9 October 2000

From the Editor…

sue-matthias Welcome to the New Statesman website. Whether you are a new reader or an existing one - online or via the magazine - I hope you'll enjoy the great writing, fresh ideas and provocative debate that make the New Statesman Britain's award-winning current affairs weekly

Sue Matthias, Acting Editor, New Statesman

Cover story

Schools that teach children to lie

Hywel Williams, a former master at Rugby, marvels at the hypocrisies, ancient and modern, that continue to sustain the English public schools

By Hywel Williams

Features

In the footsteps of H G Wells

By Francesca Klug

The great author called for a Human Rights Act; 60 years later, we have it

Francs, lies and videotape

By David Lawday

A dead man's confession about frauds and scams threatens to ruin Jospin, Chirac and the Fifth Republic itself

A jailbreak out of an Ealing comedy

By Nick Cohen

Pat Pottle, one of the duo who sprang the Soviet spy George Blake from prison, died last weekend. Nick Cohen recalls his extraordinary story

2 comments

The country that said Yes

By John Lloyd

Ireland, from inside the euro-zone, is booming. As inflation soars and wage pressures grow, are there any regrets? John Lloydreports

At No 11, it's Victorian values again

By Tristram Hunt

Tristram Hunt argues that the Chancellor is an essentially Dickensian character

Deaths in a cause that is already won

By Tim Luckhurst

The bloodshed is in vain. Israel has decided to settle with the Palestinians; the real enemies are the Orthodox absolutists within its borders

For now, the world's little warriors can fight on

By Barbara Gunnell

A charter to stop children becoming soldiers sounds good. But the US is not keen, reports Barbara Gunnell

Children who are not so special after all

By Judy Hirst

New Labour wants social inclusion, but seems reluctant to fund special needs education. Is this not a form of segregation?

Nothing can beat a wee dram

By Edward Russell-Walling

A visit to a distillery reminds Edward Russell-Walling of an endangered subculture

In Russia, make way for the new Italians

By Catherine Merridale

Forget the proletarian's sack-like clothes, today's Russian women are fashionistas, reports Catherine Merridale

Tony's clones were discussing Prezza's mental health and Mo's farting

By Lauren Booth

Regulars

New Statesman Leader

Stop this auction on pensions

Diary

The BBC producer was caught, on film, mouthing to a colleague: "I really want to have a bath with you"

By Edward Stourton

Paul Routledge

By Paul Routledge

Joyce huffed and puffed, causing macho men to tremble

By Darcus Howe

Hague just can't get his head round England: it's way too big

By Cristina Odone

This England

Professor Carey is a brave man to admit he prefers small books over big, easy over difficult

By Sean French

Media

Has Greg Dyke goofed?

By Ian Hargreaves

Media - Ian Hargreaves sees merit in the BBC's decision to move its news to 10pm

Competition - Win a bottle of champagne

Arts & Culture

Where do we go to die?

By Fergus Fleming

With our cemeteries almost full, staying buried is getting harder. Fergus Fleming digs up some morbidly fascinating truths about funerary customs, and asks where do we go when we die?