcentres would be rebranded as the National Jobs and Careers Service. Rachel