Down to size 'The Government expects people of responsibility and leadership in Parliament and the public services to act in a way we hope others in the country will follow,'...

Political commentary Jim's little patch of blue Ferdinand Mount E[ er% now and then in a politician's life. there suddenlx occurs a little patch of blue sky. For a brief...

Notebook Like everybody else practically without eXception, I have just been to the United States. I knew on arrival that I was somcWhere special. Behind the relaxed...

Another voice Life in Russia Auberon Waugh The excitement of being in MoscoW is the excitement of being in a place that is differcut writes the Observer's former Moscow...

The game must go on Rosemary Ridd In a tour which coincided with one of the most momentous periods in South Africa's history, the British Lions rugby team (which returns from...

Will the coalition survive? Christopher Walker ,/crulsaleni( Over the past few months, Israel's political Pundits have enjoyed predicting the imminent demise of Mr Mcnachcrie...

The bungling Court Nicholas von Hoffman I:1 'Washll ,,l, l 1he nine 'ustcces of the Supremc Court arc the oni politicians in Washington with lifetime lobs. That permits them...

France and the bomb Sam White Paris Some apparently throw-away remarks by President Giscard at his recent marathon press conference have aroused the curiosity of Michel Tatu...

Pay policy without profits Andrew Brown Stiockho;lm DaIid Steel's argumcnts bor a long-term stratcg\ for incomes v hich would SLirx ic changes in government and. . become an...

Peter Walker's Worcester Richard West Wiorcester Last week the 1300th anniversary of the foundation of this diocese was marked by a service in the cathedral at which the...

The end of the holidays? Daniel Farson Have you taken your holiday this year? If so, where have you gone to? Certainly not to the West Country in the overwhelming numbers of...

Letters The new liturgy Sir: I have been a moderately faithful Anglican for 30 years, which means that I have struggled with '1662' as well as Series 1. 2 and 3, in a way...

Sir: Canon Wilson (Letters, 28 June) is repeating the attack made by the Secretary General of the General Synod on my professional integrity and that of the Gallup poll. This...

Sir: Mr Booker's ill-informed article (21 June) tarnishes his reputation as a journalist. The ignorance of church procedure which it displays tells me that he is, as are so...

Guru trading Sir: Over here, maybe wrongly. we have always believed that things weren't as bad as all that in England, but now that you report that Bernard Levin has fallen for...

The Henshaw factor Sir: Two more examples of henshawing (Auberon Waugh, 28 June) occur to mc. (1) The introduction of prohibition in the United States in 1'92() hcnshawed...

'We believe' Sir: Auberon Waugh has erred (5 July): Pope Paul did not allow the Nicene Creed of AD 325 to be abolished 'by substitution of the meaningless preamble "we...

Bad bread Sir: Ministers, would-be ministers and civil servants usually assume a mental age of about eight years in their listeners, but journalists, being much less sleek and...

Books The truth is naked John Scott Fortress Besieged Ch'ien Chung-shu, Trans. Jeanne Kelly and Nathan K. Mao (Indiana $17.59) My House has Two Doors Han Suyin (Cape...

Psychic shark Jeffrey Meyers Gurdjieff and Mansfield James Moore (Routiledge £8.95) Katherine Mansfield's relations with the mystical charlatan Gurdjieff have been...

Conciliations - Stephen Koss British Interparty Conferences: A Study of Conciliation in British Politics 1867-1921 John D. Fair (Oxford £1 7.50) 'The principal value of any...

'For' or 'do'? Jill Craigie Women in Western Political Thought Susan Moller Okin (Virago £4.50) Western political philosophy has been mostly written by men, about men, for...

Class list Paul Ableman Setting the World on Fire Angus Wilson (Secker £6.50) As I was nearing the end of this book, and beginning togrope mentally for phrases with which to...

Arts Desirable residences Gavin Stamp While the mention of council housing nov% evokes 'images of tower-blocks - those hated symbols of Modern Architecture, it was once...

Theatre Coherent Peter Jenkins Hamlet (RSC, Stratford) A Midsummer Night's Dream (Old Vic) A Hamlet on the stage of the Roy al Shakespeare Theatre itself is a rare and...

Cinema A human world Peter Ackroyd The Black Stallion('A' selected cinemas) It is worth inquiring why 7Th' Black Siallioti should seem to be so excellent, a miniature...

Opera Hard-edged Rodney Milnes Der Rosenkavalier and Die Zauberflote (Glyndebourne) John Cox has staged a string of successful Strauss operas at Glyndebourne (Ariadtie,...

Art In principle John McEwen Iliw Arti~sxs AL(e is one of several devices used by the National Gallery to instruct people in the proper method of viewing the collection - to...

High life Name-dropping Taki Mv friend Rupert Pilkington-Borehari Wood is a very self-confident young manl. He has never been known to touch his tie the way self-conscious...

Television Nothing new Richard Ingrains The bearded figure of Mr Gerald Durrell clutching a small furry animal stares out at us from this week's Radio Tinies; he is not...

Low life Pottering Jeffrey Bernard 1 xc nc\cr cnjoezcd mn own company for nLucIh longer than it takcs time to shave and a recent spell of isolation in my so called idn llic...

Postscript History abused Patrick Marnham A religious conference which is due to be held at Manchester University on 18 July may now be cancelled because the Board of...