11 October 2004
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Cover story
The gambler
As he goes above his party and the British electorate, alienates the Chancellor, and tries to fix the succession, the Prime Minister is showing reckless courage by going for broke. But will he pull it off?
Features
The Prime Minister's little flutter
Statesmen deny illness for fear of alarming the public and keep on going. But far more worrying is a less than healthy leader spaced out on medication
From Spain, a not so healthy role model
Both Labour and the Tories hold up a foundation hospital near Madrid as the blueprint for Britain to copy. In fact, their flagship is in a bit of a mess
Put the people back in the picture
Land campaign - Forget new taxes. Getting rid of our present draconian planning laws is the best way to ensure that we all have a stake in Britain
How Ofcom has let down viewers
The new communications regulator offers a clear analysis of the malaise of public service broadcasting, but only a pointless fig leaf as a remedy
Mission impossible?
We can't be sure what the UN's role will be in the future. But, for the organisation to adapt to new and unexpected problems, it must be able to reform itself. By Tom Freeman
Regulars
Darcus Howe goes before a magistrate
Even our judges are more open-minded about race than our politicians
Mark Thomas writes an open letter to a minister
Is the British government helping to train Colombian military units suspected of killing trade unionists and campaigners against privatisation?
Amanda Platell hears the Tories on their first kiss
The cabbie asked Norman Lamont: "Are you famous?" And he said: "I was, once"
Mark Kermode - Elvis lives!
The King conjures up his former self to battle against evil. By Mark Kermode Bubba Ho-tep (15)
Competition
Win vouchers to spend at any Tesco store
Culture
When Harvey met Mickey
The Weinstein brothers, renowned for their cut-and-thrust style of producing films, have turned Miramax into one of Hollywood's most recognisable brands. But their global ambition may eventually prove to be their downfall
A universal colour
Black culture - As the Victoria and Albert Museum launches a show examining black British style, Ekow Eshun wonders if such a thing still exists
Instrumental change
Classical music - Wigmore Hall in London has just reopened after a £3m facelift. But was it necessary, or even desirable?
O brother, where art thou?
Visual art - Augustus and Gwen John are head-to-head at Tate Britain. Richard Cork finds there is only one winner
Theatre
Michael Portillo - Acts of war
Theatre - David Hare's authentic portrayal of the Iraq debacle. By Michael Portillo Stuff Happens National Theatre, London SE1
Television
Andrew Billen - Will Fiona fluff it?
Television - A flagship programme risks getting the wrong make-over. By Andrew Billen Panorama: Taken on Trust (BBC1)
The Fan
The fan - Hunter Davies wonders if footballers can be geniuses
Wayne Rooney, unlike Michael Owen, does not suffer from humility
Books
The terror of the unforeseen. In portraying individual lives tethered to the forces of history, Philip Roth's new novel revisits the themes of previous work. But it also reveals an unexpectedly benign and forgiving side, writes Jason Cowley
The Plot Against America Philip Roth Jonathan Cape, 391pp, £16.99 ISBN 0224074539
Supersize cinema
Blockbuster: how Hollywood learned to stop worrying and love the summer Tom Shone Simon & Schuster, 340pp, £18.99 ISBN 0743239903
Marriage of convenience
The Accidental American: Tony Blair and the presidency James Naughtie Macmillan, 251pp, £18.99 ISBN 1405050012
Point of departure
The Terminal Man Sir Alfred Mehran Corgi, 254pp, £6.99 ISBN 0552152749
Perfect pitch
Wondrous Strange: the life and art of Glenn Gould Kevin Bazzana Yale University Press, 528pp, £25 ISBN 0300103743
Ruling the waves
The Command of the Ocean: a naval history of Britain (1649-1815) N A M Rodger Allen Lane, the Penguin Press, 907pp, £30 ISBN 0713994118
Commentary
Critics claim that anyone who writes rhyming verse "can never be a true poet". But surely, writes Felix Dennis, there is still place for a form that has been used by many of our greatest poets
