To save the party Mr Arthur Scargill, attacking Mr Prior's Employment Act at the Trades Union Congress meeting in Brighton this Week, said: 'All our freedoms and laws have been...

Political commentary The writing in the hall Ferdinand Mount The banners sa\ onx -2,0()01,208'. All around the Brighton Conference Centre, the TUC propaganda people have...

Notebook Brighton IT I am getting tired of a meaningless phrase Which, with slight modifications, is now de rigueur for any supporter of the Labour Party speaking from a...

The end of the beginning Tim Garton Ash Warsaw At his coronation in 1572. the first elective king of Poland was obliged to swear a solemn oath guaranteeing freedom of...

Remember Kronstadt Christopher Booker WVvhat happens vX hen the proletariat is sick t) death of the dictatorship \ hich acts in its name'?'. - Robert Payne. Tnhe Lift' and...

The campaign begins Nicholas von Hoffman 'rL _ - Washington TFhe 3(0th day of captivity for the American diplomatic personnel in Iran was marked by the Secretary of State,...

Out of the wilderness Peter Ackroyd Reykjavik The moon was like an arc-light, so close you could brush it with your hand. as though it had been attracted to that land on...

Boats and boatmen Richard West Woodbridtie. Suffolk riere is another small town in Suffolk where People appear to be satisfied with their life, not eaten away by envy or...

Dearly beloved abroad Bernard Croft As expected + John Fulham and Gibraltar (The Right Reverend John Richard SattcrthwNaite) has become John Europe - if that is the signature...

Sir: Mr Hilarn Rubnllstici's assertior. (Letters. 28 August) that he has never spoken to me was clearl based on a lapse of memory. I telephoned him at around I lam or Nlonda IS...

Sir: In his sad little letter (3() August) MIr Brocklebank claimis that Anthorin Blunt severed ties \ith the National Trust 'months ago.' Would indeed this Were true....

No Marxist Sir: Clearly TLed Honderick cannot possibl\ be a Marxist. because his letter rebuking me for calling him one is gentle. witt\ and short. All I can add, by was ol...

Sex and the Synod Sir: Peter Nichols's article 'Sex and the Synod' (3() August) is far behlo' the standard usually maintained by that fine journalist. Its wron-lieadcdness is...

Miracles Sir: I find Richard Ingrams's easy acceptance of 'miracles', as evidenced in his review of Mr Marnham's book on Lourdes (29 August). rather distasteful. If it is true,...

Sir: In his article * hubris of Anthony I unt' (23 August). Max Hlasthngeerl nt) the charismatic influence that exercised over several generastudents both heterosexual antid...

Letters A question of hubris Sir: Max Hastings is right in his excellent lticle 'The hubris of Anthony Blunt' (23 August) to draw attention to the support Which Blunt has...

, A port for willing workers I Sir: I was pleased to read Richard West's article on FelixstowNe. but a little sorry that I he did not mention bv name (unless I missed it) the...

Books War games and gamesmanship Andrew Boyle Master of Deception David Mure (Kimber £9.95) Special Operations Europe Basil Davidson (Gollancz £8.50). If all is fair in...

Sub-imperialism Hobert Blake Th~e I,,e, Scramble for South Africa v1"'fi895 D.M. Schreuder (Cambridae (fn the second page of his book Professor kShreuder quotes lord...

Siege and symbol John Biggs-Davison The Siege of Derry Patrick Macrory (Hod- der £9.95) Hilaire Belloc belittled the defence of Derry. Those Protestants could surel\ have...

Buchaneer Benny Green The Best Short Stories of John Buchan Ed. David Daniell (Michael Joseph £7.50) David Daniell is the academic who five Xears ago published The...

Spartan ideal bUth Padel ne Ancient Snartans I T. Hooker (Dent Ll 2) rate had her imagination out when she Invented Sparta. astonishing crucible of a 1tldscapeb lemon-groves...

Geometric Paul Ableman Nuns and Soldiers Iris Murdoch (ChattO Well, it's t better book than Thre Sea, VTi Sea, which captured the Booker Prize tW'O \ ears ago. but I felt...

Arts Epic performances Rodney Milnes The Cunning Little Vixen and Wozzeck (Scottish Opera at the Edinburgh Festival). Just thirteen months separate the first performances of...

Cinema Breaking out Peter Ackroyd McVicar (IX' Rialto, Leicester Square) The most powerful scene, in this otherwise sardonic and brutal film, occurs after John MeVicar has...

Theatre Over the top Bryan Robertson Sacred Cow (Phoenix) You find just as many reprovingly wagging forefingers as rudely dismissive gestures with two fingers in Australian...

Satisfaction John McEwen The most exquisite art exhibition of the OnMent is, without doubtJ(aalfsIct' Prints: 300 Vears ofalbaihis i/ll bxooks at the Britishi Museum (till 5...

Television Potato chip Richard Ingrams With the I1V franchises up for grabs agzain. X ic%\ crs may notice a distinct change in the nitiure of somc of the material in the...

High life Fakes Taki lqretflet Ever since I decided to teach the French a sharp lesson and move my hcadquarters from Regine's in Paris to Annabel"S in London. I haven't much...

Low life The big sleep Jeffrey Bernard Did You read or hear about the man who killed himself while trying to commit suicide e Other day? Apparently this man, in an ttempt to...

Postscript Beastly Patrick Marnham Recently while eating in a small restaurant in Tuscan\ I was moved by the gaictv of the occasion to break a vow of ten vears. I ordered the...