Best of the Spectator Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman, Ben Clerkin, Maxwell Marlow & Hermione Eyre
Mar 30, 2026
Hermione Eyre, an arts critic who reviews exhibitions, praises David Hockney’s vivid iPad landscapes and memorable portraits. Maxwell Marlow, a researcher on student finance, outlines England’s colossal student loan book and policy fixes. Ben Clerkin, a political reporter, traces Steve Hilton’s unconventional California campaign and its electoral challenges.
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Energy Shock Could Repeat 1970s Political Damage
- Tim Shipman warns a modern energy shock could mirror 1973 by destabilising inflation, borrowing and government credibility.
- He contrasts 1970s mass unrest and 24% inflation with today's 3% inflation but notes political fragility and IMF-style risks.
Target Support Not Universal Handouts
- Rachel Reeves plans targeted interventions rather than unfunded universal giveaways to protect public finances.
- Reeves set up a board demanding contingency plans to target help at the neediest and avoid broad untargeted pledges.
Cost Crises Often Topple Governing Parties
- Shipman argues political consequences follow major cost crises: few incumbents survive post-1973 and post-Covid shocks.
- He notes Callaghan's blunt honesty contrasted with later tax-and-spend responses that fuelled political change.