Politics in a cold climate, p14

Your new favourite Muslim televangelist, p16

The threat to British trees (apart from these blokes), p23

5 Leading article 8 Portrait of the Year 11 Diary Ann Widdecombe 12 Prison Notebook

Francis Stephen 14 Politics James Forsyth 15 The Spectator’s Notes 24 A year in words

Dot Wordsworth 28 Matthew Parris 31 Winter in Poland

Neil Tennant 33 Ancient and modern 34 James Delingpole 38 Christmas on stage

Joan Collins 46 Barometer 48 Letters 51 Any other business Martin Vander Weyer

16 Al-Qa’eda’s new enemy The leading Islamic TV preacher takes a stand for peace Justin Marozzi 17 William Wootten ‘The Colde, Frosty Seson of

Decembre’: a poem 18 O come all ye faithless What the vicar would prefer to say in his Christmas sermon Quentin Letts 20 I told you so Being right about everything is most satisfying Rod Liddle 21 Dreaming of a Blitz Christmas My memories of 1940

Michael Heath 23 Leaves on the line The many dangers facing

British trees Oliver Rackham 26 George Osborne’s roving brief The Chancellor explains how far his writ runs Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth

32 Taking the world as it is Michael Oakeshott — my hero

Andrew Sullivan 36 Christmas survey What will happen in 2011? 40 Confessions of an atheist I respect Christianity,

but I can’t believe Bruce Anderson 44 The plum pudding trick Christmas with Charles Dickens

Paul Johnson 47 Classic mistakes Get Latin and Greek back on the national curriculum Peter Jones 53 Carcassonne A short story

Julian Barnes

TRAVEL

SPECIAL p91

Cover by Peter Brookes. Drawings by Michael Heath, Castro, Kyle T. Webster, Morten Morland, Ian Tovey, Simon Farr, Carolyn Gowdy, Bernie, Adam Singleton, Richard Jolley, Nick Newman, Geoff Thompson, Grizelda, Holland, Paul Wood, K.J. Lamb, Mike Williams, Colin Wheeler, Robert Thompson and Evans. www.spectator.co.uk To subscribe to The Spectator for £104 a year, turn to page 102 Editorial and advertising The Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP, Tel: 020 7961 0200, Fax: 020 7961 0250, Email: editor@spectator.co.uk (editorial); letters@spectator.co.uk (for publication); advertising@spectator.co.uk (advertising); Advertising enquiries: 020 7961 0219 Advertising fax: 020 7961 0020 Subscription and delivery queries Spectator Subscriptions Dept., 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne ME9 8GU; Tel: 01795 592886 Fax: 0870 220 0290; Email: spectator@servicehelpline.co.uk Newsagent queries Spectator Circulation Dept, 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP, Tel: 020 7961 0200, Fax: 020 7961 0057, Email: dstam@spectator.co.uk Distributor COMAG Specialist, Tavistock Works, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QX Vol 314; no 9512/9513 © The Spectator (1828) Ltd. ISSN 0038-6952 The Spectator is published weekly by The Spectator (1828) Ltd at 22 Old Queen Street, London SW1H 9HP Editor: Fraser Nelson

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the spectator | 18/25 December 2010 | www.spectator.co.uk Books worth giving start on p60

The definitive 2011 exhibition list, p76

BOOKS & ARTS

Boks 60 William Feaver

The Image of the Black in Western Art, edited by David Bindman et al 62 Peter Blegvad A New History of Western

Philosophy, by Anthony Kenny 63 David Sexton Chasing the Sun, by Richard Cohen Bookends Mark Mason 64 Rupert Christiansen Franco Zeffirelli, edited by Caterina

Napoleone 65 Andrew McKie Showtime, by Larry Stempel 66 Susan Hill on M. R. James 67 Peter Phillips

‘Waiting forWine’:a poem Hugo Williams

‘Christmas at Buckingham Palace’: a poem 68 Bevis Hillier on art books 71 Margaret Drabble While the Women Are Sleeping, by

More, by Robin Oakley; The Art of the Race, by Amanda Lockhart Arts 74 Wave power Andrew Lambirth considers one of Paul Nash’s most complex and moving images 76 Exhibitions A look ahead Andrew Lambirth 78 Culture notes Ed Rex 80 Interview The Goodies William Cook 82 Lucerne Festival Michael Tanner 83 Wedgwood Museum Tristram Hunt 84 Theatre Romeo and Juliet; Decline and Fall Lloyd Evans 85 Cinema The Way Back Deborah Ross Music Michael Kennedy 87 Arts administration Peter Phillips 88 Radio Kate Chisholm Television Simon Hoggart 89 Gardens

Javier Marias George Szirtes

‘The Dogs of Peace’:a poem 72 Anne Chisholm A Book of Secrets, by Michael

Holroyd 73 David Crane Frankincense and

Ursula Buchan the spectator | 18/25 December 2010 | www.spectator.co.uk

LIFE

Three of these are interviewed on p80 Life 101 High life Taki Low life Jeremy Clarke 102 Real life Melissa Kite 103 Wild life Aidan Hartley 105 The turf Robin Oakley Bridge Janet de Botton

And finaly . . . 106 Christmas Quiz Christopher Howse 109 Christmas Crossword 110 Chess Raymond Keene 110 Competition 112 Status anxiety Toby Young 113 Sport Roger Alton 114Your problems solved Mary Killen

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