A new arrival at The Times

If you've been reading Comment Central for a while you will be aware of my admiration for Oliver Kamm, as a columnist, author and blogger.

So I am really pleased to announce that Oliver will be joining the leader writers here at The Times from next Monday.

We will announce plans for his popular and respected blog in due course.

Comments

[The Admiral]

An inspired choice. Mr Kamm's writing is precise, concise and invariably on the money. He is though becoming a hate figure for many on the Left. Which, of course, can be a very good signal that he has hit upon some important but extremely uncomfortable truths.

Nice one!

[emmanuelgoldstein]

Kamm is unbearably pompous: an appropriate replacement, then, for Lord Rees-Mogg.

[JOHN CHUCKMAN, TORONTO]

Sorry, he's written some dumb stuff.

But then you keep pushing Christopher Hitchens, too. And Gerard Baker plods on.

I think you can see from the number of responses, the anticipation is decidedly underwhelming.

[The Bosun]

It's an irony that the Guardian, where Comment is supposedly free, is one massive echo chamber, yet the Times - painted by critics as a Murdoch mouthpiece - can have 3 or 4 writers with vastly differing opinions on the same page.

Well done.

I look forward to seeing the Kamminator in full flow.

[David Sketchley]

Some of Mr Kamm's 'truths' : "Rendition is justifiable", "Bush made the world a safer place", "the surge is delivering stability and security", "It is flatly untrue … that US troops are a cause of violence. There is a great deal of evidence that they are trusted by Iraqis", and this pearl: "Respecting the beliefs and feelings of others is a lethal affectation in public policy"

If its the indefensible you want defended, you've got power and 30 pieces of silver, Kamm's your man.

[Peter Steadman]

I wondered where the snide and sneer had suddenly come from in recent Leading Articles. I find it all so gratuitous, but presumably it's his style that appeals to the new editor.

[Shirley]

The whole point of a worthy newspaper (and indeed a democracy)is too allow a broad spectrum of views and opinions to be aired and discussed. What is the point of constantly reading something that does nothing but reinforce your own opinions - we have the Daily Mail and The Sun for that. To know your own country it is necessary to venture into others.