http://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/philipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/rss/comment/columnist/philipstephensFT.com - Philip Stephensen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.client.support@ft.com (Client Support)Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:29:53 +0000Sun, 6 Dec 2009 20:06:08 +0000Newspapers60http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/philipstephens(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/4db7f0e0-cfc4-11de-a36d-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4db7f0e0-cfc4-11de-a36d-00144feabdc0.htmlThe climate change conference next month is bound to fail, as the US is not ready to accept any of the elements needed for success. But negotiators must remain committed to an eventual deal and avoid the twin dangers of denial and despair, says Philip Stephens Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:29:53 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/99a4aed8-cd5f-11de-8162-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/99a4aed8-cd5f-11de-8162-00144feabdc0.htmlFriends of the US president are already warning Afghanistan is shaping up as the biggest potential threat to his hopes of re-election in 2012, says Philip Stephens Mon, 9 Nov 2009 20:04:48 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/e6c4a18a-ca41-11de-a3a3-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e6c4a18a-ca41-11de-a3a3-00144feabdc0.htmlFor Obama's critics on the right, diplomacy and engagement have become synonyms for vacillation and weakness. He should stand firm: many of the problems he faces, foreign policy in particular, will not be harmed by leaving some time to consider them, writes Philip Stephens Thu, 5 Nov 2009 20:04:52 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/ebe43b9c-c7e6-11de-8ba8-00144feab49a,dwp_uuid=0e534ef8-0a40-11de-95ed-0000779fd2ac.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ebe43b9c-c7e6-11de-8ba8-00144feab49a.htmlThe uproar about MPs' expenses threatens more serious damage than holding up the nation to ridicule. It promises to rob politics of the people it needs, writes Philip Stephens Mon, 2 Nov 2009 20:52:21 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/099b81fe-c4db-11de-8d54-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/099b81fe-c4db-11de-8d54-00144feab49a.htmlThe debate about who should be chosen as the first president of the European Council has become a proxy for this more fundamental choice. Economic power is now shifting eastwards on a scale and at a speed beyond our previous experience, writes Philip Stephens Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:38:55 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/2448125e-c262-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2448125e-c262-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.htmlMervyn King and George Osborne are united in condemnation of the government's handling of the financial crisis. For now, the relationship works to mutual advantage. It may not always be soMon, 26 Oct 2009 22:32:14 +0000http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/106a99e6-bf3d-11de-a696-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/106a99e6-bf3d-11de-a696-00144feab49a.htmlThe country, frustrated at the efforts of certain EU leaders to prevent its accession to the bloc, is assuming a role in line with its status as a fast-rising power at the strategic crossroads of east and west, writes Philip Stephens Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:43:45 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/f887df64-bcda-11de-a7ec-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f887df64-bcda-11de-a7ec-00144feab49a.htmlIn a spirit of constructive criticism, here is a plan that might persuade the politicians that Britain still needs a vibrant, albeit rather slimmer, BBC, writes Philip Stephens Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:02:55 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/6cfb129c-b9cc-11de-a747-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6cfb129c-b9cc-11de-a747-00144feab49a.htmlAs the financial crash fades in the memory, the question is how long its repercussions will continue to affect the world. The answer should be obvious, writes Philip Stephens. Everything has changed; and nothing has changedThu, 15 Oct 2009 22:16:39 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/a2ac069c-b43d-11de-bec8-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a2ac069c-b43d-11de-bec8-00144feab49a.htmlFor all its troubles, the Britain of my experience does not seem to be sliding into economic and social chaos writes Philip Stephens Thu, 8 Oct 2009 20:18:03 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7a1e2a6-b1e6-11de-a271-00144feab49a.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a7a1e2a6-b1e6-11de-a271-00144feab49a.htmlDavid Cameron should not expect open arms in Washington if opposition to the Lisbon treaty leads to a rupture with Europe, writes Philip Stephens Mon, 5 Oct 2009 22:09:16 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/8bfe96a4-aece-11de-96d7-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8bfe96a4-aece-11de-96d7-00144feabdc0.htmlLisbon has provided governments with an alibi. As long as they were arguing about majority voting or the size of the Commission, they could sidestep the issues of substance pressing down on the Union, writes Philip Stephens. But Europe cannot escape the existential choice of the coming decadeThu, 1 Oct 2009 22:20:05 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1595b52-ad15-11de-9caf-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1595b52-ad15-11de-9caf-00144feabdc0.htmlMr Brown has never learned to tell a story; perhaps that is because he has never really had oneTue, 29 Sep 2009 17:39:44 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/f7e9a8fe-ac58-11de-a754-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f7e9a8fe-ac58-11de-a754-00144feabdc0.htmlThe best reason for a series of TV debates is the democratic one: voters deserve the right to an informed choice, writes Philip Stephens Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:19:42 +0100http://traxfer.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc9abf6e-a93b-11de-9b7f-00144feabdc0.html?o=%2Frss%2Fcomment%2Fcolumnist%2Fphilipstephenshttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc9abf6e-a93b-11de-9b7f-00144feabdc0.htmlThe UN and G20 jamborees leave the new world landscape a work in progress. But some contours stand in sharp relief. Philip Stephens looks at Chinese multilateralism; the Middle Eastern challenge to US power; Obama's effort to frame new rules for the global game; and Europe's place on the marginsThu, 24 Sep 2009 20:03:38 +0100