Inside the Spectocracy
A good way to run a magazine is a bad way to run a country
A readers’ lunch at the Spectator, the world’s oldest weekly magazine, is not for the faint of heart or light of wallet. It starts with an aperitif of Lanson Le Black Reserve (a reasonable £55 per bottle). Next comes a magnum of Laurent Perrier Grand Siécle Grande Cuvée No. 23 (a less reasonable £400). Round it off with a Graillot & Perez Encinas Bierzo (a mere £26). Those with the means to drop £150 can enjoy a boozy meal in the Spectator’s boardroom, surrounded by the 195-year-old back catalogue of the magazine that counts a few chancellors, many cabinet ministers and a Conservative prime minister among its alumni.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Inside the Spectocracy ”
From the December 9th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
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Are British voters as clueless as Labour’s intelligentsia thinks?
How the idea of false consciousness conquered the governing party
The best British companies to work for to get ahead
A new ranking of firms by pay, promotions and hiring practices
How the best British employers find and promote their staff
No degree? Some employers care much less than others
A Northern Irish experiment in recycling
The tiny island aiming to get to net zero
A sticking-plaster policy for Britain’s strained courts
Magistrates get more power. Will they get punch-drunk on it?