15 May 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

The worst man in the world?

Paul Wolfowitz, the former US deputy defence secretary and main architect of the Iraq war, has run the World Bank for a year. His regime is highly secretive, but insiders have talked exclusively to Robert Calderisi

By Robert Calderisi

Features

A plague on both their houses

By Martin Bright

After the local election débâcle and the reshuffle, the Prime Minister may have bought himself another year in office. But Martin Bright argues that for Blair, and for Brown, the crises are mounting

Where has all the money gone?

By Nick Cohen

The left demanded more cash for public services. New Labour provided it. The problem is that only the consultants are making any significant gains. Nick Cohen investigates

A local election for local people

By Joe Moran

Why Liverpool stuck with Labour

Take your Club Tropicana and shove it

By Zoe Williams

You know the nostalgia movement is out of control when a George Michael tour sells out to 200,000 paying adults, Take That make their fans weep and sweeps the Baftas. Zoe Williams can't take it any more

Rape by soldiers - isn't that persecution?

By Natasha Walter

Many women asylum-seekers are victims of savage sexual violence, but are denied refuge in the UK because their cases are unrecognised by British asylum law.

Essay

Brown's encounter with Angelina Jolie was a neat contrast with Blair's first star endorsement, when an apparently refreshed Noel Gallagher implored him:

By John Harris

The faux-consensual politics that brought Labour to power in 1997 is long gone. What does the new era say about our expectations of our leaders, asks John Harris

Interview

NS Interview - Stephen Byers

By John Kampfner

The PM's confidant says he will go voluntarily, but will never, ever name the day

Regulars

New Statesman Leader

Why Reid should take on the police

Home Office officials want to introduce graduate trainee police inspectors. This could attract many young people of ability

Commons Confidential

Village life - Kevin Maguire finds Labour two inches shorter

By Kevin Maguire

"Buff" Hoon keeps a diary, Andy Marr gets help with an interview, and new Labour shrinks

Kira Cochrane pities the young plagiarist

By Kira Cochrane

Publishers themselves often come perilously close to encouraging their authors to commit a form of plagiarism

Mark Thomas has a bidet called Prescott

By Mark Thomas

My friend's loo is "Hezza". For some years now I have called our bidet "Prescott", because I don't know what that's for either

Lindsey Hilsum worries about China

By Lindsey Hilsum

China's economic interests are blooming into military ties: arming militaries in Latin America, for example

Pile 'em high

By Victoria Segal

A brave low-budget tale neatly skewers a mega-corporation Wal-Mart: the high cost of low price (PG)

Competition

Win vouchers to spend in any Tesco store

Culture

Keeping it surreal

By Ned Denny

In the 1920s Georges Bataille's art magazine Documents embraced all that was "soiled, senile, rank, sordid" in western civilisation. Its radical message is as fresh as ever

Moral maze

By J T Rogers

As his play on Rwanda opens at the National, J T Rogers argues that the horror of genocide defies imagination

Giving survivors a voice

By Mary Kayitesi Blewitt

Dog days

By Jason Wood

As the creator of Amores Perros premières his latest film at the Cannes festival, Jason Wood argues that Mexican cinema has finally hit the big time

Radio

Radio - Decca Aitkenhead

By Decca Aitkenhead

The BBC often fails to provide context for world news. Faultlines is an elegant solution

Theatre

Queen of mean

By Julian Clary

Theatre - The Dynasty diva serves up a delectable feast of camp, writes Julian Clary An Evening With Joan Collins White Rock Theatre, Hastings

Television

Golden balls

By Andrew Billen

A tale of bung culture exposes the Premiership's seamy side All in the Game (Channel 4)

The Fan

The fan - Hunter Davies presents the Hunt Awards

By Hunter Davies

The Hunt Awards for best-dressed man and fairy of the year go to . . .

Books

Power of the pen

By Salil Tripathi

Observations on Indonesia

The solitary conversation

By Deborah Bowman

Selected Letters of William Empson Edited by John Haffenden Oxford University Press, 729pp, £40 ISBN 0199286841 He was thrown out of Cambridge, taught English in Tokyo and broadcast alongside George Orwell. But the critic William Empson also found time to write thousands of letters. As Deborah Bowman discovers, even his throwaway lines reveal his brilliance