06 February 2006

From the Editor…

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

Jason Cowley, Editor, New Statesman

Cover story

'My experience as a doctor is that, under PFI, profit not care comes first'

Lucy Chapman reveals what's really happening to patients in the government's flagship hospitals

By Lucy Chapman

Features

Death knell for the giants

By Martin Bright

The health service is in a crisis made worse by yet another policy U-turn; now the focus has lurched back to smaller, community-based services

Why hospitals are struggling

By Niall Dickson

Inside the NHS

Simon and me

By Peter Tatchell

Dubbya: just as tricky as Dickie

By Andrew Stephen

George Bush, like Nixon before him, can't resist bugging his enemies and covering up. But does he remember what became of his predecessor?

An MP writes: go ahead, bug me

By Austin Mitchell

Most backbenchers don't have anything as exciting as a secret

Can they seize their golden chance?

By Adam Sage

If France's Socialists are to exploit their country's crisis and win back power, they need a message and a candidate. The search starts now

Essay

NS Essay -'Meritocracy is no substitute for equality. By definition it provides ''escape routes'' for only a minority of the population. What is more, without greater equality it does not even extend the mobility which Tony Blair claims is the object of his political philosophy'

By Roy Hattersley

Tony Blair never uses the word, yet suddenly everybody else has started to - even the new Tories. Equality is back on the agenda, and whatever they may say in Downing Street, only Labour is capable of making Britain more equal

Regulars

New Statesman Leader

Private obsessions can be bad for our health

Commons Confidential

Village life - Kevin Maguire pits Hague against Osborne

By Kevin Maguire

Hague makes a comeback, Hoey blasts with both barrels, and hacks enjoy their drink

Ziauddin Sardar confronts the commentators

By Ziauddin Sardar

If journalists described Jews or gay people as they do Muslims, they would be hounded out of what is left of Fleet Street

Competition

Win vouchers to spend at any Tesco store

Culture

Pulling power

By Siri Hustvedt

The corset may have been vilified for constraining women, yet wearing one can be a pleasantly erotic experience. When Siri Hustvedt dressed up for a Hollywood costume drama, she soon fell prey to its charms

The black stuff

By Simon Poe

Art - Although much about the Gothic now looks silly, it still has the power to shock, finds Simon Poe

Pandora's box

By Dan Hancox

Music - Dan Hancox has fun with the "intelligent" radio station that knows what music you'll like

Radio

Radio - Rachel Cooke

By Rachel Cooke

The more perky Christian O'Connell sounds, the more I want to stay under the covers

Theatre

Double jeopardy

By Michael Portillo

Theatre - Exuberance and twinkle from mirror-image acrobats. By Theatre - Michael Portillo Caesar Twins and Friends Comedy Theatre, London SW1

Film

Man in black

By Victoria Segal

Film - Portrait of a roots legend hits all the right notes. By Victoria Segal Walk the Line (12A) North Country (15)

Television

Bye-bye, Boss

By Andrew Billen

Television - The death of a real-life mobster proves seriously funny, writes Andrew Billen A Gangster's Funeral (Channel 5)

Books

Diary - D J Taylor

By D J Taylor

The glory days of the Captain Scott Invitation XI have been recorded for posterity. But what's scary about remembering old times is finding out how much you've forgotten