Nick Davies

Let us begin with the story of what the historian Professor Brian Simon once described as “probably the biggest hijack of public resources in history”. This was plotted 131 years ago when the government’s Schools Inquiry Commission declared that there was no reason to encourage ‘indiscriminate gratuituous instruction’, an idea which they compared in its mischief to the indiscriminate donation of alms to beggars. They proposed an ingenious reform, which was rapidly adopted by Parliament.

It is speech day at Roedean College. The string orchestra plays Mozart’s Divertimento in D as the parents gather in the Centenary Hall. They have come to hear the Chairman of Council report on the state of the school, to join the applause for the retiring staff and to watch the three head girls deliver their review of the year, but most of all, these mothers and fathers have come to salute the achievements of their children.

There is only one thing you really need to know about the Hague – one simple fact, one accident of history, one utterly damning weakness. The terrible truth is that the Hague is not Amsterdam.

One of the biggest anti-drug agencies in the country was left reeling last night after a former manager admitted being in possession of half a kilo of heroin with intent to supply and was jailed for seven years.