Leading Articles

Leading article: After another fine mess, Mr Brown needs to show signs of conviction

After last week's calamitous defeat for the Labour Party in the town hall elections, it was imperative for Gordon Brown to steady the ship of Government and project an image of calm and authoritative leadership. Yet the Prime Minister has failed to provide any of this. Instead, he has stumbled from one imbroglio to another. Tragically, the only image that has been projected from Downing Street is one of haplessnessand desperation.

Recent Leading Articles

Leading article: One over-egged pudding...

Saturday, 10 May 2008

Nobody would deny that Gordon Ramsay is a magnificent chef. And his skill in the realm of self-promotion is equally indisputable. But how much does Mr Ramsay know about the economics and environmental sustainability of food production?

Leading article: The business

Saturday, 10 May 2008

Devotees of the BBC1 show The Apprentice know that there is one element which makes the latest series so compelling. It is not the bumptious, deluded contestants; not the repetitive weekly tasks; not even Sir Alan Sugar's finger-jabbing belligerence. No, what really makes the programme special are Sir Alan's two stern, silver-haired assistants, Nick and Margaret.

Leading article: Life and death in the shadow of a vile regime

Friday, 9 May 2008

Natural disasters kill people. But how many die is often determined by factors which are not so arbitrary, nor indeed so natural. According to the Burmese authorities, 22,980 people have been confirmed dead in the massive cyclone which hit that country last weekend, and another 42,119 are missing. International aid workers fear the death toll could easily rise to 100,000 and the UN is talking of more than a million people in need of emergency relief. That the figures are so unclear six days after the event is itself a terrible indictment. By this stage a clear picture of the challenge ahead should be emerging. But the wilful delays by the Burmese military in allowing in both disaster management experts and supplies of emergency food, blankets and tents is unforgivable.

Leading article: Another cynical gimmick

Friday, 9 May 2008

All of the worst aspects of this Government's record on law and order were in evidence in the measures outlined by Jacqui Smith yesterday. The Home Secretary is promising to establish an anti-social behaviour "action squad". Ms Smith envisages this body identifying those guilty of nuisance behaviour and checking whether they have paid their car insurance, TV licence and council tax. The purpose is "to ensure the tables are turned on offenders so that those who harass our communities are themselves harried and harassed".

Leading article: Viewing displeasure

Friday, 9 May 2008

In the annals of UK television broadcasting there has never been a more damning charge sheet. Yesterday we learned that the true winner of the public vote at the 2005 ITV British Comedy Awards was denied the prize, apparently for the sake of pleasing a celebrity award-giver. Also on ITV, a public phone-in competition on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway was rigged, with winners selected purely on the basis of where they lived.

Leading article: Time for the Democrats to rally around Mr Obama

Thursday, 8 May 2008

The epic contest for the Democratic presidential nomination looks as though it is at last winding down. With his convincing victory in North Carolina and the narrowest of defeats of Indiana, Barack Obama finally appears unbeatable. Mrs Clinton, whose fighting spirit has been one of her greatest assets through this protracted campaign, would be wise to call it a day.

Leading article: Running out of excuses

Thursday, 8 May 2008

Most companies try to avoid the attentions of fraud investigators. Not BAE, though. The defence manufacturer is urging the Serious Fraud Office to revisit its probe into the £43bn al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which was dropped 18 months ago in controversial circumstances.

Leading article: Throw-away morality

Thursday, 8 May 2008

We know that in our unequal world, economic trends will affect different countries in different ways. Often there is little that can be done to close the gap.

Leading article: A new leader, and the long shadow cast by Mr Putin

Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Presidential hand-over ceremonies are usually all about the new leader, with the outgoing figure little more than a formal adjunct. But things will be rather more complicated in the Kremlin today when Dmitry Medvedev officially becomes President of Russia. Mr Medvedev will certainly be the main focus. But many eyes will be just as intently concentrated on the outgoing president: Vladimir Putin.

Leading article: Clouds of confusion

Wednesday, 7 May 2008

It is hard to think of a more wrong-headed response from Gordon Brown to his plummeting popularity than the expected approval today for the re-classification of cannabis. This will constitute a reversal of a reform introduced only four years ago that downgraded cannabis from a class B to class C narcotic.