Simon Jenkins's Blog, page 85

Theresa May’s £3,150 lunch shows that democracy is still for sale | Simon Jenkins

The prime minister is allowing lobbyists to lunch with her at her party conference – for a fee. So much for her commitment to battling inequality

When Theresa May took office in July, she declared an assault on inequality and an end to privilege in politics. Today she is flogging lunch with herself at her party conference for 3,150. We can assume the price does not reflect the food.

Related: Lobbying looms over Theresa May’s government. She must tackle it now | Tamasin Cave

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It’s a hard sell, but in post-Brexit Britain optimism must become a strategy | Simon Jenkins

Now Project Fear has been shown to be exaggerated, Brexiters must tone down their pessimistic rhetoric too. It’s time to focus on the facts

If I had my way, the new year would start tomorrow. After the purgatory of August as the nation’s holiday, autumnal September is when we return to work, supposedly regenerated. Plans, budgets, accounts and the statistical year should begin then. September, not cheerless January, should be the month of new resolutions.

September is my month for optimism. Las...

Outside meddling has unleashed horror in Syria. We must step back | Simon Jenkins

Western arms and money have prolonged and intensified this civil war. Our only duties are to stop taking sides, and to help those fleeing the conflict

Today’s news that the American secretary of state, John Kerry, and the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, are in Geneva to discuss ending the war in Syria should raise everyone’s spirits. Why does it not do so?

The answer is that these and other outside powers have tried this often before and failed. They have failed in large part because e...

From Timbuktu to Grimsby, heritage deserves to be revered and restored | Simon Jenkins

Historic buildings possess a cultural vitality. Failing to repair them is a loss to our communal memory

If you demolish a historic building in Timbuktu you commit a war crime. If you demolish one in Britain you apply for retrospective planning permission. What is the difference?

The decision of the international court in The Hague this week to prosecute a former al-Qaida insurgent, Ahmad al-Mahdi, for destroying nine ancient tombs in Mali is deeply significant. For the first time, the concept o...

Jeremy Corbyn’s dismissal of Nato is a step too far | Simon Jenkins

I cheered the Labour leader’s stance against Trident. But shunning our most important international military alliance is just reckless

What on earth is Jeremy Corbyn on about? When asked at last night’s leadership debate in Solihull whether as prime minister he would aid a Nato ally under attack, he said no. “I would want to avoid us getting involved militarily. I want to achieve a world in which we don’t need to go to war.” The implication in this is that Corbyn wants to withdraw Britain from...

This Olympics hysteria shows that Britain has turned Soviet | Simon Jenkins

We used to ridicule the communists for using sport as a proxy for economic success. Now, with the vast sums thrown at Team GB and athletes declared ‘heroes’, we’re copying them

Australia’s cycling star, Anna Meares, said of Britain’s triumphant cyclists: “They’ve got it together … but, to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what they’ve got together.” The French and Germans were heard to murmur likewise. One interpretation could be that murky word “cheating”, although Meares strongly denied that s...

It’s easy to cheer the judge who used the C-word. But we shouldn’t | Simon Jenkins

Her reaction may be understandable, but it was wrong – and sending a troubled man to prison is likely to make his problems worse

So a woman judge is abused as “a bit of a cunt” who should “go fuck yourself” by a racist thug whom she has just jailed. She hits back that he too is “a bit of a cunt” and he too should fuck off. To adapt Oscar Wilde on the death of Little Nell, it would take a heart of stone not to cheer.

Judge Patricia Lynch QC has duly become a hero to the retributive classes. Give...

Should our rail services be renationalised? Readers' debate

Amid strikes, rising fares and delays, catch up on our debate on whether it’s time to put our rail service back into public ownership

2.10pm BST

Thanks everyone, some excellent contributions. Look forward to talking again next week.

1.54pm BST

We’ve only got five minutes left now, so if all those involved could leave any final comments that would be excellent.

It’s been a really strong debate today, some great stuff below the line.

1.52pm BST

I can see a problem with this suggestion, given qu...

Trade with China is a good thing. But Hinkley Point is a dud | Simon Jenkins

Theresa May is right to resist the lobbyists and halt this reckless and absurdly expensive nuclear deal. There are far better alternatives

For Theresa May, getting to be prime minister was easy. Your predecessor makes a hash of things. Party rivals knife each other in the back or throw in the towel. You then mouth a few platitudes about a fairer society and, hey presto, you have a photo of a bemused spouse and a grin on your face before a cheering crowd. What could be simpler? It’s how they ch...

Want to avoid recession? Then shower UK households with cash | Simon Jenkins

The economy is in dire need of a jump start – cutting interest rates has failed miserably. So instead give money to people who would actually spend it

Just give people the money. Give them cash, dole it out, increase benefits, slash VAT, hand it to those most likely to spend it: the poor. Put 1,000 into every debit account. Whatever you do, don’t give it to banks. They will just hoard it or use it to boost house prices.

Britain is suffering from a classic liquidity trap. There is insufficient d...