U.S. President George W. Bush (R) walks on the colonnade with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama at the White House November 10, 2008 in Washington, DC. Photo: Getty Images. > More pics of Obama. There's a fabulous scene in The Commitments when the band try to get themselves into the mood to make soul music by chanting: 'I'm black! And I'm proud!' It is funny, of course, because they are all white. That was brought to mind by the even more hilarious spectacle of our politicians and other... Read Full Story
1 Al Frash The balti triangle (a patch of Sparkbrook to the South of Birmingham) packs over 50 restaurants into three streets. Al Frash is one of the best. The curry is accompanied by enormous fluffy nan breads. Dishes are cooked to order. About £8. 186 Ladypool Rd, Birmingham, 0121 753 3120, alfrash.com 2 Baozi Inn The Baozi Inn flies the flag for Sichuan noodles, buns and snacks. Order a bowl of noodles or one of the Sichuan specials. £6. 23 Newport Court, London WC2, 020 7287... Read Full Story
Good people of Word of Mouth, northerners and particularly Mancunians, your attention please. Now in its 11th year, Manchester Food & Drink Festival starts this Friday, October 3. To celebrate, over on Travel, I've compiled a Top 10 of the best budget eateries in the city . Well, I could have hardly done a Top 10 on Manchester fine dining could I? We're rubbish at it. Anyhow, as you can imagine, space was still tight - I couldn't squeeze in Abdul's godlike kebabs , for instance, and I didn't... Read Full Story
One of the delights of the Spectator's Parliamentary Awards, of which I am one of the judges, is that they often showcase great swings in political fortunes. George Osborne was the Politician of the Year in 2007, then acclaimed as the master tactician who had frightened Gordon Brown into bottling an early election. What a curse these gongs can be. The closest that Mr Osborne got to a prize this year was handing them out to other politicians, notably the award for Newcomer of the Year to... Read Full Story
Are we seriously supposed to buy into the 'Sarah Effect'? And would this be entirely fair on Sarah Brown? The Labour win in Glenrothes has been widely credited to the PM's wife, who, alongside her husband, flouted byelection convention to knock on doors and persuade people into the booths. The result has been hailed as proof of Sarah's quasi-messianic appeal, first noted when she jumped on to the stage to introduce Brown at the Manchester conference. You can just imagine the excited plotting... Read Full Story
The election of Barack Obama has sparked a debate among ethnic minority politicians in the UK about whether Britain will ever follow the lead of the US and elect a black or Asian prime minister. Opinions were divided yesterday, with some predicting that an ethnic minority leader will march through the door of No 10 in a generation or two. Others said it would not happen in their lifetime. The debate came as the centre-left thinktank the Fabian Society released research which showed that... Read Full Story
It was meant to be his chance to shine, before Gordon Brown steals the political thunder with next week's much-trailed tax cuts. But George Osborne will not be looking forward to his big moment on the breakfast TV sofas this morning. The chastened shadow Chancellor is only just emerging from the shadow of Corfugate - his controversial yacht-hopping holiday at billionaire Nat Rothschild's villa, during which he was accused of discussing possible political donations from fellow guest and... Read Full Story
What a result. For Gordon Brown to win Glenrothes with a higher percentage of the vote breaks all rules and expectations. Governments lose byelections, don't they? Despite Scottish peculiarities, make no mistake - this was a byelection fought on Brown's personal standing in his own back yard with a candidate strongly identifying himself with the Brown ticket. How extraordinary that just two months ago the prime minister was a crumpled heap of despair. Directionless, everything he touched... Read Full Story
So Alex Salmond's honeymoon may indeed be over. After last week's unexpected defeat in Glenrothes , the Scottish National party leader found himself in the unpleasant and unusual position of underdog in Holyrood today. At first minister's questions, the first since last Thursday's byelection victory for Labour , Salmond was pummelled first by Labour leader Iain Gray and then Tory leader Annabel Goldie. Gray lambasted the first minister over the Scottish government's school-building programme... Read Full Story
Gordon Brown and David Cameron were involved in a bitter clash in the Commons this afternoon over the death of Baby P. After Cameron said the case showed that Haringey council was incapable of looking after children and criticised Brown for failing to answer his questions about the affair, the prime minister retaliated by accusing him of exploiting the story for party-political advantage. As Conservative MPs protested loudly, Cameron demanded that Brown withdraw his "cheap" allegation. The... Read Full Story
