London reflections 4: New format, new columns

OK, Hugo Young was great, but who are the great columnists now in the new Berliner-format of The Guardian, or the soon-to-be-Berliner The Observer? My choice: Will Hutton, most famous (I guess) as the author of "The state we're in" and "The world we're in". But I'd also say Polly Toynbee, since she always writes about Sweden in such an insightful way... (read an old entry about Toynbee here). Most naturally there are so many other columnists you never have time to read, let me know of other good ones!

This Sunday, Henry Porter wrote a column instead of Hutton in The Observer (Hutton is "away" somewhere), but I liked the way in which Porter compared the rhetoric of George Washington with the present crises of the Bush White House. The title says it all: "Washington (George) led the way in political rhetoric. Now Washington (DC) leads the way in crises and scandals". Will Condi Rice become Vice President before Christmas?

You can read the column here, and while you are reading it, think of me who read it on the plane from Stockholm to London, in the old larger paper format still used by The Observer, trying not to disturb the fellow passanger next to me. (Picture of Will Hutton)