The Spectator

The snow and bitter freezing temperatures continue, disrupting distribution of goods and services and compelling many people to stay indoors (all I have done today is drink tea and read). Because of distribution problems The Spectator magazine has decided to give its most recent issue away free on the internet. A friend has forwarded me the link, so you can read it here: http://www.spectator.co.uk/spectator/



Above: I was in the House of Lords in November attending a Reception (not as glamorous as it sounds, just another pressure group meeting I was doing the PR for). I went into one of the loos and saw this copy of the Spectator, so the magazine is obviously read at the very seat of power itself. The loos at the House of Lords are disappointing - functional and banal, not at all the Puginesque thrones you might expect.

The Spectator is edited by Fraser Nelson, an alumni of Glasgow university. He is likely to become an influentual philisophical influence on the country if the forthcoming election goes the way everyone expects. In this week's failed coup against Gordon Brown he was interviewed by Radio 4's PM, describing the attempt as "inept".

Inept is really inadequate to describe the farcical events of Wednesday afternoon and evening. It was like the plot of the film Valkyrie. Thank goodness this is not a police state and Gordon Brown does not have access to piano wire.



Above: this was the cartoon in the Guardian following the failed coup. Note the subliminal headline underneath. Did they position this deliberately? (Michael White appeared on today's Dateline London and made a reference to dictator President Mubarak when discussing the plot against Gordon Brown).