The word to which the Chancellor returned time and again was "stability". He intended it as reassurance. If maintaining stability is the Chancellor's priority, however, it rather presupposes that the enemy at the gate is instability. This inspires le...

The really big climate event this week is tomorrow's summit of European leaders. It is the approach taken there by the Chancellor and Gordon Brown that will make the difference between success and failure. We should judge all parties on their willing...

In this country we are running out of choices; coal is becoming the only fossil fuel over which we have political and economical control. If we turn to gas-fired power stations, we will be increasingly dependent upon Russia and Central Asian countrie...

The most recent modelling suggests that a cut in carbon dioxide emissions of some 80 per cent is needed by 2050. And although Mr Darling acknowledged this, and added that urgent action is warranted, he went on to announce only a weak mixture of measu...

The mantle of "Mogadon Man" that attached to Geoffrey Howe nearly 30 years ago now passes to Mr Darling. The crucial difference was that Sir Geoffrey had announcements of such historic proportions that we knew we slept through his speeches at our per...

Contrast this with the behaviour of Western governments, which have wrung their hands in horror at the sufferings of the poor people of Darfur and yet have done practically nothing concrete to help them. It is now over two months since the United Nat...

By allowing BAA to raise landing fees, the Civil Aviation Authority (most likely under gentle pressure from the Government) is bailing out BAA's Spanish parent company, Ferrovial. It is being claimed that the higher landing charges are necessary to g...