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p1 Cover: Fall of the meritocracy It’s harder than ever to succeed from an ordinary background, says Andrew Neil p5 Leader: Growth or bust p7 Contents p9 Portrait of the week p16 Where’s the divide? by Peter Oborne p31 Books & Arts: opening page p36 Odd characters: Anthony Cummins p37 Beasts in battle: Hugh Cecil p52 Born of a fury: Kate Chisholm p53 Our avian friends: Ursula Buchan p58 Real life: Melissa Kite p59 Bridge: Susanna Gross p60 Chess, Competition p61 Crossword

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Fall of the meritocracy

It’s harder than ever to succeed from an ordinary background, says Andrew Neil

Poland’s British migrants

Anna Szlejter

Bookselling for illiterates

Michael Henderson

Drug-enhanced pianists

Damian Thompson

Why do we spend so much on bird feed?

Ursula Buchan

CharlesMoore:

Indefence ofspin

001_spec_29.01.11_v2.indd 1

26/1/11 13:06:17

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