When it comes to the civil service, the government hasn't simply inherited an... ... “Resolution 1973 lays out very clear conditions that must be met. The UK, US, France and Arab States agree that a cease fire must be implemented immediately. That means all attacks against civilians must stop. Gaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi, pull back his troops from Ajdabiyah, Misratah, and Zawiyah, and re-establish water, electricity and gas supplies to all areas. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach the people of Libya. These terms are... Just as the British press is venerating David Cameron in the aftermath of last night’s UN resolution, so too the French press is praising President Sarkozy. In fact, the whole administration is basking in his reflected glory. Le Figarodescribes Sarkozy’s and Prime Minister François Fillon’s roles in obtaining the UN Resolution and preparing the French military for action; the Defence minister also receives a hearty appraisal. Even the Presidency’s determined adversaries have expressed more than grudging respect. The left-wing newspaper Libération applauds Foreign Minister (and grand old... A Sudden Evacuee, Samuel Phipps, The Spectator 10 May 1986 ... Here is a selection of posts made at Spectator.co.uk over the past week. James Forsyth asks if two Eds are better than one, and notes that a rattled Cameron battled through PMQs. David Blackburn says that Enda Kenny is playing for time, and reveals that theBig Society is recovering. Nick Cohen 1) How did David Cameron mutate into a hawk? The last few weeks have been like a political version of a Manimal* transformation sequence. Daniel McCarthy, editor of The American Conservative, looks at this in the current edition of the magazine – he’s sceptical about the operation underway (as were most CoffeeHousers when I last blogged on it) and argues that “Cameron’s interventionism would substitute the discredited example for a...Saturday, 19th March 2011
The government has been the author of its troubles
ANDREW HALDENBY 11:28am
In his Spectator column this week, James Forsyth painted a picture of a government taken by surprise by enemies who have, in effect, ambushed them - the civil service, the civil service's lawyers and the European Union in particular. Clearly the government is frustrated by the “forces of conservatism” and the “enemies of enterprise”, but the difficult truth is that a lot the government's problems are of its own making, and in its own hands to put right.Gaddafi defiant as the international coalition prepares his noose
DAVID BLACKBURN 10:55am
The fog of war lies thick in Benghazi this morning. There are reported explosions and gunfire and Sky News is showing footage of a Soviet-era fighter jet combusting in mid-air over the city; it is not clear if the aircraft was the victim of anti-aircraft fire, air to air combat or technical malfunction. Equally, it is unclear if the international coalition's campaign has begun – leaders will meet in Paris today to finalise diplomatic agreements before mobilisation, but defence analysts say that French and Italian aircraft could already be patrolling Libyan skies. Friday, 18th March 2011
The threat to a British liberty
FRASER NELSON 9:54pm
It’s a funny old world. I have now been contacted by two journalists informing me that Bedfordshire Police are investigating The Spectator. Why? Because of the Melanie Philips blog where she referred to the “moral depravity” of “the Arabs” who killed the Fogel family in Israel. CoffeeHousers can judge for themselves if they agree or disagree with her language and views – but should this be illegal? The Guardian has written this story up, claiming The Spectator is being investigated by the Press Complaints Commission. This is untrue. The PCC tell me...Allies' statement on Libya demands more of Gaddafi than just a cease-fire
JAMES FORSYTH 8:07pm
A statement has just been issued by the sponsors of last night’s Security Council resolution, it reads:Does Sarko deserve more credit than Cameron?
DAVID BLACKBURN 7:37pm
From the archives: fleeing nuclear catastrophe
JONATHAN JONES 6:38pm
As the severity of the Fukushima nuclear disaster is upgraded and thousands of people are evacuated from Japan, here’s Samuel Phipps’ account of his own evacuation from Minsk following the 1986 Chernobyl explosion.
‘You’ll be national heroes when you get back to England,’ said one of our Russian friends in Minsk, as we sat outside the hostel, waiting in the evening sunshine for our fates to be determined. Sure enough, pictures on Friday lunchtime television showed a relieved mother pouring champagne over...The way to cease fire
DANIEL KORSKI 6:29pm
Colonel Ghadaffi wants a cease fire. Fine, but Western governments should insist that the no-fly zone still comes into force; that a new UN resolution is drafted to specify cantoment areas for his forces; and that a UN-mandated Arab Leage but NATO-enabled interpositional force is deployed to ensure the ceasefire holds, perhaps with an Egyptian officer as the head working in tandem with the UN and EU envoys to kickstart a political process. Finally, the West should lend massive support to the "free republic" of Benghazi - economic, military and so on.The week that was
5:59pm
Fraser Nelson has news of more woe at the FCO.
Peter Hoskin has three graphs that feature in both David Cameron’s dreams and nightmares, and analyses Labour’s economic policy.In this week's Spectator
FRASER NELSON 5:27pm
The latest issue of the Spectator is out. Here, for the benefit of CoffeeHousers, is a selection of five pieces from it.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
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