23 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

Why Brown should hold his nerve

Roger Harrabinasks if the Chancellor will ignore the myths about oppressed motorists, overtaxed truckers and poor country dwellers

By Roger Harrabin

Features

Mandelson must play the game

By Geoffrey Robinson

A minister has to be a team player. And if he won't abide by the team's rules, the captain will do what a captain must, argues Geoffrey Robinson

The young embrace ancient hatreds

By Duncan Parrish

Duncan Parrish in Israel and the West Bank finds unity among Palestinian youth and deep apprehension among their Jewish counterparts

Bush brings us Reagan Mark II

By Andrew Stephen

The US presidential election will be won by the candidate who fouls up least. So far, Gore has fouled up by being too clever

Put blame for BSE where it belongs

By Ziauddin Sardar

Ziauddin Sardarexposes the persistent failures and habitual secrecy of a government ministry

Up for grabs: £3.5m of Stalin's gold

By Nick Cohen

You may think the Communist Party and its heirs of no importance. But their wealth could still have a profound political influence. Nick Cohenreports

How Ann fell out with Michael

By Nicholas Kochan

Once, Widdecombe seemed almost to have a crush on Portillo. But it has all turned sour. Nicholas Kochan reveals the origins of a Tory feud

Britain's brains go private

By Brian Schofield

As graduate starting salaries soar past the £30,000 mark, Brian Schofieldfears that, in future, only the stupid will work in the public sector

Don't pay the Lawrences so much money

By Richard Colbey

The Met is wrong to give £320,000 for bungling a murder investigation

Not such a bad home

By Swapan Dasgupta

The Runnymede report presents a politically correct version of Britain as racist. It does not reflect the feelings of most Asians living here, reports Swapan Dasgupta