Nothing in all the known world of politics is so intractable as a band of zealots, conscious that they are in a minority yet armed by accident with the powers of a majority. —...

The House of Commons now debates as a matter of principle whether, on the terms negotiated, the United Kingdom should accede to the Treaty of Rome by an irrevocable decision and...

A message from Sir John Reiss, B.E.M. chairman of Aims of Industry: T HE battle of ideas between those who believe in a State society and those who believe in a free economy is...

h ave grown fonder of their leader. The Conservatives think their con ference was rigged. They wanted to debate immigration. This year, as in previous years, The Spectator...

correctly compared Douglas Jay One of the most notable examples in recent times of the Goebbels Big Lie is the oft-repeated statement that Britain's standard of living is now...

A Conservative The battle is about to begin. Supposing the Government is still determined to proceed with the business when the current debate is over, it is now clear that the...

7g11557 1 ..17M1791!Tr-!!!!!!!!! !IMii! 111111111111 11$1111111e1111 11111111!1111111111111! I! !!!!! ill! II ! I 1 I!JHll !I!! As the Parliamentary Labour party faced the...

n some respects the Prime Minister has never looked better than at the Tory conference this year. At one and the same time he seemed remote from the minor troubles and...

Patrick Cosgrave on The poetry of J. V. Cunningham Though this short volume* contains his entire published output in verse, and though — judged by his own standard — the...

An Accidental Man Iris Murdoch (Chatto and Windus £2) Sound the Retreat Simon Raven (Blond £2) I shall read the other reviews of Miss Murdoch's latest novel with great interest...

His lover's room is high above the sea Exposed to wind and every noisy storm That soaks her window with congealing spray; To him she says that only bed is warm — From where,...

Clive Wilmer The Stone Harp John Haines (Rapp and Whiting £1.25 and 80p) Fishermen with Ploughs George Mackay Brown (Hogarth Press E1.25) Poems New and Selected George Mackay...

Barbara Hardy Mercian Hymns Geoffrey Hill (Andre Deutsch £1.75 and £1.00) Offa's Dyke and his English kingdom were made by skill s and violence. Geoffrey Hill's skilful and...

Jonathan Raban's* new book is as lively and interesting as his reviews. It is very much a reviewer's book, in fact, full of generalities, witticisms, sharp insights and scathing...

THEATRE Troubled times Nicholas de Jongh This has been no fortnight for impenitent reactionaries and though the tearoom advocates of revolution may have gathered to exult at...

Getting involved Tony Palmer I suppose it's odd that no one has thought of making a film about the absurdities of party political conferences such as those which have recently...

Trade secrets Evan Anthony It would be strange if regular readers of art columns did not occasionally wonder what antic chance decides which shows — of the dozen or more that...

History repeated Robin Young After summer holidays the Royal Ballet is welcome back. The Royal Opera House is a big, expensive place to leave ' dark ' through the height of...

Trouble up at t'Beeb. Attentive Shepherd's Bush monitors may have noticed that whereas the season's TV drama and music plans are usually announced simultaneously, music came out...

Triumph and disaster at Foulness Sir: Mr Walker continues to hail the choice of Foulness as an environmental triumph. What foolishness. He should know that it is as disastrous...

Sir: Those who oppose the death Penalty for callous murder must surely imply that the culprit is capable of reform; yet the very frightfulness of such a crime plainlY indicates...

Sir: I cannot help wondering what qualifications Mr Michael Calvert (Letters, October 16) has, other than academic, and specifically how well he knows all the places he mentions...

Sir: I am appalled to see that The Spectator has adopted that pointlessly snobbish convention of heading some of the Letters to the Editor by such unnecessary information as...

Sir: Let me hasten to smooth down poor Edward J. Bander's ruffled little conscience (Letters, October 16). Yes, The Spectator is a bigoted sexist publication, but if he reads it...

Sir: 'A sense of nausea' is the only way I can describe my feelings on reading your editorial on the visit of the Emperor Hirohito. This kind of hysterical outburst may satisfy...

Sir: The answer to the riddle of Mr Heath's pledge not to take Britain into the Common Market without the wholehearted support of Parliament and the people lies, I suspect, in...

will be a debate on a motion to approve the entry of the UK into the European Common Market." — Orders of the Day, House of Lords. It is therefore of the utmost importance that...

her history. In return for hypothetical and nebulous economic gains, the Government, led by self-styled ' internationalist ' Edward Heath, is willing to sign the irrevocable...

that the plight of Clydeside in general has been lost sight of. In fact unemployment is extremely high; not only UCS but also many other companies (including Plessey, Babcock...

Sir: I wonder whether your readers can help me with a little research. I'd like to hear of any novel that mentions the birth-date of one or more of its characters. The nature of...

with German military helmets and headdress, 1871-1918. It is a difficult task embracing as it does all branches of the services of the twenty-five various kingdoms, dukedoms and...

Sir: It was most heartening to observe the spontaneous reaction of the crowd which assembled to witness Sewell's entry into the police station at Blackpool. In the...

From Humphrey Brooke CVO Sir: Owing to chance I have only just seen Bryan Robertson's 'Keeping ahead with Portaiture.' I must certainly challenge his statement that Bryan...

What holds up the Tory boom? Nicholas Davenport The Brighton conferences did not send the City either wild with joy or sick with apprehension. The Labour lurch to the left was...

MY unhappy love affair with the ' flat ' never quite got of the ground, but when Cossall burst through the driving rain to lead the Cesaretyltch field into its final two...

The Government has been forced to allow the Conservatives a free vote on October 28 on Britain's entry into the Common Market. Until history is written you will have difficulty...