Leading Articles

Leading article: Some long-awaited cheer for liberal hearts

In politics, context is all important. At the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton in 2006 Nick Clegg, then the party's home affairs spokesman, made a speech in which he promised a "great repeal act" to sweep away all of Labour's illiberal legislation. Though the address went down well in the conference hall, it made little wider impact.

Recent Leading Articles

Leading article: An inconveniently persistent truth

Thursday, 20 May 2010

It has been hard work in recent times to get the world to take seriously the dangers posed by global warming. Those who have been persuaded, through misguided short-term self-interest, to deny the reality of climate change, have had succour from a number of sources.

Leading article: Laugh a minute

Thursday, 20 May 2010

Did you hear the one about Lembit Opik? The news that the former Liberal Democrat MP is to try his hand as a stand-up comedian will no doubt prompt some to say they thought he always was one.

Leading article: Mr Cameron must decide where power lies

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

We are told that during the recent election campaign the Conservative Party's "Big Society" theme "did not play well on the doorstep". But that has not deterred David Cameron from dragging the concept across the Downing Street threshold with him.

Leading article: The advantage of information

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

The finding that there has been no progress in recruiting more talented disadvantaged students to Britain's elite universities is terribly disappointing. However, the report by the Office for Fair Access (Offa) – the university admissions watchdog set up by the last government – comes up with some interesting reasons for the failure.

Leading article: Brave hearts?

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Thanks to the expenses scandal, the last Parliament has already gone down in history as a rotten legislature. Is the collection of MPs which gathered in the House of Commons yesterday to mark the opening of the new Parliament likely to be any more fondly remembered by posterity?

Leading article: In the end, spending cuts are political

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

A Parliament that is likely to be defined by cuts has begun with an act of creation. The Chancellor, George Osborne, has established an independent Office for Budget Responsibility, which will produce official forecasts for economic growth and government borrowing, functions that were previously performed by the Treasury. The OBR has also been charged with performing a preliminary audit of the Government's books ahead of an emergency Budget scheduled for 22 June.

Leading article: At the edge of the precipice

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

There can be no doubting the seriousness of the situation in Thailand. Not only is there a real possibility of the stand-off between the army and the protesters escalating into a bloodbath that could spread to the rest of the country. There is also the sense that the confrontation in Bangkok reflects a division within the Buddhist kingdom that can no longer be contained, even if descent into total violence is averted this time.

Leading article: Tidy vintage

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

We are used to fine wines that hail from New South Wales. But old south Wales? What a turn-up. Richard Morris, who runs the Ancre Hill Estates vineyard in Monmouthshire, deserves congratulations for producing White Welsh Regional White 2008, which has been praised by three major global wine competitions.

Leading article: The time to assign blame will come later

Monday, 17 May 2010

Day by day, we are learning just how appalling and unstoppable the consequences can be when an oil pipe that is only 21 inches wide snaps open at the bottom of the sea.

Leading article: Proceed with caution

Monday, 17 May 2010

This week, the Government will outline details of £6bn it intends to find in savings for the current financial year. This money will be incorporated into the emergency Budget that will take place within 50 days, which will then pave the way for a comprehensive spending review in the autumn, after which much more momentous decisions on cuts will be announced.