Daisy Cooper has been a stalwart of the Liberal Democrats for over a decade. From councillor to MP, she has served as the deputy leader of the party since 2020. First elected to parliament in 2019, she came to prominence when she represented the party in two of the general election debates earlier this year.    On the podcast, Daisy talks to Katy Balls about her ambition to be a conductor, how she created her first job, and whether she’d like to be leader one day. As the Liberal Democrats are now the largest third party in Parliament for 100 years – with 72 MPs – Daisy tells Katy what it’s like to have so many colleagues, and provides her diagnoses about both the Labour government and the Conservative leadership race.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

This week: Decline and Fall – how our greatest universities are betraying students. Our greatest universities are betraying students, writes David Butterfield, who has just resigned from teaching Classics at Cambridge after 21 years. What went wrong? First, class lists of exam results became private, under alleged grounds of ‘data protection’, which snuffed out much of the competitive spirit of the university. Now even the fate of examinations hangs in the balance. Grade inflation is rampant, and it is now unheard of for students to be sent down for insufficient academic performance. For students, the risks have never been lower. ‘The pace of change over the past decade has been astonishing, driven on by three forces: an administrative class that wants to minimise complaints, a subset of academics who actively resent the no-nonsense traditions of the university, and a proportion of students who will take the easiest path proffered.’ David joined the podcast alongside the author Philip Womack, who recalls his own run-in with university administrators in the magazine. (01:46) Next: the return of Trump the stand-up comedian. There had been a lot of talk that Trump had lost some of his spark, with declining attendance at his rallies and his jokes failing to land. But, as The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews writes this week, he appears to have his mojo back. At the Al Smith dinner, he delivered a series of wicked barbs aimed at his opponent Tim Walz and Kamala Harris, to a rapturous reception in the room. So what has changed? And why is humour so important to Trump? Kate joined the podcast alongside journalist and former speechwriter to Tony Blair, Philip Collins. (18:06) And finally: could AI lead to a revival of decorative beauty? In her arts lead for the magazine, Lara Prendergast meets the founders of a company in Stoke-on-Trent using AI technology to mass-produce uncannily authentic Delftware tiles, the iconic blue and white ceramics. ‘Josiah Wedgwood would have loved what we are doing… I suspect William Morris would have hated it,’ says the co-founder of Not Quite Past – the company creating these tiles – and who joins the podcast to discuss further. (37:55) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Keir Starmer can’t even fly to Samoa without another international British embarrassment breaking out. The latest is an angry accusation from Donald Trump’s campaign that Labour is committing the crime of ‘election interference’ in the United States. ‘The British are coming!’ screamed a typically camp Trump-Vance official press release last night. The campaign denounced Britain’s ‘far-left’ governing party for attempting to subvert democracy by sending almost 100 of its activists across the pond to sway American voters. But are the British actually coming? Freddy Gray speaks to James Heale, The Spectator's political correspondent.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Rachel Clarke, author of the Baillie Gifford longlisted new book The Story of a Heart. Rachel tells me how she came so intimately to tell the story of 9-year-old Keira, whose death in a car accident and donation of her heart gave a chance at life to a dying stranger, Max. She describes the medical and conceptual changes that led up to that extraordinary possibility and explains how, as a medic, you have to be able to combine technical professionalism with a sense of the sanctity of the human beings you work with. And she catches us up on how Max is doing eight years on. This podcast is in association with Serious Readers. Use offer code ‘TBC’ for £100 off any HD Light and free UK delivery. Go to: www.seriousreaders.com/spectator

Tim Spector is a leading professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and a renowned expert in nutrition, gut health, and the microbiome. He is the founder of the Zoe Project, which focuses on personalised nutrition and how individual responses to food impact health. His new book, The Food for Life Cookbook, is out now. On the podcast, he tells Lara about his time growing up in Australia, how a skiing accident changed his view on nutrition, and why ham-flavoured crisps are his guilty pleasure. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Joe Bedell-Brill. Click here for tickets to our Americano live event, with Nigel Farage.

The Spectator Economic Innovator of the Year Awards, in partnership with Rathbones, celebrate the passion and creativity of British entrepreneurs. From hundreds of entries we have narrowed down to some 50 finalists across the United Kingdom. In this episode, the judges introduce those cutting edge healthcare companies who are amongst the finalists and compare and contrast what they do with the latest biotech, AI, and how well they fare when trying to introduce innovation into the NHS. The judges in this episode are Jonny Ohlson, founder and chairman of biotech firm Touchlight; Nicholas Hardie, entrepreneur and non-executive director on the board of Moorfields Eye Hospital; Michelle White, Head of Private Office for Rathbones; and Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator's business editor. The awards and this podcast series are sponsored by Rathbones, a leading provider of individual wealth management.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Richard Dawkins reads his diary for the week (1:21); Nicholas Farrell argues that Italy is showing the EU the way on migration (6:33); Mary Wakefield reflects on the horrors, and teaching, of the Second World War (13:54); Lisa Hilton examines what made George Villiers a favourite of King James I (19:10); and a local heroin addict makes Philip Hensher contemplate his weight (27:10).    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

The House of Lords contains 26 Church of England archbishops and bishops who possess an automatic right to sit and vote in the House, as established by ancient usage and by statute. But for how much longer? Labour have big plans for the Lords and have been pushing ahead with their crackdown on hereditary peers. But this week we learnt that Tory MP Gavin Williamson will table an amendment calling for them to reconsider the role of bishops as well. Gavin says that a clergy-free Lords would be more representative of modern Britain and is expecting to gain cross-party support, including from the likes of Jeremy Corbyn. The Spectator’s features editor William Moore thinks this is ‘institutional vandalism’ and opens the door to the removal of faith from parliament. Gavin and William join The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls to debate. Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.

This month Pope Francis announced that he’s creating 21 cardinals, and once again his list includes unexpected names that will baffle commentators who assume that he’s determined to stack the next conclave with liberals.  For example, Australia now finally has a cardinal – but he’s a 44-year-old bishop from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic diaspora rather than the actual head of the Ukrainian Church in Kiev. There’s also a new English cardinal who isn’t even a bishop, the Dominican theologian Timothy Radcliffe. He’s nearly 80, so will soon have to step down as an elector – but, believe it or not, one of the new cardinals is 99 and therefore old enough to be his father. In this episode of Holy Smoke, Vatican analyst Serre Verweij joins Damian Thompson to discuss the significance of this consistory. He suggests that this Pope, famously hostile to traditionalists, is nonetheless moving to the right at this late stage in his pontificate. But why? 

This week: the Chancellor’s Budget dilemma. ‘As a former championship chess player, Rachel Reeves must know that the first few moves can be some of the most important of the game,’ writes Rupert Harrison – former chief of staff to George Osborne – for the cover of the magazine this week. But, he says, the truth is that she has played herself into a corner ahead of this month's Budget, with her room for manoeuvre dramatically limited by a series of rash decisions. Her biggest problem is that she has repeatedly ruled out increases in income tax, national insurance and VAT. ‘So which taxes will rise, given that the easy options have been ruled out? The answers appear to be evolving rapidly when ministers are confronted with the OBR’s harsh reality.’ Rupert joined the podcast alongside The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews. (01:29) Next: Charlie Falconer and Charles Moore debate assisted dying. As Kim Leadbeater’s private member’s bill comes before the Commons, the former justice secretary Lord Falconer (who introduced a similar bill to the Lords) and The Spectator’s chairman Lord Moore debate assisted dying. The full conversation can be found on SpectatorTV but we have an extract from their conversation on the podcast. (19:01) And finally: In his Books & Arts lead, Philip Hensher reviews Peter Parker’s history of homosexuality from 1945 to 1967, revealing many of the era’s bizarre and, at times, amusing speculations. They both join the podcast to discuss the demonising of homosexuals in postwar Britain and the role of the tabloids in stirring up fear and distrust. (33:26) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

Polling suggests that the Catholic vote helped Trump win in 2016 and helped Biden win in 2020. Biden is also the most church-going president by far. With issues like immigration and abortion high on the agenda for voters, where will the Catholic vote land? And how important is the idea of being culturally Catholic compared with political religiosity? Ryan Girdursky, founder of the 1776 Project PAC and the National Populist substack - and Catholic - joins Freddy Gray to discuss. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

In this week's Book Club podcast Sam Leith’s guest is the great Sue Prideaux who, after her prize-winning biographies of Nietzsche, Munch and Strindberg, has turned her attention to Gauguin in Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin. She tells me about the great man's unexpected brief career as an investment banker, his highly unusual marriage and his late turn to anticolonial activism. Plus: why she starts with his teeth. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

Republican strategist, and friend of Americano, Luke Thompson joins Freddy Gray to talk about the ground game of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. From postal voting, to party registration, to machine politics, whose is better? And what impact did Biden's exit from the race have on the organised parts of the Democratic Party?  With Luke's unique insight working on two current senate races, and as a longtime consultant to Vice-Presidential nominee J.D. Vance, they analyse the state of an election that continues to be unpredictable.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

** On October 19, Cindy Yu and a panel of special guests will be recording a live Chinese Whispers at London's Battle of Ideas festival, talking the latest on China’s economic slowdown and asking – what are the social and political implications? Is China in decline? Chinese Whispers listeners can get a 20 per cent discount on the ticket price with the code WHISPERS24. Click here to find out more and get your ticket. ** In the early 2000s, Desmond Shum and his wife, Whitney Duan, were among the richest people in China, with fingers in various real estate, infrastructure and hospitality projects. They also had some of China’s most powerful people on speed dial – including the family of then-premier Wen Jiabao. But that all changed in 2017 when Whitney was disappeared by the Chinese state. Desmond now lives in the UK where he published a memoir in 2021, Red Roulette, and is now an analyst and commentator on Chinese politics. On this interview, Cindy Yu and Desmond Shum discuss why he thinks Whitney was the victim of a power struggle involving Xi Jinping, the reality of politics and corruption in the China of the 2000s, and how Xi has destroyed the economic trajectory of the once-booming People’s Republic.

Actress and writer Tracy-Ann Oberman is well known for her roles across theatre, radio and television, including Dr Who, Friday Night Dinner, It’s a Sin and, of course, EastEnders. Most recently, she has taken on one of the most famous, and problematic, Shakespearean roles: as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Inspired by her great-grandmother, she has reimagined the role as a Jewish matriarch, and the play returns to London’s West End this December.   On the podcast, Katy Balls talks to Tracy about her obsession with the Roman Empire, what it was like spending a term in Moscow towards the end of perestroika, and her  career from soap to Shakespeare, hero to villain. As she has found herself viewed as an unofficial spokesperson for the Jewish community, Tracy also talks openly about challenging the hate and abuse that many members of the community sadly receive. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: new Editor Michael Gove discusses his plans for The Spectator (1:08); Max Jeffery heads to Crawley to meet some of the Chagossians based there (5:44); Christopher Howse reads his ode to lamp lighting (12:35); Robert Jackman declares the Las Vegas Sphere to be the future of live arts (19:10); and Mark Mason provides his notes on the joy of swearing (26:50).    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Journalist, historian and friend of Americano Thomas Frank joins Freddy Gray to dissect the state of American politics. Author of books, including the famed What's the matter with Kansas? How conservatives won the heart of America and, most recently, The People, No: A Brief History of Anti-Populism, Frank talks about his research into the origins of populism, the strange nature of American conventions, and the fundamental flaws he sees in the candidates ahead of the November election. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Natasha Feroze.

Successive governments have struggled with how to deal with China, balancing them as a geopolitical rival yet necessary trade partner. Recent moves from Labour have sent mixed signals, from the free speech act to the return of the Chagos Islands. Further decisions loom on the horizon. As Rachel Reeves seeks some economic wiggle room, can Labour resist the lure of the Chinese market? The Spectator’s Katy Balls, and visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) James Crabtree, join the podcast to discuss further (02:05). Plus: as the first issue under The Spectator’s new editor Michael Gove, what are his reflections as he succeeds Fraser Nelson? He reads an excerpt from his diary (19:05). Next: could the government’s plans for dealing with extremism have unintended consequences on young men? With plans to reclassify extreme misogyny as extremism, Toby Young argues this week that Labour’s broadening of this issue exposes the flaws of the Prevent strategy. For all the focus on ‘toxic masculinity’, do we risk alienating and prematurely criminalising teenagers? Toby joins the podcast, alongside The Spectator’s deputy features editor – often host of this podcast – Gus Carter (22:05). And finally: the rise of the female fight club. Emily Rhodes talks about her experience taking up kickboxing, and the unexpected consequence of channelling her anger. How should women, and society, understand and deal with female anger? Emily joins the podcast, alongside the author of Rage Becomes Her, Soraya Chemaly, to explain (34:28). Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, who joins me to talk about his new biography of Harold Wilson. He tells me about Wilson’s rocket-powered rise to the top, how he learned oratory on the hoof, why he might have been right to be paranoid… and what really went on with Marcia. This podcast is in association with Serious Readers. Use offer code 'TBC' for £100 off any HD Light and free UK delivery. Go to: www.seriousreaders.com/spectator

Claire Dinhut is known to thousands on social media as CondimentClaire. Raised in a European household in Los Angeles, her upbringing and her background studying history have influenced her other passion, for cooking. Her book The Condiment Book: a brilliantly flavourful guide to food's unsung heroes is out now. On the podcast, Claire tells hosts Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts about how Anthony Bourdain was her inspiration, the impact of covid on her career, and her French and Greek culinary influences. She also answers important questions such as: should we pair branston pickle with avocado; is cereal a soup; and what's the deal with pumpkin spice? Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

On the anniversary of the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas, former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy joins Freddy Gray to discuss everything that has happened since. Does the world still stand with Israel? This was originally broadcast on Spectator TV. Go to spectator.co.uk/TV to watch more.

The US presidential election looks as if it’s coming down to the wire in a handful of battleground states. Neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump has established a clear lead, and that raises the question of whether, even in today’s increasingly secular America, evangelical Christians could give former president Trump a crucial advantage in the rust belt. On the other hand, could his role in the demise of Roe v Wade tilt the race towards Harris?  In this episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson talks to Dr Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, a specialist in the influence of religion on US politics, and Justin Webb, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, widely respected as an impartial commentator on presidential campaigns.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Fraser Nelson signs off for the last time (1:30); Cindy Yu explores growing hostility in China to the Japanese (7:44); Mary Wakefield examines the dark truth behind the Pelicot case in France (13:32); Anthony Sattin reviews Daybreak in Gaza: Stories of Palestinian Lives and Cultures (19:54); and Toby Young reveals the truth behind a coincidental dinner with Fraser Nelson and new Spectator editor Michael Gove (25:40).    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Israel has launched what it has described as "limited, localised and targeted ground raids" in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s deputy leader says they’re ready for a ground offensive. It comes as more than 1000 people have been killed in the past two weeks in Lebanon. Could they be heading for all-out war? Is it possible that Iran and the US will be sucked into the conflict too? With tensions between Israel and the US on the rise, what will the next few weeks look like – and is there a chance Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah open the way to strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities? Professor John Mearsheimer joins The Spectator’s deputy editor and Americano host Freddy Gray to discuss what’s next for Israel, and the geopolitical implications. This episode is also available to watch on Spectator TV. 

This week: Israel’s revenge and Iran’s humiliation. As the anniversary of the October 7th attacks by Hamas approaches, the crisis in the Middle East has only widened. Israel has sent troops into southern Lebanon and there have been attempted missile strikes from the Houthi rebels in Yemen and from Iran. Is there any way the situation can de-escalate? And how could Israel respond to Iran? Former BBC foreign correspondent Paul Wood and defence and security research Dr Limor Simhony join the podcast (1:03). Next: it’s the end of an era for The Spectator. This issue is Fraser Nelson’s last as he hands over the reins to Michael Gove. Having spent 15 years as editor, with 784  issues to his name, what are his reflections on his time here at 22 Old Queen Street? You can also hear an extract from Toby Young’s column, where he reveals a  coincidental dinner that took place last week (13:25). And finally: should we mourn the demise of the physical invitation? Yes, says Philip Womack in his Notes on in the magazine this week, as he declares ‘bring back the stiffy!’. They’re a ritual, a pleasure, a memento that will be most missed. Philip joined the podcast to ponder their decline, alongside our Dear Mary columnist Mary Killen (29:00). Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Malcolm Gladwell. Twenty-five years after he published The Tipping Point, Malcolm returns to the subject of his first book in Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders and the Rise of Social Engineering. He tells me about the 'magic third', why it's not just Covid that gave us superspreaders, and how what he calls an 'overstory' can have dramatic effects on human behaviour. He talks, too, about why counterintuitive discoveries are easy to find, and why we're all wrong about everything all the time.

The mood at Conservative conference has been surprisingly jubilant considering the turmoil that the party finds itself in. Labour's misfortunes may have contributed to this, but there seems to be a genuine optimism around the four candidates vying for the leadership of the party. What's the latest? Have Kemi Badenoch's comments on maternity pay impacted her position with the members?  Also on the podcast, this evening will see the Vance vs Walz vice presidential debate. They go head to head in an increasingly tight election. What does Trump vs Harris say about the state of American politics? And can any of these candidates – on either side of the pond – expect to be fighting future elections for their parties?  The Spectator's Fraser Nelson speaks to Katy Balls, Kate Andrews and Sarah Elliott from Republicans Overseas UK. 

America has a peculiar way of deciding national elections. Instead of a cumulative national vote, the president and vice president are determined by fifty separate state elections. The top ticket in each state (except Nebraska and Maine) receives all that state’s electoral votes, no matter how slim the margin of victory. Each state’s electoral votes are equal to its number of House members plus its senators. The winner needs 270 electoral votes. What if, in this razor-thin election, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris fall one vote short? Freddy Gray is joined by Charles Lipson, contributor to The Spectator and political scientist,  to answer that question. You can read the rest of his piece here. Join Freddy Gray a special live recording of Americano on Thursday 24 October. You can buy tickets at www.spectator.co.uk/electionspecial. 

** On October 19, Cindy Yu and a panel of special guests will be recording a live Chinese Whispers at London's Battle of Ideas festival, talking the latest on China’s economic slowdown and asking – what are the social and political implications? Is China in decline? Chinese Whispers listeners can get a 20 per cent discount on the ticket price with the code WHISPERS24. Click here to find out more and get your ticket. ** The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 brought home the sheer potential of artificial intelligence and the speed with which developments are being made. It made AI the hot topic from business to politics and, yes, journalism.  This was true in China too, despite the fact that ChatGPT has never been allowed to be used within Chinese borders. Instead, China has a rich landscape of homegrown AI products, where progress is being led by tech giants like search engine Baidu and TikTok’s owner, ByteDance. So already we are seeing a bifurcation in the AI worlds of China and the West – just like with social media and e-commerce. This episode will peek over the Great Firewall to update listeners on China’s progress on AI. The country is fast becoming an AI superpower even as it limits the freedoms its generative models can have and keeps out some of the world’s leading companies. Could this be the next arms race? Cindy Yu is joined by the researcher Matt Sheehan, fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a long time watcher of China’s tech scene.

Freddy Gray is joined by Oliver Bateman, historian and journalist based in Pittsburgh. They discuss how important Pennsylvania will be during the election, the mail-in ballot system, and the state of the race. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Rachel Johnson reads her diary for the week (1:19); James Heale analyses the true value of Labour peer Lord Alli (6:58); Paul Wood questions if Israel is trying to drag America into a war with Iran (11:59); Rowan Pelling reviews Want: Sexual Fantasies, collated by Gillian Anderson (19:47); and Graeme Thomson explores the ethics of the posthumous publication of new music (28:00).    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Labour’s Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson returns to Women With Balls in a special live edition of the podcast, recorded at Labour Party conference. The MP for Houghton and Sunderland South since 2010, Phillipson joined Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet in 2020, and was appointed Shadow Education Secretary the following year. She retained her brief following the general election, and was also appointed Minister for Women and Equalities. Katy talks to Bridget about her priorities for Education, what she thinks about the idea that too many people go to university, and the recovery of schools and pupils post-pandemic.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

This week: who’s on top in the Conservative leadership race? That’s the question Katy Balls asks in the magazine this week as she looks ahead to the Conservative Party conference. Each Tory hopeful will be pitching for the support of MPs and the party faithful ahead of the next round of voting. Who’s got the most to lose, and could there be some sneaky tactics behind the scenes? Katy joins the podcast to discuss, alongside Conservative peer Ruth Porter, who ran Liz Truss’s leadership campaign in 2022. We also include an excerpt from the hustings that Katy conducted with each of the candidates earlier this week. You can find the full interviews on The Spectator’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SpectatorTV (02:07) Next: should trail hunting be banned? Flora Watkins concedes that the hunting community has not helped its case over the years when considering the future of the sport. However, she argues that a minority should not spoil a sport that is ‘thrilling, sociable and bloodless’. In a heated discussion, Flora joins the podcast to make her case with campaigner Dominic Dyer. (17:43) And finally: what to make of Sally Rooney’s new novel Intermezzo? In the magazine this week Claire Lowdon argues that the novel is an ‘enjoyable old-fashioned love story… but high literature it is not’. Why? Reviewing the book for the Times James Marriott argues Rooney’s characters are ‘sensitive’ but also too ‘precious and prissy’. How warranted is the criticism of Rooney? Claire and James join the pod. (31:50)   Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is Alan Garner whose new book of essays and poems is called Powsels and Thrums: A Tapestry of a Creative Life. Alan tells me about landscape and writing, science and magic, the unbearably spooky story behind his novel Thursbitch – and why, three weeks short of 90, he has no plans to retire. This podcast is in association with Serious Readers. Use offer code 'TBC' for £100 off any HD Light and free UK delivery. Go to: www.seriousreaders.com/spectator

Charlie Bigham founded his eponymous ready to cook meals over 25 years ago. Having left a career as a management consultant, his company has gone on to report annual sales in the tens of millions, with a focus on ‘creating delicious dishes for people who love proper food’. His first cookbook ‘Supper with Charlie Bigham’ is out now.    On the podcast, Charlie tells hosts Lara Prendergast and Olivia Potts about recovering from ‘revolting’ school food, the difference between packaged meals and ready meals, and how he views cooking as alchemy. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

A handful of Big Tech companies seem to run our lives, and there's a good argument that they can be considered monopolies within their industries. In a landmark ruling recently, a US judge found that Google acted illegally with their exercise of monopoly power within the online search industry. On this episode, Freddy is joined by Barry Lynn, journalist and an expert on America's antitrust battles, to discuss how liberal societies can combat the power of monopolistic Big Tech.

In the winter of 1951 shots from a Colt revolver rang out in St Paul’s Cathedral in an experiment designed to solve the mystery of how architecture shapes sound. In this episode of Holy Smoke, Damian Thompson talks to Dr Fiona Smyth, author of a new book on the subject, and choral musician Philip Fryer, about the perfect acoustic – an increasingly important topic for churches, since many of them rely on the income from hiring themselves out as concert and recording venues. And it raises the question: should we think of a church as a musical instrument? 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: as Lebanon reels from the exploding pagers, Paul Wood wonders what’s next for Israel and Hezbollah (1:24); Ross Clark examines Ireland’s low-tax project, following the news that they’re set to receive €13 billion… that they didn’t want (8:40); Reviewing Ben Macintyre’s new book, Andrew Lycett looks at the 1980 Iranian London embassy siege (15:29); Laura Gascoigne argues that Vincent Van Gogh would approve of the new exhibition of his works at the National Gallery (22:35); and Henry Jeffreys provides his notes on corkscrews (28:01).    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Channel 4's international editor Lindsey Hilsum. In her new book I Brought The War With Me: Stories and Poems from the Front Line Lindsey intersperses her account of the many conflicts she has covered as a war reporter with the poems that have given her consolation and a wider sense of meaning as she travels through the dark places of the earth. She tells me what poets can do that reporters can't, how you put a human face on statistics, how new technology has changed her trade, and why she goes back and back into danger to bear witness.

This week: Nigel’s next target. What’s Reform UK’s plan to take on Labour? Reform UK surpassed expectations at the general election to win 5 MPs. This includes James McMurdock, who Katy interviews for the magazine this week, who only decided to stand at the last moment. How much threat could Reform pose and why has Farage done so well? Katy joins the podcast to discuss, alongside Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, who fought Nigel Farage as the Labour candidate for Clacton (1:02). Next: who determines the morality of euthanasia? Matthew Hall recounts the experience of his aunt opting for the procedure in Canada, saying it ‘horrified’ him but ‘was also chillingly seductive’. Does Canada provide the model for the rest of the world? Or should we all be worried of where this could lead? Matthew joined the podcast, alongside commentator Richard Hanania. Hanania is president of the Centre for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology and has hailed the Canadian model as ‘moral progress’ (19:52). And finally: why isn’t China a football superpower? Ian Williams joins the podcast to discuss his article exploring the failure of President Xi to realise his ambitions for Chinese football. Despite spending billions of yuan, why hasn’t China been more successful? Cameron Wilson, founding editor of Wild East Football, the world’s leading English-language news source on soccer in China joins too (35:44). Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

We have some new inflation figures today. Inflation rose 2.2 per cent in the 12 months to August. This is pretty much in line with the Bank of England's target and should be good news for Labour, so why do they persist with this doom and gloom narrative?  Elsewhere, Labour's awkward week has got more awkward with the news that Sue Gray, Keir Starmer's chief of staff, is paid more than him. Surely they could have seen this news story coming?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Kate Andrews and James Heale. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

As if there hadn’t been enough drama in America in 2024, Donald Trump has survived another assassination attempt. The attempted killing of the 45th president at his golf course in Palm Beach, Florida yesterday afternoon was not nearly as threatening or deadly as the shooting nine weeks ago in Butler, Pennsylvania - but questions remain about how the incident could have happened.  Freddy Gray is joined by Kate Andrews to discuss the second assassination attempt, the state of the race, and what's next for Donald Trump. 

As a child, the New York Times journalist Edward Wong had no idea that his father had been in the People’s Liberation Army. But as he grew up, a second generation immigrant in the United States, Edward was hungry to find out more about his father and mother’s pasts in the People’s Republic of China. That hunger took him to study China at university and eventually to become the New York Times’s Beijing bureau chief. Edward’s new book, At the Edge of Empire, is a marvellously constructed work that traces his father’s journey through China as a soldier in the PLA, and his own reporting in China as an American journalist. It reveals how China has changed between the lives of father and son, but also how some aspects – such as the nature of political power – have not changed at all.  On this episode, Cindy Yu talks to Edward about the yearning of second-generation immigrants to understand their roots, why both China and America can be seen as empires, and the seventy years of change that the lives of father and son span.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Fraser Nelson reflects on a historic week for The Spectator (1:15); David Whitehouse examines the toughest problem in mathematics (6:33); Imogen Yates reports on the booming health tech industry (13:54); Sean McGlynn reviews Dan Jones’s book Henry V: the astonishing rise of England’s greatest warrior king (20:24); and Ruari Clark provides his notes on rollies (26:18).    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

From working on the 1997 general election campaign, to serving in the shadow cabinets of three leaders, politician Lucy Powell has been a prominent figure in the Labour Party for many years. First elected to parliament in 2012, she was appointed Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council following Labour's general election win in July. As Women With Balls returns from a summer break, Katy Balls talks to Lucy about why she transferred out of Oxford University, what her motivations were for serving under Jeremy Corbyn, and why the 2024 general election felt like Glastonbury festival. Lucy also talks about her focus for the newly formed Modernisation Committee.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

This week: The US election is back on a knife-edge. Republicans hoped this week’s debate would expose Kamala Harris’s weaknesses. ‘They forgot that, when it comes to one-on-one intellectual sparring matches with candidates who aren’t senile, Donald Trump is very bad indeed,’ writes Freddy Gray. ‘A skilled politician would have been able to unpick Harris’s act, but Trump could not.’ Harris is enigmatic to the point of absurdity, but Trump failed to pin her down and may well have squandered his narrow lead. To discuss further, Freddy joined the podcast alongside Amber Duke, Washington editor at Spectator World. (02:05) Next: Lara and Will take us through some of their favourite pieces from this week, including Fraser Nelson’s diary on the sale of The Spectator Magazine to Sir Paul Marshall. Then: how to catch a paedophile. London Overwatch, a paedophile hunting group, pose as children online to snare unsuspecting sexual predators. They then confront the suspect and livestream the arrest to thousands of viewers. The Spectator’s Max Jeffery went along to see them catch a man who believes he has been speaking to a 14-year-old girl. Max was joined on the podcast by Nick, who runs London Overwatch. (18:34) And finally: is it ethical to pocket a sandwich at a hotel breakfast buffet? Laurie Graham explores the ethics of plundering the hotel buffet in the magazine this week. Specifically, she reveals the very British habit that many Brits swipe food from their free breakfasts to save for lunch later in the day. Laurie joined us alongside Mark Jenkins, a former hotel manager in Torquay who listeners may remember from the Channel 4 documentary ‘The Hotel’ (27:51) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast my guest is the satirist Craig Brown, talking about his brilliant new book A Voyage Round The Queen. Craig tells me what made him think there was something new to say about Elizabeth II, how he found himself in possession of the only scoop of his career and about his mortifying encounter with Her Maj. 

The Spectator's chairman Andrew Neil and journalist Piers Morgan join Freddy Gray, host of the Americano show, to analyse the presidential race so far. Piers reveals what Donald Trump told him after he was shot, and they both give their predictions on whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will win their first debate. 

Musician Simon Raymonde is perhaps best known as part of the Scottish band the Cocteau Twins, but he has found further success as the co-founder of Bella Union Records. Bella Union produce music by Father John Misty, the Fleet Foxes, and Beach House, amongst others. His memoir In One Ear: Cocteau Twins, Ivor Raymonde and Me is released on the 12 September 2024. On this episode of Table Talk, Simon tells Olivia Potts and Lara Prendergast about the influence of Jewish food as he was growing up, life on tour, how he spends his time in his new home of Brighton, and his love of the restaurant chain Dishoom.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

Freddy Gray is joined by Bridget Phetasy, comedian and Spectator World columnist. They discuss whether everyone is suffering a bit of election, and Trump fatigue - including Trump himself. They also cover Putin trolling America, and Bridget gives her predictions for the upcoming presidential debate.

In this week’s copy of The Spectator, Dan Hitchens argues that a lesser reported aspect of Labour’s decision to impose VAT on private schools is who it could hit hardest: faith schools. Hundreds of independent religious schools charge modest, means-tested fees. Could a hike in costs make these schools unviable? And, with uncertainty about how ideological a decision this is, does the government even care? Dan joins Damian on the podcast to discuss.  Raisel Freedman from the Partnerships for Jewish Schools also joins later, to discuss how the measure could threaten Jewish independent schools, when they provide a haven for students from a climate of rising antisemitism. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Ian Thomson reflects on his childhood home following the death of his sister (1:20); Andrew Watts argues that the public see MPs as accountable for everything though they’re responsible for little (7:40); Sam Leith reveals the surprising problem of poetical copyright (13:47); Helen Barrett reviews Will Noble’s book Croydonopolis and explores the reputation of a place with unfulfilled potential (19:48); and, Catriona Olding ponders moving on from loss to love (26:09).    Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Labor Day is a critical mile-marker on the road to the general election, now just two months away. Pollsters are busy processing data and making predictions, but nobody really knows whether America will end up with Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in the White House. Nate Silver is one of America's most well-respected pollsters. The former poker player set up FiveThirtyEight, a polling company and now writes the Silver Bullet on Substack. Nate Silver's latest book On the Edge: the Art of Risking Everything takes a look at two mindsets: the River and the Village.  Nate joins Freddy Gray on the Americano show to discuss probability in sport and politics, how luck is often undervalued in politics, whether VP picks are an key decision in general elections and why J.D. Vance may be a bad choice for Trump.

This week: Miliband’s empty energy promises. Ed Miliband has written a public letter confirming that Labour plans to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030. The problem with this, though, is that he doesn’t have the first idea about how to do it. The grid doesn’t have the capacity to transmit the required energy, Ross Clark writes, and Miliband’s claim that wind is ‘nine times cheaper’ than fossil fuels is based upon false assumptions. What is more, disclosed plans about ‘GB Energy’ reveal that Miliband’s pet project isn’t really a company at all – but an investment scheme. This empty vessel will funnel taxpayer money into the hands of private companies rather than produce any energy itself. To discuss, Lara and Will were joined by Shaun Spiers, executive director of the Green Alliance and Stanley Johnson, former MEP, environmental campaigner and author of the new book In the footsteps of Marco Polo deals extensively on China’s energy problems and opportunities. (02:26) Then: Lara and Will take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including the lead book review and Catriona Olding’s Still Life column. Next: meet Nigel Farage’s millionaire Reform chairman. The Reform party has a new poster boy, the 37-year-old party Chairman Zia Yusuf. Self-dubbed a ‘British Muslim patriot’, Yusuf is a former Goldman Sachs partner and tech owner with an expensive taste for cars. He is tasked with transforming Farage’s outfit from a limited company into a proper party. You can read James Heale’s full interview with Yusuf in this week’s magazine, but they have kindly allowed us to hear a section of their discussion on the podcast. They talk about the Nigel Farage effect and Lee Anderson’s comments about Sadiq Khan. (18:34) And finally: should we feel sorry for restaurant critics? Angus Colwell, The Spectator’s assistant online editor, writes about the plight of the restaurant critic and the stresses of doing what many would consider the best job in the world. To discuss further, Angus joined us alongside the Observer’s restaurant critic Jay Rayner, whose new book Nights Out, At Home celebrates his 25 years as a food critic and is available to buy now. (29:41)  Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the writer, artist and historian Amy Jeffs. Her new book Saints: A New Legendary of Heroes, Humans and Magic aims to recover and bring back to life the wild and fascinating world of medieval saints. She tells me what we lost with the Reformation (all the good swearing, among much else), what was the difference between magic and a miracle, and how what washes up on the Thames foreshore can give us the entry point to a whole vanished imaginarium. 

In a CNN interview, Kamala Harris has been pressed on why her policies on immigration have become more moderate since 2019, when she ran for president. Republicans have been accusing her of flip-flopping on her border wall policy. In this episode, Matt McDonald, managing editor of The Spectator's US edition, fills in for Freddy whilst he's on holiday. Matt speaks to Todd Bensman, journalist, author, and fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies.

The South China Sea has been an area of regular clashes and heightened tensions under the leadership of Xi Jinping. It seems that, every few months, Chinese naval or coastguard ships clash or almost clash with vessels from South East Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines. Only last week, a Chinese ship clashed with the Filipino coast guard in the Spratly Islands, with both sides levelling angry accusations at each other. The region is full of disputed claims, making it fertile waters for accidental escalation. China says its claims to the region – encompassed by the ‘nine-dash line’ – are historic; that island sets such as the Spratlys and the Paracels in the South China Sea are as integral to the Chinese empire as Hong Kong or Taiwan. How sound is that claim? This episode will be digging into the origins of the nine-dash line (roughly pictured here) – and finds them not so much in ancient imperial days. The chaotic formation of China’s claims in the South China Sea is researched and detailed in Bill Hayton’s book, The Invention of China. To hear more about Bill's book, tune in to our previous episode: What is it to be Chinese?

Writer Guy Stagg threw in his job to undertake a pilgrimage to Jerusalem via Rome - choosing a hazardous medieval route across the Alps. It nearly killed him: at one stage, trying to cross a broken bridge in Switzerland, he ended up partially submerged in the water, held up only by his rucksack.  On this episode of Holy Smoke, from the archives, Guy explains why his journey was a pilgrimage, not just travels. And Damian Thompson talks to Harry Mount, editor of The Oldie, about why he’s irresistibly drawn to church buildings while remaining an unbeliever - albeit an agnostic rather than an atheist.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Joan Collins reads an extract from her diary (1:15); Owen Matthews argues that Russia and China’s relationship is just a marriage of convenience (3:19); reviewing The White Ladder: Triumph and Tragedy at the Dawn of Mountaineering by Daniel Light, Sara Wheeler examines the epic history of the sport (13:52); Igor Toronyi-Lalic looks at the life, cinema, and many drinks, of Marguerite Duras (21:35); and Tanya Gold provides her notes on tasting menus (26:07).    Presented and produced by Patrick Gibbons.  

Women With Balls has taken a summer break and will be back in September with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with Dame Karen Pierce, who will shortly complete her term as British Ambassador to the United States. Filmed in 2019, when Dame Karen was the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, she talks to Katy Balls about her career ambitions when she was young, using Lewis Carroll to combat the Russians, and what day to day life is like at the UN.

This week: Alt reich. The Spectator’s Lisa Haseldine asks if Germany’s far right is about to go mainstream, ahead of regional elections this weekend. Lisa joined the podcast, alongside the historian Katja Hoyer, to discuss why the AfD are polling so well in parts of Germany, and how comparable this is to other trends across Europe (1:13). Then: why are traditional hobbies being threatened in Britain? Writer Richard Bratby joins the podcast, alongside Chris Bradbury, the drone support officer at the BMFA, to discuss his article in the magazine this week about the challenge red-tape poses to model steam engine and aeroplane enthusiasts (18:47). And finally: how has sound design changed the world of theatre? The Spectator's chief dance critic Rupert Christiansen argues in the magazine this week that amplified sound has become the default, to the detriment of traditional theatre, and he joins the podcast to discuss (30:15). The director Yael Farber also joins to explain why she sees sound design as the primary sensory experience within theatre (37:55).    Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

The Book Club has taken a short summer break and will return in September. Until then, and ahead of the 85th anniversary of the start of World War Two, here’s an episode from the archives with the author Ian Sansom.  Recorded ahead of the 80th anniversary in 2019, Sam Leith talks to Ian about September 1, 1939, the W.H. Auden poem that marked the beginning of the war. Ian’s book is a 'biography' of the poem; they discuss how it showcases all that is best and worst in Auden’s work, how Auden first rewrote and then disowned it, and how Auden’s posthumous reputation has had some unlikely boosters in Richard Curtis and Osama Bin Laden. 

Will Beckett, CEO of Hawksmoor, founded the steakhouse chain with his childhood best friend Huw Gott in 2006. It has since expanded to 13 locations, including three outside the UK, and consistently been ranked one of the best steak restaurants in the world. On the podcast, Will tells Olivia Potts and Lara Prendergast about his journey from working in a bar to breaking America, how farming is the key to a good steak, and why pasta is actually his favourite food. 

Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy Gray to discuss the wars in Ukraine and in Gaza, and the influence of both on the US election. The Israel-Gaza conflict has led to internal divisions within the democratic party, how will Kamala Harris deal with this? And as the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ebbing, what does he see as the west’s role in the war?  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: William Cash reveals the dark side of Hollywood assistants (1:12); Marcus Nevitt reviews Ronald Hutton’s new book on Oliver Cromwell (7:57); Nina Power visits the Museum of Neoliberalism (13:51); Christopher Howse proves his notes on matchboxes (21:35); and, Olivia Potts finds positives in Americans’ maximalist attitudes towards salad (26:15).    Presented and produced by Patrick Gibbons.  

The Americano podcast has been in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention, as Kamala Harris is officially nominated to be their presidential candidate. Has the convention gone to plan? How united are the Democrats? And can their strategy sustain until November? In this compilation episode, Freddy Gray is joined by Labour MPs Lucy Rigby and Mike Tapp, Democratic operative and fundraiser Christopher Hale, editor at large of The Spectator World Ben Domenech, editor in chief of Mediate Aidan McLaughlin and Washington editor of Harper's magazine Andrew Cockburn. For the full episodes, search for Americano or head to the Americano channel on our website. Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons.

This week: All hail Harris! As the Democratic National Convention approaches its climax, The Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray explores vice president Kamala Harris’s remarkable rise to the top of the democratic ticket in his cover article this week. Freddy joins the podcast from Chicago (1:30).   Next: live from the DNC. Freddy and Natasha Feroze, The Spectator’s deputy broadcast editor, have been out and about at the convention talking to delegates – and detractors – of the Democratic Party. What do these Americans think? And does Kamala Harris have ‘good vibes’? (7:56). Then: should misogyny really be classified under anti-terrorism laws? In the magazine this week The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews argues that the measure would do little to solve the fundamental problem. And how would ‘extreme misogyny’ be defined anyway? Kate and author Helen Joyce joined us to discuss their concerns (19:04). And finally: why does chess attract so many cheats? In the magazine this week The Spectator’s chess columnist, and grandmaster, Luke McShane examines the history of high-profile scandals in cheating. Why do some players stoop so low? Professor Ken Regan, an expert and investigator in anti-cheating in chess, and psychologist Professor Sam Sommers, join the podcast (30:34).    Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.   Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

The Book Club has taken a short summer break and will return in September with new episodes. Until then, here’s an episode from the archives with the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli. Carlo joined Sam in March 2023 to discuss his book Anaximander and the Nature of Science and explain how a radical thinker two and a half centuries ago was the first human to intuit that the earth is floating in space. He tells Sam how Anaximander’s way of thinking still informs the work of scientists everywhere, how politics shapes scientific progress and how we can navigate the twin threats of religious dogma and postmodern relativism in search of truth. 

Douglas Murray joins Freddy Gray on the Americano podcast to discuss free speech in Britain following the sentences handed down after the riots, how different free speech is in America, and how Douglas himself became a victim of online hate. 

Trump is tough on China, but what really motivates his hawkishness? Does he care at all about China's human rights abuses? Or is he fundamentally a foreign policy disentangler, hoping to rein back America's overseas commitments? How much does the China policy of a second Trump presidency depend on which advisors the president surrounds himself with? On this episode of Chinese Whispers, The Spectator's China podcast, assistant editor Cindy Yu talks to deputy editor Freddy Gray and Jordan McGillis, economics editor at the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. Produced by Cindy Yu and Patrick Gibbons.

Women with Balls has taken a summer break and will be back in September with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with current Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch MP. Widely seen as one of the Conservative Party’s rising stars upon her election to Parliament in 2017, her star has only continued to rise. Serving under successive PMs, this episode was recorded in May 2022 when she was Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities, and for Equalities. Now many consider her the frontrunner to be Tory leader.  On the podcast, Kemi talks about her childhood in Nigeria and the golden ticket that was her UK passport, hacking Harriet Harman and what it's like to be a 'rising star'. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Richard Madeley reads his diary for the week (1:01); Cindy Yu explores the growing trend for all things nostalgic in China (6:00); Lara Prendergast declares that bankers are hot again (11:26); Pen Vogler reviews Sally Coulthard’s book The Apple (17:18); and, James Delingpole argues that Joe Rogan is ‘as edgy as Banksy’ (23:24).    Presented by Patrick Gibbons.  

Freddy Gray sits down with journalist and Spectator author Ed West who writes the Substack Wrong Side of History and Richard Hanania who writes the Richard Hanania Newsletter to discuss Elon Musk's interview with Donald Trump on Twitter (X), how much influence Twitter has both in the UK and America, and whether the right-wing men are 'weird'.

This week: Power play. The Spectator’s Svitlana Morenets writes the cover article in this week’s magazine exploring Zelensky’s plan for his Russian conquests. What’s his aim? And how could Putin respond? Svitlana joins the podcast alongside historian and author Mark Galeotti (02:10).   Next: Will and Gus discuss their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Richard Madeley’s diary and Lara Prendergast’s argument that bankers are hot again.   Then: how concerned should we be about falling fertility rates? In the magazine this week Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde argues that the problem is already far more grave, and far more global, than we realise. Why should we worry about this, and what can be done to stem this? Jesus joined the podcast with filmmaker and demographer Stephen J. Shaw (16:56). And finally: why is nostalgia such a powerful emotion? The Spectator’s broadcast editor – and host of the Chinese Whispers podcast – Cindy Yu writes in the magazine about the ‘thriving industry’ of nostalgia in China. What’s behind this and, more generally, what drives humans to feel nostalgic? Cindy joined the podcast alongside historian and author Dr Agnes Arnold-Forster who argues that nostalgia doesn’t deserve its negative reputation (28:32).    Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter.    Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson. 

Sam's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Adam Higginbotham, whose new book Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space describes the 1986 space shuttle disaster that took the lives of seven astronauts and, arguably, inflicted America's greatest psychic scar since the assassination of JFK. He tells Sam about the extraordinary men and women who lost their lives that day, the astounding engineering involved in the spacecraft that America had started to take for granted, and the deep roots and long aftermath of the accident.   

Romy Gill is a British-Indian chef, food-writer and broadcaster who was awarded an MBE in 2016 for her services to hospitality. She is the author of three cookbooks including her newest, Romy Gill's India, which will be published on 12th September.  On the podcast, she tells Liv and Lara about the joys of long train journeys across India, the state of Indian cuisine in the UK and how you can make magic with just cumin and turmeric.  Photo credit: Sam Harris

This week: Gus Carter reports from Rotherham (01:10), Paul Wood asks whether anything can stop full-scale conflict in the Middle East (05:55), Jonathan Aitken takes us inside Nixon's resignation melodrama (16:55), Laura Gascoigne reviews Revealing Nature: The Art of Cedric Morris and Lett-Haines (26:08), and Flora Watkins reads her notes on ragwort (31:24).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week: The Spectator’s Gus Carter was in Rotherham and Birmingham in the days after the riots. Locals tell Gus that ‘violent disorder isn’t acceptable but people from down south don’t know what it’s like up here’. A retired policeman in Birmingham adds that ‘it’s just yobs looking for an excuse – and yobbos come in all sorts of colours’. You can hear Gus’ report on the podcast. (02:25) Next: Gus and Lara take us through some of their favourite pieces in the magazine, including Flora Watkins’ notes on ragwort and Isabel Hardman’s review of Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water. Then: In the magazine this week Edmund West writes about how he learned to embrace his autism and the ways in which technology is making it increasingly easy for people with autism to go about their daily lives. Edmund was diagnosed with autism when he was 26 and now is a freelance journalist and a tutor and carer to kids with autism. He joins the podcast to discuss. (12:07) And finally: what’s your favourite children’s character? We ran a poll this week asking regular contributors about their favourite children's books characters and you can read responses from Rory Sutherland’s love of Dr Seuss or the affinity Peter Hitchens feels with Badger from The Wind in the Willows. To accompany our poll, Mary Wakefield writes about how the characters we read about as a child embed themselves within us, and inform the way we think as adults. She says that it’s a shame that so few children are reading nowadays. Mary joins the podcast alongside author and regular contributor to The Spectator’s books pages, Philip Hensher to investigate the decline in childhood reading. (18:36)  Hosted by Lara Prendergast and Gus Carter.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Nathan Thrall, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book A Day In The Life of Abed Salama – which uses the story of a terrible bus crash in the West Bank to describe in ground-up detail the day-to-day lives of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Speaking to me from Jerusalem, Nathan tells me why he believes it's right to call Israel an 'apartheid state', how the bureaucracy of the Occupied Territories made the fatal crash 'an accident that wasn't an accident'; and what he thinks needs to change to bring hope of an end to the conflict. 

The Chinese middle class can now be very discerning about the food that they eat, and who can blame them? In the last twenty years, there seems to have been a steady stream of food safety and hygiene scandals – most infamously melamine-laced milk powder in 2008, which poisoned tens of thousands of babies. Since then, we’ve heard about pesticides being put into steamed buns to improve their texture, used cooking oil being retrieved from gutters to be reused, and lamb meat that might contain rat or fox. The latest scandal, breaking over the last couple of months, is that of fuel tankers being used to carry cooking oil without the tankers being cleaned in between.  So what gives? Are these scandals a particularly Chinese phenomenon? Why hasn’t government regulation or punishment worked? And how does this impact political credibility in the eyes of the middle class? Cindy Yu is joined by two brilliant guests to discuss all of these questions and more. Dali Yang is a political scientist and sinologist at the University of Chicago, whose research has focused on Chinese regulations when it comes to food and medicine. His latest book is Wuhan: How the Covid-19 Outbreak in China Spiralled Out of Control. James Palmer is deputy editor at Foreign Policy and author of numerous books on China. He worked for years as a journalist inside China. For further listening, check out the Chinese Whispers episode on the gig economy – another huge labour rights issue in the country today: Algorithms and lockdowns: how China’s gig economy works.

In the short time since Joe Biden has stepped aside for Kamala Harris's candidacy, the Democratic party has totally switched on the gears for 'Kamalamania'. On this episode, Freddy Gray talks to Kate Andrews about the disingenuousness of the hype, how social media drives it (and in particular, TikTok), and whether the enthusiasm for Kamala really has or will cut through to voters. Produced by Natasha Feroze and Cindy Yu.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale interviews Woody Johnson, the former American Ambassador to the UK, about a possible second Trump term (1:19); Lara Prendergast reflects on the issue of smartphones for children and what lessons we could learn from Keir Starmer’s approach to privacy (6:35); reviewing Patrick Bishop’s book ‘Paris ’44: The Shame and the Glory’, Patrick Marnham argues the liberation of Paris was hard won (12:37); Laura Gascoigne examines Ukraine’s avant garde movement in light of the Russian invasion (20:34); and, Michael Simmons provides his notes on venn diagrams (28:33).    Presented by Patrick Gibbons.  

Women with Balls will be back in the Autumn with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves.  On the podcast, she talks to Katy about being a teen chess champion (pictured playing), going to a school where her mum worked and what Labour needed to do to turn its losing streak.

This week: Keir Starmer’s plan to soften Brexit Katy Balls writes this week’s cover piece on Labour’s plans to establish close ties with the EU. Every member of Starmer’s cabinet voted Remain, and the government is trying to ‘reset EU relations through a charm offensive’. Brussels figures are hopeful: ‘There was no real goodwill for the Conservative government.’ There are tests coming: the first deal, Katy writes, could be harmonisation on veterinary standards. But will the UK have to abide by the European Court of Justice? Then there’s the issue of Chinese electric cars: will Starmer accept cheap imports, or follow the EU in raising tariffs on them? For now, EU officials see the new PM as ‘workman-like and not playing to the gallery’. How long will that last? Katy Balls is joined by Anand Menon, director of the think tank UK in a changing Europe. (02:03) Then: In The Spectator this week Jonathan Miller writes about his experiences at the Hampshire public school Bedales. The school’s alumni roster is impressive: royalty, celebrity, and several Spectator writers. But it has also courted controversy and criticism from some previous students. The novelist and writer Amanda Craig was one such former student, so highly critical of the school she authored a book ‘A Private Place’ detailing her experiences. Jonathan and Amanda join the podcast to discuss the cult of Bedales. (19:22)  And finally: is there really reason to believe aliens exist? In the magazine this week, the astronomer and science writer Dr David Whitehouse says if aliens do exist, why can nobody find any proof of them. Despite the evidence, or lack thereof, why does the belief in aliens endure? And how much can we really read into the disclosures in the US about UAPs - Unidentified Aerial Platforms? David joins the podcast to discuss his article alongside space journalist Jonathan O’Callaghan. (31:24)  Hosted by Gus Carter and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the writer and comedian David Baddiel, talking about his new book My Family: the Memoir. He talks about childhood trauma, what made him a comedian, and how describing in minute detail his mother’s decades long affair with a slightly crooked golfing memorabilia salesman is an act not of betrayal but of loving recuperation.

Fred Smith is Head of Beef at Flat Iron. Having trained at several of London's top restaurants, he later became Head of Food at Byron. He then joined the Flat Iron series of restaurants in 2017.  On the podcast, he tells Lara and Liv about how his love of steak developed, how he got into cooking, and what his comfort food is. His passion for the world-famous Angus breed is evident, but why is British steak so good?  Also, on the podcast Lara let's slip her son's first sentence - safe to say, it's food related...  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Damian Thompson argues that Papal succession plotting is a case of life mirroring art (1:26); Paola Romero reports on Venezuela’s mix of Evita and Thatcher, Maria Corina Machado, and her chances of bringing down Nicolas Maduro (11:39); reviewing Richard Overy’s book ‘Why war?’, Stuart Jeffries reflects that war has as long a future as it has a past (17:38); Ysenda Maxtone Graham provides her notes on party bags (24:30); and, Nicholas Farrell ponders on the challenges of familial split-loyalties when watching the football in Italy (27:25).  Presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Freddy Gray is joined by political consultant Alex Castellanos to discuss the candidacy of Kamala Harris as the Democrats' nominee for President and why, at this moment, she is the biggest threat to Donald Trump – but how long will that last? This was originally recorded for Spectator TV.  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons.

This week: Kamala takes charge. Our cover piece discusses the rise of Kamala Harris, who has only one man standing in her way to the most powerful position in the world. Her's is certainly an unexpected ascent, given Harris’ generally poor public-speaking performances and mixed bag of radical left and right-wing politics. Does she really have what it takes to defeat Trump? Kate Andrews, author of the piece and economics editor at The Spectator, joins the podcast with deputy editor Freddy Gray to discuss. (02:34) Next: Will and Lara go through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine including Damian Thompson's article on how the upcoming Hollywood film Conclave may be mirroring real-life events at the Vatican. Then: Olympics on steroids. 2025 will see the debut of the first ever ‘Enhanced Games’, with athletes competing on performance-enhancing drugs. The event will be livestreamed across the world and, while the roster of athletes is being kept under wraps for now, Australian former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has confirmed he will be competing. Creator of the games Aron D’Souza joins the podcast to discuss his upcoming business endeavour. (26:04) Finally: why did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believe in fairies? Robert Gore Langton writes in the magazine this week about a new Edinburgh Fringe play focussing on Conan Doyle’s role in the Cottingley fairy hoax. Was it grief for his late son, or his father's alcoholism that prompted Conan Doyle’s spiritualism? Playwright Fiona Maher and Robert joined the podcast to discuss. (33:49) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

Sam Leith's guest on this week's Book Club is the writer and film director Neil Jordan, who joins the podcast to discuss his new book Amnesiac: A Memoir. He talks, among other things, about writing for the page and the screen, the uses of myth, putting words into the mouths of historical figures, seeing ghosts in aeroplanes, being ripped off by Harvey Weinstein, and failing to persuade Marlon Brando to play King Lear. 

‘Swifties’, as Taylor Swift’s fans are known across the world, are extremely dedicated to the cause, and often estimated to drive up local economies wherever they flock, and Chinese fans are no different. Swift didn’t perform in China on the latest global tour, but that didn’t stop more wealthy fans flying to Singapore to see her; or the less wealthy, going to cinemas in China to watch the Taylor Swift Eras Tour documentary – which has broken box office records in China. So how popular is American, and western, pop music in China in general? Is it considered mainstream, or something a bit more indie compared to Chinese pop? Is the language barrier a problem, or censorship? On this episode Cindy Yu is joined by two people very much in the know. Alex Taggart is Head of International at the music management company Outdustry, who has previously worked as a DJ and a Nightlife columnist in China. Jocelle Koh also works in the music industry and founded the media platform Asian Pop Weekly. The conversation spans Chinese opera-style covers of Adele to explaining how an American missile system brought down K-Pop in China... They also mention a range of their favourite viral videos featuring western pop in China. Links here: Vlogger Lorelei in Singapore Countryside Nicki Minaj 'Low low low your boat' Last Emperor Puyi dancing to Harry Styles Chinese opera Adele

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Kate Andrews argues vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance is more MAGA than Trump (1:27); Adam Frank explains how super-earths could help us understand what life might look like on another planet (5:15); David Hempleman-Adams recounts his attempt to cross the Atlantic on a hydrogen ballon (14:31); from Ukraine, Svitlana Morenets reports on the battle to save Kharkiv (20:44); and, Michael Beloff takes us on a history of the Olympics (30:12).    Presented by Patrick Gibbons.  

In this week's Holy Smoke episode Damian Thompson welcomes back Eduard Habsburg, Hungary's Ambassador to the Holy See and also, to give him his family title, Archduke Eduard of Austria. Last year he published The Habsburg Way: 7 Rules for Turbulent Times, which offered advice on how to live a good life based on the panoramic history of his dynasty.  One reason it was such a success is that Eduard has a cult following on X, formerly Twitter, made up of people who initially followed him because he's a Habsburg but stayed to absorb his spiritual wisdom and good cheer. In this episode, with Damian speaking as someone who frequently gets drawn into (or starts) catfights on that platform (his words!), he asks if Eduard has any advice for struggling social media sociopaths. And he does. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

This week: bulletproof Trump. The failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump means that his supporters, more than ever, view him as America’s Chosen One. Joe Biden’s candidacy has been falling apart since his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate last month. Trump is now ahead in the polls in all the battleground states. The whispers in Washington are that the Democrats are already giving up on stopping a second Trump term – and eyeing up the presidential election of 2028 instead. Freddy Gray, deputy editor at The Spectator, and Amber Duke, Washington editor at Spectator World, join the podcast to discuss. (02:45) Next: meeting the mega MAGA fans. The Spectator’s political correspondent James Heale reports from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the Republican National Convention is under way. ‘Brash, flash and full of flair,’ reports James, as he meets Donald Trump supporters who are, he says, wearing their MAGA politics with pride. Border control is a common complaint, while other Trumpists hope his near-death experience will see him embrace his faith. James has kindly shared with us a couple of the interviews that informed his piece in the magazine. (14:43) Then: Will and Lara take us through some of their favourite pieces in the magazine this week, including Sir David Hempleman-Adams’ notebook and Gus Carter’s scoop on Reform's ‘Wimpy’ voters.  And finally: how techno-optimism became fashionable. Max Jeffery writes in the magazine this week about the ‘New Solutions’, a trio of new ideologies that rich tech savvy ‘geeks’ – as he calls them – have adopted in order to make the world a better place. These are: techno optimism, effective altruism and effective accelerationism. He joined us on the podcast to discuss, alongside Anders Sandberg, effective altruist and senior research fellow at the University of Oxford. (24:49) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.   Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Roger McGough, whose new The Collected Poems: 1959-2024 anthologises a poetic career 65 years long and counting. Roger tells me about revisiting his old work and making it new, why he's 'not being serious' about the future of Poetry Please, and how he narrowly missed being on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. 

Journalist Christopher Caldwell joins Freddy Gray to discuss Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance. Once 'never Trump', now a close ally of the former president; what's JD Vance's route into Trumpian politics? Freddy and Christopher also ask who is JD Vance, what's Hillbilly Elegy, and what's the strategy behind Donald Trump's choice?  

Freddy Gray is joined by writer Roger Kimball. With the dust beginning to settle from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, they look at how this could have happened, and what's gone wrong. They also take a look at how important Donald Trump's Vice President pick will be, and who might be in the running.

Former US President Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt while speaking at a Republican rally in Pennsylvania. Freddy Gray speaks to The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews about what we know so far, and where the Presidential campaign goes from here. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale analyses the state of the Conservative leadership race (1:09); Svitlana Morenets reports from the site of the Kyiv children’s hospital bombed this week (5:56); Philip Hensher examines the ‘Cool Queer Life’ of Thom Gunn (12:13); Francis Beckett reviews ‘The Assault on the State’ arguing in favour of bureaucracy (21:20); and, Rupert Christiansen reveals why he has fallen out of love with Wagner (27:05).    Presented by Patrick Gibbons.  

The Spectator’s Freddy Gray sits down with author and professor of politics Eric Kaufmann. They discuss the dangers of DEI, why Eric blames the bleeding heart liberals for the woke contagion and why it is possible much worst than originally thought. You can also watch this episode on SpectatorTV. 

This week: Keir’s reformation. A week on from Labour’s victory in the UK general election, our cover piece looks ahead to the urgent issues facing Keir Starmer. If he acts fast, he can take advantage of having both a large majority and a unified party. The NHS, prisons, planning… the list goes on. But what challenges could he face and how should he manage his party? The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls joins the podcast, alongside Lord Falconer, Labour peer and former cabinet minister under Tony Blair (2:53). Next: have smartphones revolutionised home working for women? Our very own Lara Prendergast writes in the magazine this week about the eclectic ways women are taking advantage of digital technology to make a living at home. What’s driving this trend? The Spectator columnist and ad guru Rory Sutherland joins the podcast (26:08). And finally: why did the Conservatives struggle so much with their digital messaging? The Spectator’s Mary Wakefield writes in the magazine this week about the emails and messages she was inundated with during the election, saying that at times they had ‘serial killer energy’. Political communicator Sean Topham, co-founder of the creative ad agency Topham Guerin, joins the podcast to try and make sense of the Tories campaign. (37:40).   Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.   Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Michael Nott, author of the new biography Thom Gunn: A Cool Queer Life. He tells me about the poet's early trauma, his transatlantic identity, his unconventional family and his compartmentalised life, part teaching and writing, part sex, drugs and rock and roll. 

The EU and US are turning up the pressure on Chinese made electric cars, as Cindy Yu discussed with her guest Finbarr Bermingham on the last episode.  This episode is a closer look at how China has come to dominate the global electric car market. Chinese EVs make up 60 per cent of worldwide sales, and a third of global exports. Its leading brand, BYD, now regularly gives Tesla a run for its money in terms of number of cars sold.  How much of a role do subsidies play, versus other factors like its control of rare earths or lower labour costs? Is there really an overcapacity issue that suggests a flooding of Chinese cars globally? On this episode, Cindy is joined by Zeyi Yang, China tech reporter at MIT Technology Review, who is an expert on the genealogy of China’s EV industry.

The war in Ukraine is only bogging America down, says Elbridge Colby, a former national security adviser to the Trump administration. On this episode of Americano, Colby tells host Freddy Gray why the US should – and likely will – reduce its support to Ukraine and Europe, to focus on the increasing threat China poses over Taiwan. Europe, he says, can pick up the slack on its own continent. Colby has been tipped to become Trump's national security adviser should he win in November this year. Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: after President Biden’s debate disaster, Freddy Gray profiles the one woman who could persuade him to step down, his wife Jill (1:05); Angus Colwell reports from Israel, where escalation of war seems a very real possibility (9:02); Matthew Parris attempts to reappraise the past 14 years of Conservative government (14:16); Flora Watkins reveals the reasons why canned gin and tonics are so popular (21:24); and, Rory Sutherland asks who could possibly make a better Bond villain than Elon Musk? (25:00).    Presented by Patrick Gibbons.  

Actress Sophie Winkleman was born in London, educated at Cambridge, and has appeared in television and film roles across both sides of the Atlantic. Perhaps best known for her roles as Big Suze in Peep Show and Zoey in Two and a Half Men, she is now patron to several children's charities.  On the episode, Katy Balls talks to Sophie about how she got into acting, whether she has ever dated a Jez or a Mark, and why she believes in the comfort of strangers. Sophie also talks about her campaign to reduce smart phone use and technology exposure for children, which you can read more about here.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons

This week: the reckoning. Our cover piece brings together the political turmoil facing the West this week: Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, and Joe Biden all face tough tests with their voters. But what’s driving this instability? The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews argues it is less to do with left and right, and more a problem of incumbency, but how did this situation arise? Kate joined the podcast to discuss her argument, alongside former Cambridge Professor, John Keiger, who writes in the magazine about the consequences that France’s election could have on geopolitics (2:32). Next: what role does faith play in politics? Senior editor at the religious journal First Things Dan Hitchens explores Keir Starmer’s atheism in the magazine this week, but to what extent does it matter? What impact could it have on his politics? As the UK has an established Church, what implications could there be for our constitution? Dan joined the podcast, along with Father Marcus Walker of Great St Bart’s, to discuss whether politicians can in fact ‘do god’ (17:45). And finally: how do we interpret sexuality within Shakespeare’s works? Author and professor of creative writing Philip Hensher reviews a new book by Will Tosh in the magazine this week, which examines same-sex attraction within his works. But what can they tell us about the environment at the time, and about the man himself? Philip joined us to discuss alongside Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford (28:34). Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson. Join The Spectator next week for a special live recording of Coffee House Shots  as Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews make sense of the UK’s election aftermath. Taking place on Thursday 11th July at 7pm in Westminster, tickets are £35, or £25 for subscribers. Book online at spectator.co.uk/shotslive

In her new book Cairn, the Scots poet Kathleen Jamie sets a capstone of sorts on her trilogy of short prose collections Findings, Surfacing and Sightlines. She joins Sam Leith on this week’s Book Club podcast to talk about why she hesitates to call herself a nature writer, how prose found her late in life, and why whale-watching isn’t what it used to be. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

Where to begin with Sir David! An English industrialist and explorer, he was the first person to complete the ‘Explorer’s Grand Slam’. This means he has completed both North and South Poles as well as traversing the seven highest peaks across the seven continents. He has received the Polar Medal twice, from Queen Elizabeth II and now King Charles, the first person to do so under two monarchs. This summer, he is attempting to cross the Atlantic by hydrogen balloon and break several more records in the meantime.  On the podcast he takes Lara and Liv through what he packs for an expedition, discusses the art of hydrogen ballooning, and explains why the best meal he has ever experienced is simple egg and chips. 

Damian Thompson: The other day I received a press release about an intriguing album of keyboard music by 16th- and early 17th-century composers, three Englishman and a Dutchman, played on the modern piano by Mishka Rushdie Momen, one of this country’s most gifted and intellectually curious young concert pianists. It’s called Reformation, and before I’d heard a note of the music – which is performed with thrilling exuberance and subtlety – I knew I wanted to interview Ms Rushdie Momen.  That’s because Hyperion had included with the press release a strikingly perceptive essay by the pianist putting this ostensibly secular keyboard music in the context of what she rightly calls the ‘vandalism’ of the English Reformation, shockingly illustrated by the demolition of the great shrine of Walsingham. At the same time, she recognises the unnerving pressures facing both Catholic and Protestant composers in an era of bewildering and violent cultural upheaval – but also one in which we can glimpse  elements of toleration and compromise.  Here’s my Holy Smoke interview with Mishka Rushdie Momen, which begins with a track from her album: a little galliard called La Volta, danced at Elizabeth I’s court even though the Queen knew that its composer, William Byrd, had remained faithful to the Catholic Church.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Katy Balls reflects on the UK general election campaign and wonders how bad things could get for the Tories (1:02); Gavin Mortimer argues that France’s own election is between the ‘somewheres’ and the ‘anywheres’ (7:00); Sean Thomas searches for authentic travel in Colombia (13:16); after reviewing the books Great Britain? by Torsten Bell and Left Behind by Paul Collier, Robert Colvile ponders whether Britain’s problems will ever get solved (20:43); and, Melissa Kite questions if America’s ye olde Ireland really exists (25:44).    Presented by Patrick Gibbons.  

Freddy Gray speaks to pollster Patrick Ruffini about the first 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Just how bad was it and can Biden survive his performance? They discuss the reaction to the debate, including a surprising theory going around Republican circles.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

This week: Downfall. Our cover piece examines Nigel Farage’s role in the UK general election. Spectator editor Fraser Nelson argues that Farage has become the left’s greatest weapon, but why? How has becoming leader of Reform UK impacted the campaign and could this lead to a fundamental realignment of British politics? Fraser joined the podcast to talk through his theory, with former UKIP MEP Patrick O’Flynn (02:10). Next: Spectator writer Svitlana Morenets has returned to Ukraine to report on the war, which is now well into its third year. How are Ukrainians coping and what is daily life like? Svitlana joined the podcast from Kyiv with Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov (21:53). And finally: has ‘cancel culture’ been cancelled? With the release of TV series Douglas Is Cancelled, its creator Steven Moffat joins the podcast to discuss whether cancel culture really exists and where the inspiration for the show came from (33:15). Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons, Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson. Join The Spectator for a special Live edition of Coffee House Shots on Thursday 11th July at 7pm in Westminster. Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews will be making sense of the election results, a new government, and discussing what comes next. Tickets are £35, or £25 for subscribers. Book online at spectator.co.uk/shotslive

My guest for this week's Book Club is the journalist and author Åsne Seierstad. She tells me about her new book The Afghans: Three Lives Through War, Love and Revolt; how and why she constructed a novelistic narrative about real-life people and events, and what her encounters with human rights activist Jamila, Taliban commander Bashir and thwarted student Ariana can tell us about the past, present and future of that troubled country. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

The EU and China are in the foothills of a trade war. After a seven month investigation, the European Commission has announced tariffs of up to 38 per cent on electric cars from China, citing that they’ve found ‘subsidies in every part of the supply chain’. In retaliation, China has ramped up its own investigations into imports from the EU. This, of course, comes after the US has announced its own 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric cars. Listeners will know that Chinese electric cars are becoming ever more competitive. In just three years, the value of the EU’s imports of Chinese EVs have surged tenfold – from $1.6 billion in 2020 to $11.5 billion last year. The Commission has warned that Chinese electric cars could make up 15 per cent of the EU market by next year.  What are the ramifications of these new tariffs? Is there anything that will reverse this new tide of protectionism? On this episode, Cindy Yu talks to Finbarr Bermingham, Europe correspondent at the South China Morning Post.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Matt Ridley argues that whoever you vote for, the blob wins (1:02); William Cook reads his Euros notebook from Germany (12:35); Owen Matthews reports on President Zelensky’s peace summit (16:21); and, reviewing Michael Peel’s new book ‘What everyone knows about Britain’, Agnes Poirier ponders if only Britain knew how it was viewed abroad (22:28).    Presented by Patrick Gibbons. 

In this episode of Americano, Freddy Gray is joined by Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS and columnist for The Washington Post. They discuss liberalism, the state of America, and identity politics.   They also cover Fareed's new book, Age of Revolutions, which asks one central question: what are the causes of the seismic social disruptions we are going through, and the political backlashes that have ensued? 

This week: Lawfare Our cover piece examines how Keir Starmer’s legal experience will influence his politics. Ross Clark argues that Starmer will govern through the courts, and continue what he describes as the slow movement of power away from elected politicians. As poll after poll predicts an unprecedented Labour majority, what recourse would there be to stop him? Ross joined the podcast to discuss alongside solicitor and commentator Joshua Rozenberg (02:15). Next: we’ve become accustomed to the police wearing cameras, but what’s behind the rise in bodycams in other industries? In her article this week, Panda La Terriere highlights the surprising businesses that have begun using them, but what are the implications for daily life and how concerned should we be? Panda joined us to discuss with Silkie Carlo, director of civil liberties NGO Big Brother Watch (19:39). And finally: why do we love to be baffled? Mark Mason argues it is more to do with the thrill of deception than a desire to problem-solve. Mark joined us to try and demystify the world of magic with Gustav Kuhn, associate professor of psychology at the University of Plymouth and author of Experiencing the impossible: the science of magic (28:32). Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. Join The Spectator for a special Live edition of Coffee House Shots on Thursday 11th July at 7pm in Westminster. Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews will be making sense of the election results, a new government, and discussing what comes next. Tickets are £35, or £25 for subscribers. Book online at spectator.co.uk/shotslive

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is Mark Bostridge. In his new book In Pursuit of Love: The Search for Victor Hugo’s Daughter, Mark describes his quest to uncover the traces of Adele Hugo and the doomed love affair which cost her her sanity. He tells me how Adele’s story chimed in poignant ways with his own life and what it taught him about the unstable emotional contract between biographer and subject.

Hadley Freeman is a journalist and author. She writes for The Sunday Times, having previously written for The Guardian. Her books include House of Glass: The Story and Secrets of a Twentieth-Century Jewish Family and Good Girls: A Story and Study of Anorexia. Her new book, Blindness: October 7 and the Left, is out now.  On the podcast, she tells Lara about her difficult relationship with food growing up. They also discuss her sentimentality for crepe restaurants, and taco truck culture.

Freddy Gray speaks to Jeremy Carl, Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute. They discuss his book, The Unprotected Class: how anti-white racism is tearing America apart. They also cover affirmative action, and where America goes from here.  Watch this episode on Spectator TV. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Natasha Feroze reports on the return of ex-Labour MP Keith Vaz (1:10); Robert Ades presents the case against sociology A-level (7:39); Lucasta Miller reviews Katherine Bucknell’s book, Christopher Isherwood Inside Out (15:24); Sam McPhail provides his notes on the lager Madri (23:16); Toby Young explains why he will be voting Reform (26:23); and, Catriona Olding reflects on love and friendship (31:17).   Presented by Patrick Gibbons.  

The most recent 'mother of the house', Harriet Harman has been an MP for 42 years. She has served in a number of cabinet positions, under six Labour leaders, both during government and opposition. She was also deputy leader of the Labour Party for 8 years. In some ways, her story is emblematic of how women's roles in society have changed: challenging familial stereotypes, dealing with sexual harassment, and as a trailblazing politician. On this episode, Katy Balls talks to Harriet about the influence of her family, why she got into politics, and why Labour hasn't had a female leader yet. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

This week: Macron’s game. Our cover piece looks at the big news following the European elections at the weekend, President Macron’s decision to call early parliamentary elections in France. Madness or genius, either way the decision comes with huge risk. And can he still outplay Le Pen, asks writer Jonathan Miller. Jonathan joins the podcast to analyse Macron’s decision alongside Professor Alberto Alemanno, who explains how the decision is realigning French politics, and argues it must be seen in its wider European context. (01:58) Then: Will and Gus take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Catriona Olding’s Life column and Sam McPhail’s notes on Madri.  Also on the podcast: who decides how we see the past? Niger Biggar writes in the magazine this week about organisations which are being given a veto over the representation of Britain's history. Nigel takes issue with those from formerly marginalised communities having the final word on our shared history and joins the podcast to explain why there should be more scrutiny on such groups. (18:14) And finally: do historians talk down to children? In her column for the magazine this week Mary Wakefield writes about her experience trying to find engaging and challenging history books for her 8-year-old. She says that most children’s history books have dumbed down, in comparison to the classic ladybird books of the 60s. She joined the podcast to discuss with the author of the Adventures in Time children’s book series and host of the Rest is History podcast, Dominic Sandbrook. (31:16) Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.  The Spectator will be hosting a special Live edition of Coffee House Shots in the aftermath of the election. Taking place on Thursday the 11th July - a week after the election - at 7pm here in Westminster, you can join Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews as they try to dissect the election results, a new government, and what comes next.  Tickets are £35, or £25 for subscribers. If you’re interested, you can book online at spectator.co.uk/shotslive   

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Marlon James, who ten years ago published his Booker Prize winning novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. He tells me how that remarkable book came about, how he feared it would be 'my Satanic Verses', what genre means to him, the importance of myth, and what he learned from the X-Men.

In less than a month’s time, Britain may well have a new prime minister – and a different ruling party. Under 14 years of the Conservative party, the UK’s approach to China has swung from the sycophancy of the golden era to fear and loathing under Liz Truss, stabilising in the last couple of years to a compete but engage approach, all while public opinion on China has hardened following the Hong Kong protests and the pandemic. What will a new government bring? Will the managerialism of Keir Starmer change UK-China relations much from the managerialism of Rishi Sunak? This is not a hypothetical question as Labour looks set to win the election and the question, now, is how big the Conservative losses will be. Cindy Yu is joined by Sam Hogg, a political analyst who has covered China as seen by Westminster for years, under the newsletter he founded, Beijing to Britain. He last came on the podcast to discuss Liz Truss’s views on China – a lot has changed then. Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

Freddy Gray is joined by Alex Castellanos, Republican Party strategist who has served as media consultant to seven U.S. Presidential campaigns. They discuss Donald Trump's presidential campaign, his search for a vice president, and if there's any way Joe Biden can tarnish his image. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery reports on the rise of luxury watch thefts in London (1:18); Melanie McDonagh discusses the collapse of religion in Scotland (5:51); reflecting on the longevity of Diane Abbott and what her selection row means for Labour, Matthew Parris argues that shrewd plans need faultless execution (10:44); Iain MacGregor reviews Giles Milton’s book ‘The Stalin Affair’ (17:30); and, Petronella Wyatt ponders her lack of luck with love (21:49).   Presented and produced by Patrick Gibbons. 

Nickie Aiken has been an elected public servant for 18 years. An MP since 2019, she has served as a deputy chairman and a vice-chair of the Conservative Party. She was also a councillor in Westminster for 16 years including as leader of the council and previously worked in public relations.  On the episode, Katy Balls talks to Nickie about how she got into politics, why the tea room is the most useful part of Parliament, and the scourge of pedicabs in London. Not seeking re-election at this general election, Nickie also reflects on the politics of the past few years and on what the future might hold for the Tories. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

Freddy Gray speaks to Ben Smith and Nayeema Raza from the Mixed Signals podcast. They discuss the state of American media, whether the US has any appetite for public service broadcasting, and whether America is too cynical about the press.

This week: The Farage factor. Our cover piece looks at the biggest news from this week of the general election campaign, Nigel Farage’s decision to stand again for Parliament. Farage appealed to voters in the seaside town of Clacton to send him to Westminster to be a ‘nuisance’. Indeed, how much of a nuisance will he be to Rishi Sunak in this campaign? Will this boost Reform’s ratings across Britain? And could it be eighth time lucky for Nigel? The Spectator's political editor Katy Balls joins the podcast to discuss, alongside former Clacton and UKIP MP, Douglas Carswell (2:32). Then: Gavin Mortimer reports from France ahead of the European and local elections this weekend, where the country is moving to the right. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is expected to do well, but, he argues, this has as much to do with the Le Pen brand, as it does Macron’s unpopularity. Joining Gavin to discuss is the French journalist Anne-Elisabeth Moutet (19:25). And finally: what could the future of tourism look like? Travel writer Sean Thomas explores the growing backlash to tourist overcrowding worldwide, and the recent trend to charge fees to some of the most sought-after locations. Will it solve the issue? Venice-based food and travel correspondent Monica Cesarato joins the podcast to discuss alongside Sean (24:50).   Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson. Join The Spectator for a special post-election Coffee House Shots Live on Thursday 11 July. For more information, head to spectator.co.uk/shotslive

In this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is the Booker Prize winning novelist Richard Flanagan, talking about his extraordinary new book Question 7. It weaves together memoir, reportage and the imaginative work of fiction. Flanagan collides his relationship with his war-traumatised father and his own near-death experience with the lives of H G Wells and Leo Szilard, the Tasmanian genocide and the bombing of Hiroshima. He talks to me about the work fiction can do, the intimate association of memory with shame, and the liberations and agonies of thinking of non-linear time. 

Theo Randall is a Head Chef, restaurant owner, and food writer. He's currently the Chef Patron of Theo Randall at the InterContinental, and he was famously awarded a Michelin star at The River Cafe. He specialises in Italian cuisine, and his new book Verdura: 10 Vegetables, 100 Italian Recipes, is available now.  On the podcast he tells Lara and Liv about his favourite region in Italy for food, and why he loves home cooking. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Peter Parker takes us through the history of guardsmen and homosexuality (1:12); Prof. Wayne Hunt explains what the Conservatives could learn from the 1993 Canadian election (9:10); Nicholas Lezard reflects on the diaries of Franz Kafka, on the eve of his centenary (16:06); Mark Mason provides his notes on Horse Guards (22:52); and, Nicholas Farrell ponders his wife’s potential suitors, once he’s died (26:01).   Presented and produced by Patrick Gibbons.  

Donald Trump has been found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records. The Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver joins Freddy Gray to respond to the news. Was it a fair trial? What could it mean for the 2024 presidential election? And what are the wider implications for American democracy? Produced by Megan McElroy, Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

Claudia Mendoza is one of the most high profile spokespeople for the Jewish community in Britain. She has studied the Middle East, and worked at various think tanks with a focus on Iran and the transitioning Arab states. But she now serves as CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council.  On the podcast she tells Katy whether Keir's Labour really is a changed party and about the rise in anti-semitism in the UK since the October 7th attacks. 

Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy Gray to talk about the powder keg situation in Eastern Europe, why Putin is possibly the least hawkish of possible Russian leaders and why Israel has lost escalation dominance. This was originally broadcast on SpectatorTV. 

On this week's Edition: Wannabes - are any of them ready? Our cover piece takes a look at the state of the parties a week into the UK general election campaign. The election announcement took everyone by surprise, including Tory MPs, so what’s been the fallout since? To provide the latest analysis, The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls joins the podcast (2:00). Then: Angus Colwell reports on how the election is playing out on social media, and the increasing role of the political ‘spinfluencer’. These accounts have millions of likes, but how influential could they be during the election? Alongside Angus, Harry Boeken, aka @thechampagne_socialist on TikTok, joins us to share their thoughts on who is winning the social media war (15:08). And finally: are we in the midst of a new space race? Author of Space 2069, the Future of Space Exploration, Dr David Whitehouse writes in the magazine this week about China’s latest lunar mission. What are the geopolitical implications, and should the global west be paying more attention? David joins us to discuss, alongside journalist and author of The Future of Geography, Tim Marshall (25:12).   Hosted by Lara Prendergast and Gus Carter.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

June 3rd marks the centenary of Franz Kafka's death. To talk about this great writer's peculiar style and lasting legacy, I'm joined by two of the world's foremost Kafka scholars. Mark Harman has just translated, edited and annotated a new edition of Kafka's Selected Stories, while Ross Benjamin is the translator of the first unexpurgated edition of Kafka's Diaries. They tell me what they understand by 'Kafkaesque', the unique difficulties he presents in editing and translation, and the unstable relationship between his published works, his notebooks and his troubled life.  

Here's an episode of Holy Smoke to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Anton Bruckner later this year. This embarrassingly eccentric genius was, perhaps, the most devoutly Catholic of all the major composers – but you don't have to be religious to appreciate the unique consolation offered by his gigantic symphonies. On the other hand, it's hard to appreciate the unique flavour of Bruckner without taking into account the influence of the liturgy on his sublime slow movements and what the (atheist) composer and Bruckner scholar Robert Simpson called the 'calm fire' of his blazing finales. If you make it through to the end of this episode, you'll hear exactly what he meant.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons

Since 1978, China has changed beyond recognition thanks to its economic boom. 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty as GDP per capita has grown eighty times. Some 60 per cent of the country now live in cities and towns, compared to just 18 per cent before. But you know all this. What’s less talked about is what that does to the people and families who live through these changes. What is it like to have such a different life to your parents before you, and your grandparents before then? How have people made the most of the boom, and what about those who’ve been left behind? A fascinating new book, Private Revolutions, tells the personal stories of four millennial women who were born as these changes took place. Its author, Yuan Yang, is a former Financial Times journalist and now a Labour party candidate, standing in the next election. She joins this episode. Further listening: Life on the margins: how China’s rural deprivation curbs its success, with Professor Scott Rozelle. Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

This week the world may know whether Donald Trump becomes the first US President to receive a criminal conviction. But could this verdict help or hinder him? Tom Lubbock, co-founder of pollsters J L Partners, joins Freddy Gray to discuss. They also analyse the dynamics at play in current polling: why is Trump doing better in the sun-belt states? And is this election a referendum on Biden? Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Natasha Feroze. 

Freddy Gray speaks to author Jacob Heilbrunn about what another term in office for Donald Trump might mean for America's foreign policy, its relationship with Israel, and the war in Ukraine. How have his views changed since last time? And what will his relationship with Putin be like?

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Quentin Letts takes us through his diary for the week (1:12); Owen Matthews details the shadow fleet helping Russia to evade sanctions (7:15); Michael Hann reports on the country music revival (15:05); Laura Gascoigne reviews exhibitions at the Tate Britain and at Studio Voltaire (21:20); and, Michael Simmons provides his notes on the post-pub stable, the doner kebab (26:20).   Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.  

New York Post writer Miranda Devine joins Freddy Gray to discuss Joe Biden's unpopularity. Why are Americans increasingly not supporting him? And how have Biden family scandals and rumours affected trust in the President? In a week that Biden gave a commencement speech, they also discuss the recent controversy over NFL kicker Harrison Butker's speech. What insight does the reaction to the speech tell us about America today? Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons.

It’s a bumper edition of The Edition this week. After Rishi Suank called a surprise – and perhaps misguided – snap election just a couple of hours after our press deadline, we had to frantically come up with a new digital cover. To take us through a breathless day in Westminster and the fallout of Rishi’s botched announcement, The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls joins the podcast. (01:35) Next: Our print magazine leads on the electric car bust. Ross Clark runs through all the issues facing electric cars today – from China flooding the market with discounted EVs to Rishi Sunak dropping the unrealistic target of banning new petrol car sales by 2030. ‘Could the outlook suddenly improve for British EVs?’ asks Ross. ‘It’s hard to see how.’ Already, car-makers from Aston Martin to Fiat are delaying or scaling back their EV plans. Ross joins the podcast alongside Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver, to ask whether the great EV revolution is over. (07:35) Then: Matthew Parris writes his column this week on the myths around ultra-processed foods. These are foods which are engineered to be hyper-palatable and typically include many preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, artificial colours, flavours etc. Such additives are considered to be detrimental to our health, but Matthew says we shouldn’t be worried. He joined the podcast along with Dr Christoffer Van Tulleken, associate professor at UCL and author of the bestselling book Ultra-Processed People. (19:33) And finally: why is the government making it harder to get an au pair? This is the question which Philip Womack asks in The Spectator. He says that the government’s new childcare plans are pricing regular dual income families out of the traditional agreement between family and au pair. He is joined by the journalist Lucy Denyer. (39:45) Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Conn Iggulden, probably the best selling author of historical fiction of our day. This week Conn publishes Nero, the first in a new trilogy about the notorious Roman emperor. He tells me about how he learned to write historical fiction, his years-long path to overnight success, and the advantages (and disadvantages) of having an audience comprised of men who can't seem to stop thinking about the Roman Empire.

Tom Hayward is an award-winning food writer, a broadcaster, and proprietor of the bakery Fitzbillies in Cambridge. He writes regularly for the FT Magazine and often appears on BBC Radio 4. Following the bestsellers Food DIY, Knife, and Loaf Story, his eighth book, Steak: The Whole Story, is out on the 23rd May.  On the podcast, Tim tells Liv and Lara about his childhood concoction 'dead man's finger', the secret to great beef and the joys of a 6pm martini. 

Matt McDonald, managing editor of the US edition of The Spectator, joins Freddy Gray to discuss whether Biden is losing the swing states, the potential outcome of the Trump-Biden TV debates, and who the polls are spelling trouble for.  Produced by Megan McElroy.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Max Jeffery interviews Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Massoud (1:13); former prisoner David Shipley ponders the power of restorative justice (8:23); Patrick Kidd argues that the Church should do more to encourage volunteers (14:15); Cindy Yu asks if the tiger mother is an endangered species (21:06); and, Hugh Thomson reviews Mick Conefrey’s book Fallen, examining George Mallory’s tragic Everest expedition (26:20).   Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Shabana Mahmood is the shadow secretary of state for justice. She was born in Birmingham to migrant parents. After studying Law at Lincoln College, Oxford, where Rishi Sunak was a contemporary, she qualified as a barrister and lived and worked in London. First elected to Parliament in 2010, representing Birmingham Ladywood, she was one of the UK’s first female Muslim MPs. On the episode, Katy Balls talks to Shabana about her upbringing in the UK and in Saudi Arabia; how her faith is central to who she is as a person; and her approach to the tricky issues of abortion and assisted dying. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Cindy Yu.

This week: Veep show: who will Trump pick for his running mate? Freddy Gray goes through the contenders – and what they say about America (and its most likely next president). ‘Another thought might be buzzing around Trump’s head: he can pick pretty much whoever he wants because really it’s all about him. He might even choose one of his children: Ivanka or Donald Junior. What could sound better than Trump-Trump 2024?’ Freddy joins the podcast. (02:10) Next: Will and Lara take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including David Shipley’s piece on the issues in the criminal justice system and Patrick Kidd’s article on the C of E’s volunteering crisis. Then: Everest. This year marks 100 years since George Mallory’s doomed expedition. On the 8th June 1924 George Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine were seen through binoculars 800 ft from the summit of Mount Everest, but sadly were never seen again. Whether they did reach the top – almost 30 years prior to Edmund Hillary’s confirmed summit – has been the source of debate and myth for a century. Two new books will be released this year revisiting the attempt, and the man behind them. One by former political editor at the Sun, Tom Newton Dunn (great nephew of Mallory) and the other by mountaineer Mick Conefrey – which is reviewed this week in The Spectator. Tom and Mick joined the podcast to discuss. (17:51) And finally: Next week marks the anniversary of the death of Spectator’s Low Life columnist Jeremy Clarke. And on Tuesday a new collection of his columns is being published: Low Life: The Final Years. The book begins with his cancer diagnosis in 2013 and goes up until his last column, published two weeks before his death last year. Regular readers will know that Jeremy’s genius was to capture the beauty and absurdity of the everyday – he chronicled it all with extraordinary frankness and brilliant wit. And so to remember Jeremy, and his peerless writing, we were joined by his widow, the artist Catriona Olding, who writes a guest Life column in this week’s magazine, and his friend Con Coughlin, defence editor at the Telegraph. (33:35) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. If readers would like to buy Low Life: The Final Years, copies are available on the Spectator Shop - go to spectator.co.uk/shop.

Freddy Gray talks to American columnist and commentator Guy Benson about who is in the running to be Trump's VP. Who does Trump want? But more importantly what does the Trump ticket need?  Also: Biden/Trump debates appear to have been confirmed. Who will the debates benefit most? And how relevant are they in the digital age? Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons. 

A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot! On this week's Book Club podcast I'm joined by Olivia Laing to talk about her new book The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise. Olivia explores what it is we do when we make a garden, through her own experience of restoring the beautiful garden in her now home. She tells me about what gardens have meant in literary history and myth, how they have occluded certain real-world injustices even as they stand in for utopias, and why Candide's injunction cultiver notre jardin will always be an ambiguous one.   

Last week, President Xi Jinping visited Serbia. An unexpected destination, you might think, but in fact the links between Beijing and Belgrade go back decades. One event, in particular, has linked the two countries – and became a seminal moment in how the Chinese remember their history. In 1999, the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was bombed by US-led Nato forces. Three Chinese nationals died. An accident, the Americans insisted, but few Chinese believed it then, and few do today. The event is still remembered in China, but now, little talked about in the West. Xi’s visit was timed to the 25th anniversary of the bombing itself. ‘The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will stay in the shared memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples’, Xi wrote for a Serbian paper ahead of the visit. So what exactly happened that night in May, and what does the event – and its aftermath – tell us about Chinese nationalism today? Cindy Yu is joined by Peter Gries, Professor of Chinese Politics at Manchester University and author of numerous books on China, including China’s New Nationalism: Pride, Politics and Diplomacy.

Freddy Gray talks to writer and philosopher Curtis Yarvin about how Alexander Hamilton was America's Napoleon, why Putin is more of a royal than King Charles, and why Yarvin admires FDR.  Yarvin is voting for Joe Biden at the next election, but not for the reasons you might think. Could Biden 2024 strengthen the case for American isolationism? Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.

Freddy Gray speaks to the journalist Nellie Bowles about her new book: Morning after the Revolution: Dispatches from the wrong side of History. As someone who had fit into the progressive umbrella, her book recounts issues that arose when she started to question the nature of the movement itself. Freddy and Nellie discuss the challenges of the progressive-conservative divide, bias within the media, and whether privilege is America's version of the class system. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Philosopher Slavoj Zizek takes us through his diary including his Britney Spears Theory of Action (1:08); Angus Colwell reports from the front line of the pro-Palestinian student protests (8:09); Svitlana Morenets provides an update on what’s going on in Georgia, where tensions between pro-EU and pro-Russian factions are heading to a crunch point (13:51); Cindy Yu analyses President Xi’s visit to Europe and asks whether the Chinese leader can keep his few European allies on side (20:52); and, Philip Hensher proposes banning fun runs as a potential vote winner (26:01).  Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

Lisa Cameron was born in Glasgow and grew up in East Kilbride, the constituency she now represents. After three elections under the SNP, she memorably defected to the Scottish Conservatives in 2023. At the time, Humza Yousaf described it as the least surprising news he’d had since becoming first minister.  On the podcast, Lisa tells Katy about the need for increased investment into mental health provision, her defection from the SNP to the Tories and why Scottish independence is a failed experiment.

This week: On Monday, tents sprung up at Oxford and Cambridge as part of a global, pro-Palestinian student protest which began at Columbia University. In his cover piece, Yascha Mounk, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, explains how universities in both the US and the UK have misguidedly harboured and actively encouraged absurdist activism on campuses. Yascha joined the podcast to discuss further. (01:57) Next: Bugs, biscuits, trench foot: a dispatch from the front line of the protests. The Spectator’s Angus Colwell joined students at tent encampments this week at UCL, Oxford and Cambridge. He found academics joining in with the carnival atmosphere. At Cambridge one don even attended with their baby in tow. ‘Peaceful protest? Rubbish it does nothing,’ a UCL student tells him. ‘Zionist attitudes start young, and we need our institutions to correct that. None of us are free until all of us are free, until Zionism is gone.’ One Jewish UCL student claims they were spat at by protestors ‘who told us to go back to Poland’. As part of his research, Angus sat down with Anwar, a spokesperson for the protestors at University College London and he sent us that conversation, which you can hear on the podcast. (17:34) Then: Lara and Will take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Philip Hensher’s Life column and James Delingpole’s review of Shardlake on Disney +. And finally: should we take Beryl Cook more seriously? In his arts lead for the magazine this week, Julian Spalding writes about Beryl Cook whose unique art is celebrated by many as an exuberant take on everyday life. However she is often looked down upon within the art establishment. To coincide with a new exhibition of her work at Studio Voltaire we thought we would reappraise her legacy with Julian and Rachel Campbell-Johnston, former chief art critic at the Times. (29:44) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week, my guest on the Book Club podcast is the poet Jackie Kay, whose magnificent new book May Day combines elegy and celebration. She tells me about her adoptive parents – a communist trade unionist and a leading figure in CND – and growing up in a household where teenage rebellion could mean going to church. We also discuss her beginnings as a poet, her debt to Robbie Burns and Angela Davis and how grief itself can be a form of protest. 

Michael Zee is an author, cook and the creator of SymmetryBreakfast, which started as an Instagram account, before amassing over 670,000 followers and becoming one of the ‘most popular food books of 2016’. He is now based in Italy and known for his particular brand of British-Chinese fusion food. His third book, Zao Fan: Breakfast of China, is out now.  On the podcast he tells Lara about working in his father's restaurant, the joy of char siu bao and where to find the best Chinese food in Italy. 

Freddy speaks to Norman Ornstein, political scientist and emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. They discuss the possibility of Donald Trump becoming a dictator, his ongoing court cases, and if there's a double standard in the treatment of Trump vs Biden.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Sean Thomas worries that Paris has lost some of its charm (1:21); Kara Kennedy reports on US-style opioids arriving in Britain (8:43); Philip Hensher describes how an affair which ruined one woman would be the making of another (15:32); Damian Thompson reflects on his sobriety and his battle with British chemists (23:58); and, Toby Young argues a proposed law in Wales amounts to an assault on parliamentary sovereignty (29:26).   Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Freddy speaks to Victor Davis Hanson, classicist, military historian and political commentator. They discuss his new book The End of Everything, and ask whether the west should be taking note of history in order to avoid annihilation, and where the US is heading. 

This week: Survival plan: is Rishi ready for the rebels? Ever since his election, Rishi Sunak has been preparing for this weekend – where the most likely scenario is that dire local election results are slow-released, leaving him at a moment of maximum vulnerability. He has his defences ready against his regicidal party, says Katy Balls: the Rwanda plan, a welfare reform agenda and a 4p NI cut (with hints of 2p more to come). And while the rebels have a (published) agenda they do not – yet – have a candidate. Katy joins the podcast alongside Stephen Bush, associate editor of the Financial Times. (02:12) Next: Lara and Gus take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Damian Thompson's Life column, and Joel Golby’s notes on ⅓ pints.  Then: Everyone has heard of the ‘Essex Man’ that helped the Conservatives win in 1992, but what about the Hillingdon man? Journalist William Cook identifies a new swing voter in the magazine, the disgruntled Hillingdon man from sleepy Ruislip and the surrounding villages. He says that the reliably Tory voters of Hillingdon could change the habit of a lifetime and vote for Starmer. William joined the podcast to discuss. (15:46) And finally: Mary Wakefield writes in defence of Victorian parenting in this week's magazine. She says that kids these days could benefit from some 'stiff upper lip' parenting and the resilience she learnt from her time at boarding school. She also warns against encouraging children to focus on their feelings and sending them to therapy. To debate, we were joined by Jean Twenge, author of the Generation Tech substack and the book Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future and The Spectator’s literary editor Sam Leith. (23:29) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and Gus Carter.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

On this week's Book Club podcast I'm joined by Ariane Bankes, whose mother Celia was one of the great beauties of the early twentieth century. Ariane's new book The Quality of Love: Twin Sisters at the Heart of the Century tells the story of the defiantly bohemian lives of Celia and her twin sister Mamaine, whose love affairs and friendships with Arthur Koestler, George Orwell, Albert Camus, Edmund Wilson and Freddie Ayer put them at the centre of the political and intellectual ferment of their age.

Freddy Gray speaks to writer, podcaster, musician Coleman Hughes. His latest book The End of Race Politics, The: Arguments for a Colorblind America put forward Martin Luther King's teachings for a colourblind society. On the podcast they discuss Coleman's recently appearance on the The View; whether Coleman thinks Trump is racist and how the Israel-Gaza war exposed the failings of US universities. 

Last week, President Joe Biden finally signed into law a bill that would take TikTok off app stores in the US, eventually rendering the app obsolete there. This is not the end of the saga, as TikTok has vowed to take legal action. In the US, the drive to decouple from Chinese tech continues to rumble on. In this episode, we’ll be taking a look at the reverse trend – the Chinese decoupling from American tech. It’s a story that tends to go under the radar in light of bans and divestments from the US, but you might be surprised at how much China is cutting out American tech too – and doing it much more quietly. Cindy Yu is joined by the journalist Liza Lin, who has been following this story in her detailed coverage for the Wall Street Journal. She is also a co-author of Surveillance State: Inside China's Quest to Launch a New Era of Social Control. Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill. You can also join Cindy Yu at The Spectator's Chinese wine lunch on June 14th. To find out more and buy tickets, visit spectator.co.uk/chinesewine.

Freddy speaks to Angus Hanton, entrepreneur and author of Vassal State: How America Runs Britain, and William Clouston, leader of the Social Democratic Party. They discuss the ‘Special Relationship’ between the US and the UK, and ask whether it might be detrimental to British business.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: reporting from St Helena, Douglas Murray reflects on the inhabitants he has met and the history of the British Overseas Territory (1:12); Lionel Shriver opines on the debate around transgender care (9:08); following a boyhood dream to visit the country to watch cricket, Mark Mason reads his letter from India as he travels with his son (17:54); and, Graeme Thomson reviews Taylor Swift’s new album (22:41).   Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Young, female entrepreneurship is on the rise. Two years ago, 17,500 businesses were founded by women aged 16-25, which is 22 times greater than in 2018. Now, 20 per cent of all businesses across the UK are all-female-led. Yet, when it comes to investment, women consistently underperform their male counterparts. Why? And should more be done to support female entrepreneurs? To shine a light on some of these issues is Anneliese Dodds MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, and Chair of the Labour Party, Jo Overton, the Managing Director for Customer Propositions and Strategy for Business Commercial Banking at Lloyds Banking Group, and Eccie Newton, the co-founder, of Karma Cans, an office lunch delivery company, and Karma Kitchen, that provides commercial kitchen spaces to food businesses. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group. 

This week: The Xi files: China’s global spy network. A Tory parliamentary aide and an academic were arrested this week for allegedly passing ‘prejudicial information’ to China. In his cover piece Nigel Inkster, MI6’s former director of operations and intelligence, explains the nature of this global spy network: hacking, bribery, manhunts for targets and more. To discuss, Ian Williams, author of Fire of the Dragon - China's New Cold War, and historian and Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins joined the podcast.. (02:05) Next: Lara and Gus take us through some of their favourite pieces in the magazine, including Douglas Murray’s column and Gus’s interview with the philosopher Daniel Dennett. Then: Tim Shipman writes for The Spectator about ‘hyper history’. This refers to the breathless last ten years in political history, encompassing the breakdown of old electoral coalitions, the formation of new ones and decisive prime ministers who all suffer from the same ‘power failure’ – as he calls it. Tim joined the podcast to discuss further. (17:34) And finally: How the Jilly Cooper Book Club turned toxic. Flora Watkins joined a Jilly Cooper Book Club whose members got along famously – until lockdown and the ensuing culture wars. Debates over vaccines, lockdown and gender split them up more violently than any of their heroine’s books. Flora is joined by the author and journalist Elisa Segrave to examine the toxicity of women-only book groups. (27:50) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and Gus Carter.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. 

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the author and historian Kathryn Hughes, whose new book Catland tells the story of how we learned to love pusskins. Content warning: contains Kipling, Edward Lear, some stinking carts of offal, and the troubled life and weird art of the extraordinary Louis Wain.

Joel Golby is a journalist who has written for – among others – Vice and the Guardian, where he has a regular column, the watcher, reviewing television. He has since translated his skill for wry observations and self-reflection into the new book Four Stars: A life reviewed which hilariously grapples with our fascination with opinions On the podcast Joel tells Lara about his appreciation for square sponge and pink custard, why Mum's roast is always the best roast and where a pint is best enjoyed.

Freddy Gray is joined Alan Dershowitz, American lawyer and author of Get Trump: the threat to civil liberties, due process, and our constitutional rule of law. They discuss Trump’s ‘hush money’ trial, what it means for the election and what it tells us about the flaws in the American legal system. 

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: In light of the help Israel received, Svitlana Morenets issues a challenge to the West to help Ukraine (1:15); Mary Wakefield questions the slow response to the Ministry of Defence being daubed in paint (7:33);  Max Jeffery discusses the aims and tactics of the group responsible for the protest, Youth Demand (13:25); Sam Leith reviews Salman Rushdie's new book (18:59); and Richard Bratby pays tribute to Michael Tanner, The Spectator critic who died earlier this month (27:34). Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Freddy speaks to the diplomat and author Dennis B Ross, who worked under presidents George H W Bush and Bill Clinton. He was a special advisor on the Persian Gulf. They discuss the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and the flack that Joe Biden has come under for his response. Can the US still claim to be able to shape events in the Middle East? And what comes next? 

This week: the usual targets First: Trump is on trial again – and America is bored rather than scandalised. This is his 91st criminal charge and his supporters see this as politicised prosecution. As an American, Kate Andrews has seen how the law can be used as a political weapon – so why, she asks, is Britain importing the same system? In less than 18 months, the police have been sent to investigate Rishi Sunak for his seat-belt, Nicola Sturgeon for campaign funds, and Angela Rayner over her electoral registry: each time, the complainant is political and the process is the punishment. Kate joins the podcast alongside The Spectator’s editor Fraser Nelson to discuss. (01:34) Then: Confessions of a defecting Starmtrooper. Katy Balls speaks to Jamie Driscoll, the former Labour North of Tyne mayor, who failed Keir Starmer’s selection process to be mayor of the soon-to-be-created North East metro mayoralty. He’s now running as an independent, backed by Andy Burnham, while half of the Labour council groups are refusing to endorse the official Labour candidate. ‘I know people who have left the Labour party who describe it as leaving an abusive relationship,’ he says. You can read the full interview in the magazine, but we have a short extract of their discussion on the podcast. (13:44) And finally: Our reporter Max Jeffery gatecrashed a party of the Extinction Rebellion youth offshoot Youth Demand!, whose stunts have included targeting MPs’ houses and dousing the Ministry of Defence in red ink. ‘I’m so ketty!’ one of the partygoers told him (referring to the drugs she was on). ‘They wrote ideas on big sheets of paper and left them lying at the back of the bar while they celebrated. “Rishi Sunak pool/pond – dyeing it red – pool party?” someone wrote. “CEOs’ houses”; “water (Thames)”; “Planes/private jets”; “Eton”; “Transgressive stuff”.’ Max joins the podcast alongside Youth Demand! spokesperson Ella Ward. (24:18) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and Gus Carter.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

On this week’s Book Club podcast I’m joined by Percival Everett, who has followed up his Booker-shortlisted The Trees with James, a novel that reimagines the story of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of the fugitive slave Jim. Percival tells me what he learned from Mark Twain, how being funny doesn’t make him a comic novelist, and why Black resistance to racism is a matter of language itself.

It's now 18 months since Liz Truss left Downing Street. She has written a memoir, Ten Years to Save the West, which records her political career since first becoming a cabinet minister. In her first broadcast interview to promote the book, she tells Fraser Nelson about why she thinks the OBR and the Supreme Court should be abolished; how Donald Trump is better for the defense of Ukraine than Joe Biden; and why she didn't listen to her husband when he warned her that her leadership bid would all end in tears. This interview was originally broadcast on SpectatorTV, The Spectator's regularly updated YouTube channel. 

When I recently came across a book review asking the question ‘was Marco Polo a "sexpat"?’, I knew I had to get its author on to, well, discuss this important question some more. The 13th century Venetian merchant Marco Polo’s account of China was one of the earliest and most popular travelogues written on the country. Polo spent years at the court of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis, and whose family founded the Yuan dynasty in China. My guest today, and the author of that book review, is the historian Jeremiah Jenne. Jeremiah has lived in China for over two decades, and he is also the co-host of the fascinating podcast Barbarians at the Gate, all about Chinese history. He has been doing a series of historical book reviews for the relatively newly established website China Books Review, and in re-reading The Travels of Marco Polo, he noticed that there was a lot of sex. We talk about all of this, of course, but there’s a serious point here too. How much do Europeans observe when they go to China and how reliable are their accounts, understood and told through the perspective of the outsider? How much has Marco Polo’s portrayal of China moulded the western mindset on the country in the centuries since, and even today? And what does it say about the China of the 13th century that a trio of Venetian merchants could make it to the heart of the Mongol empire?

This week: Matthew Parris questions what's left to say about the Tories (00:57), Laurie Graham discusses her struggle to see a GP (07:35), Rachel Johnson makes the case against women only clubs (13:38), Laura Gascoigne tells us the truth about Caravaggio's last painting (19:21) and Angus Colwell reads his notes on wild garlic (28:58).    Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Margaret Mitchell and Patrick Gibbons.    Presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week, the Arizona Supreme Court reinstated a law from 1864 that bans nearly all abortions in the state. But where do Trump and Biden stand on abortion, and will it be a deciding factor in the 2024 election?  Freddy's joined by Inez Stepman, Fellow at the Claremont Institute, and Daniel McCarthy, Editor of Modern Age Journal.  Produced by Megan McElroy. 

Laura Farris comes from something of a political dynasty, both her father and uncle were MPs. The former even represented the same Newbury seat that she currently holds. She studied PPE at Oxford before working as a researcher for Hilary Clinton but she eschewed a political career to work firstly as a journalist and then as a barrister. In 2019 she became MP for Newbury and she now works across both the Home Office and Ministry of Justice.  On the podcast, Laura tells Katy what she learnt from Hilary Clinton, the things she hopes to achieve by the next election and why Jonathan Sumption has a point about the ECHR. 

This week: will Biden support Ukraine’s attacks on Russia? Owen Matthews writes the cover piece in light of the Zelensky drone offensive. Ukraine’s most successful strategy to date has been its ingenious use of homemade, long-range drones, which it has used to strike military targets as well as oil refineries and petrol storage facilities in Russia. The strikes are working but have alienated the US, who draw a red line when it comes to attacks on Russian soil. Owen joins the podcast alongside Svitlana Morenets, author of The Spectator’s Ukraine in Focus newsletter to debate what comes next. (01:44) Next: Will and Lara take us through some of their favourite pieces in the magazine, including Rachel Johnson’s thoughts on women’s only clubs and Angus Colwell’s notes on wild garlic and the new foragers.  Then: who is the greater threat to democracy, Biden or Trump? This is the question that Lionel Shriver grapples with in her column, where she expresses total disbelief that the grim state of politics in the US hasn’t thrown up an alternative third party. Lionel joins the podcast to discuss what’s left for American voters. (19:47) And finally: Astronomer David Whitehouse bids a fond farewell to the Voyager 1 space probe which, due to technical difficulties, may soon stop transmitting back to earth. On the podcast, he looks back on what we’ve learnt about space during the 50 years that Voyager has been travelling through the cosmos with Sasha Hinkley, astrophysicist at the University of Exeter and leading a team of scientists on James Webb Telescope. (33:25) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.  We are always looking for ways to improve the podcast, please send any feedback to [email protected]

Today Freddy is joined by Sarah Elliott, senior advisor for the US-UK special relationship unit at the Legatum Institute. They discuss Lord Cameron's visit to America this week and the news that speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson snubbed a meeting with the foreign secretary. Is the special relationship still special? 

In this week’s Book Club podcast my guest is Dorian Lynskey. In his new book Everything Must Go, Dorian looks at the way humans have imagined the end of the world from the Book of Revelations to the present day. He tells me how old fears find new forms, why Dr Strangelove divides critics, and why there’s always a few people who anticipate global annihilation with something that looks like longing.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale suggests that the London mayoral race could be closer than we think (1:19); Madeleine Teahan argues that babies with down’s syndrome have a right to be born (8:13); Tanya Gold reports from Jerusalem as Israel’s war enters its seventh month (16:40); and William Moore reveals what he has in common with Kim Jong Un (36:57). Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Suspected Israeli air strikes were launched on targets in Syria this week and Israel's war in Gaza has entered its seventh month. Americano regular Jacob Heilbrunn joins Freddy to discuss what an escalating situation in the Middle East could mean for Joe Biden. What's the Democrats' strategy? And how could this impact the 2024 election? Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons. 

On the podcast this week: what could achieving a large majority at the next election mean for Labour; how much should parents worry about picky eating; and why are humans fascinated with the apocalypse? First up: The Starmer supremacy. If the polls are correct, Labour could be on to a record landslide at the next general election. Any political leader would relish such a win. But can achieving such a large majority present internal problems of its own? Labour MP Harriet Harman joins The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls to discuss. (1:32) Then: Lara and Gus discuss some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, from Charles Moore’s column to Christopher Matthew’s piece on A. A. Milne’s time at Punch magazine. (16:21) Next: how much should parents’ fuss over their children? Spectator contributor Hannah Moore argues in the magazine this week that parents shouldn’t worry about picky eating. Hannah joins the podcast, alongside The Spectator’s commissioning editor, Mary Wakefield to discuss this. Look out for a surprise revelation about our usual host William Moore… (18:27) And finally: why are we so obsessed with the apocalypse? Dorian Lynskey’s new book ‘Everything Must Go’ is reviewed in this week’s magazine. It explores the stories humans tell about the end of the world. Dorian joins us with archaeologist and author Chris Begley who wrote ‘The Next Apocalypse’ about what humans can learn from past disasters. Is there hope for humanity yet? (28:34) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and Gus Carter. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.  We are always looking for ways to improve the podcast, please send any feedback to [email protected]

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the investigative reporter Annie Jacobsen, whose hair-raising new book Nuclear War: A Scenario imagines – minute by minute – what would unfold if the nuclear balloon went up. But rather than a work of fantasy, this is based on meticulously sourced reporting about the effects of nuclear weapons and the structures and policies that govern them. We all knew it would be bad but Jacobsen tells us just how bad, and how fast, and quite how little the people who push the button will actually know about what's going on.

Over the last week the UK has been rocked by allegations that China was responsible for two cyber attacks in recent years – one on the Electoral Commission, where hackers successfully accessed the open register, which has the details of 40 million voters; and a set of attempts to access the emails of a number of China critics within parliament. So what do we know about China’s cyber capabilities? What are its goals? And now that the UK knows about these attacks, what should we be doing? Joining Cindy Yu on the podcast today is Nigel Inkster, senior advisor for cyber security and China at the think tank IISS, formerly director of operations and intelligence at MI6, and author of China’s Cyber Power, a 2016 book on precisely this question. You can also join Cindy Yu at The Spectator's Chinese wine lunch on June 14th. To find out more and buy tickets, visit spectator.co.uk/chinesewine.

This week: Sophie Winkleman tells us why she's fighting to ban smartphones for children (01:01), Svitlana Morenets details how Ukraine plans to revive its birthrate (05:52), Candida Crewe laments the blight that is UHT milk (12:41), and Ysenda Maxtone Graham mourns the loss of the St John's Voices choir (22:43). 

Freddy is joined by evolutionary biologist and host of The DarkHorse Podcast Bret Weinstein. They discuss the Darien Gap, an area of Panama which has become a focal point for America's migrant crisis. Bret has spent some time investigating the area, what's going on?

Anne Jenkin was born in Essex to quite the political family, three of her grandparents were in the House of Lords, and two of them in the Commons as well. Her career in Westminster began in the 1970s and in 2005 she co-founded Women2Win with future Prime Minister Theresa May to encourage more women to get into politics and stand as Conservative candidates. She was made a life peer in 2011 for services to charity and politics. 

This week: how forgiveness was forgotten, why the secular tide might be turning, and looking for romance at the British museum. Up first: The case of Frank Hester points to something deep going on in our culture, writes Douglas Murray in the magazine this week. ‘We have never had to deal with anything like this before. Any mistake can rear up in front of you again – whether five years later (as with Hester) or decades on.’ American lawyer and author of Cancel Culture: the latest attack on free speech, Alan Dershowitz, joins the podcast to discuss whether forgiveness has been forgotten. (02:11) Then: Will and Lara take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Svitlana Morenets’ article on Ukraine’s fertility crisis and Sophie Winkleman’s notebook. Next: Justin Brierley writes for The Spectator about the return of religiosity. He argues that after a period of decline, the secular tide is turning with young people returning to Christianity. However he expresses some concern that the flag bearers for this new Christianity – the likes of Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson – might not be the most sincere. Justin joins the podcast alongside Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History podcast and author of Dominion: how the Christian revolution remade the world. (13:39) And finally: looking for love at the British museum. Harry Mount was dispatched to the British museum this week to investigate its new function as a pick up spot. The museum ran a marketing campaign promoting a new exhibition as an opportunity for single women to find single men. The post read: ‘Girlies, if you’re single and looking for a man, this is your sign to go to the British Museum’s new exhibition, Life in the Roman Army, and walk around looking confused. You’re welcome x.’ It added: ‘Come for the Romans, stay for some romance.’ Harry joins the podcast alongside fellow classicist Daisy Dunn. (23:51) Stay tuned for a short snippet of Rory Sutherland’s proposed new podcast where he interviews leading thinking about trivial topics! (31:27) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast my guest is the Pulitzer prize winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen, whose new book is the memoir A Man of Two Faces. He tells me about the value of trauma to literature, learning about his history through Hollywood, falling asleep in class... and the rotten manners of Oliver Stone.

Gennaro Contaldo is an Italian chef, cookbook author and television presenter. He is also known as Jamie Oliver's mentor and Antonio Carluccio's travel partner on Two Greedy Italians. His latest cookbook Gennaro's Verdure – which celebrates seasonal vegetables – is out now.  On the podcast he tells Liv and Lara about his upbringing on the Amalfi coast, what he's learnt from Jamie Oliver and how he came to love fish and chips.  Photo credit: David Loftus 

Freddy Gray speaks to editor-at-large of the Wall Street Journal Gerry Baker about whether the media’s wrong reporting of Trump’s ‘bloodshed’ comments have played to his advantage; why America has lost trust in its institutions; and whether voters think the economy was better off under Trump. 

Freddy Gray speaks to political science researcher Richard Hanania about his (relative) optimism regarding the future of America, and how Sydney Sweeney might have 'ended wokeness'.

This week: Richard Madeley reads his diary (01:06), Kate Andrews describes how Kate-gate gripped America (06:18), Lloyd Evans warns against meddling with Shakespeare (11:38), Sam McPhail details how Cruyff changed modern football (18:17), and Graeme Thomson reads his interview with Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera (25:23).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Freddy speaks to Rob Henderson, author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class, in which he coins the term 'luxury beliefs'. These are certain beliefs held by a section of the elite which confirm and elevate the status of those who hold them. As a consequence, they can cause harm to those lower down the social strata. Is Donald Trump the antidote to America’s ‘luxury beliefs’ complex?

On the podcast: Scotland’s new hate crime law; the man who could be France’s next PM; and why do directors meddle with Shakespeare? First up: Scotland is smothering free speech. Scotland is getting a new, modern blasphemy code in the form of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which takes effect from 1 April. The offence of ‘stirring up racial hatred’ will be extended to disability, religion, sexual orientation, age, transgender identity and variations in sex characteristics. The new law gives few assurances for protecting freedom of speech writes Lucy Hunter Blackburn, former senior Scottish civil servant. Lucy joins the podcast, alongside Baroness Claire Fox, unaffiliated peer and founder of the Academy of Ideas think tank. (03:18) Then: William and Gus discuss some of their favourite pieces from the magazine this week, including Sam McPhail’s history of ‘Total Football’ and Richard Madeley’s diary. Next: Journalist Gavin Mortimer writes about Jordan Bardella for The Spectator. He is Marine Le Pen’s number two in the National Rally party and the man Gavin says could be France’s next PM. Gavin is joined by Telegraph contributor Anne-Elisabeth Moutet to ask: who is Jordan Bardella? (28:22) And finally: why do directors feel the need to ‘correct’ Shakespeare? That’s the question that Lloyd Evans asks in the magazine this week. He says that directors should go back to basics when it comes to adapting the bard and leave the gimmicks to one side. Yael Farber – who is currently directing King Lear at the Almeida Theatre and has previously adapted Macbeth and Julius Caesar – joins the podcast to discuss. (41:25) Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. We are always looking to improve the podcast, please send any feedback to: [email protected]

My guest in this week's Book Club is Joel Morris, an award-winning comedy writer whose credits run from co-creating Philomena Cunk to writing gags for Viz and punching up the script for Paddington 2. In his new book Be Funny Or Die, he sets out to analyse how and why comedy works. He tells me why there are only three keys on the clown keyboard, what laughter does for us in neurological terms, and why Laurel and Hardy could get away with anything.

Freddy Gray talks to political science lecturer Damon Linker about the latest developments in the Biden and Trump campaigns.  Why did Biden’s fiery State of the Union Address provide him no uptick in the polls? In what ways does Trump fatigue affect each candidate’s chances? And does Trump’s greater popularity with non-white low propensity voters skew the polls in his favour?

In the last episode, I discussed Chinese rural lives with Professor Scott Rozelle. One point he made which particularly stuck with me was the dying out of farming as an occuption – he'd said that most rural people under the age of 35 have never farmed a day in their lives. So that got me thinking, what do they do instead? In this episode I’ll be looking at one, very high profile, alternative – vlogging. I’ve noticed through my hours of scrolling through Chinese social media that there is a huge genre of rural, pastoral content. This is an interesting phenomenon both for what it says about the rural population today, as well as what it reveals about the – often – urban viewers on the other end. So today I’m joined by Yi-Ling Liu, a writer on Chinese society who has had bylines in the New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine and WIRED. She’s looked in detail at the phenomenon of the rural influencer. On the episode, we talk about a few of our favourite rural influencers. You can watch Li Ziqi's videos on YouTube here and 王大姐来了 (the middle aged rappers I mention) here.

Freddy Gray speaks to Matt McDonald, Spectator World's managing editor about the the vote to force a sale of TikTok to a US company, and foreign lobbying for and against the move in Washington.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: William Moore questions if the Church of England is about the apologise for Christianity (1:19); Sean Thomas recounts his experience taking ayahuasca in Colombia (8:13); Matt Ridley argues that private landowners make better conservationists (16:40); Lionel Shriver warns against pathological niceness in the debate about immigration (28:37); and, Kate Andrews reviews a play at the Olivier about Nye Bevan (36:57).   Presented by Patrick Gibbons.

In this episode of Holy Smoke, I'm joined by The Spectator's features editor William Moore, who asks in this week's issue of the magazine whether the Church of England is 'apologising for Christianity'. A report by the Oversight Group, set up by the Church Commissioners to make reparations for African slavery, not only wants to see unimaginable sums transferred to 'community groups' – its chair, the Bishop of Croydon, thinks a billion pounds would be appropriate – it also deplores the efforts of Christian missionaries to eradicate traditional religious practices. But, as Will's article points out, those traditional practices included idol-worship, twin infanticide and cannibalism. Are these part of the religious heritage that the C of E patronisingly wants African Christians to rediscover? Did missionaries and early converts to the faith who gave their lives for the faith die in vain? 

When it comes to retirement, working out how much you will need to set aside can seem like a monumental task. The average person has between 8 to 10 jobs over their lifetime. People are living longer – with the median retirement age at 65 and life expectancy at 80. What should people think about when planning for their pension? And what challenges do people face? Women are the most likely to suffer from pension inequality, with single women being the poorest of all pensioners. Almost a fifth of private sector employees do not do any pension saving, and a third of people expect to retire with only a state pension. To shine a light on some of the pension inequalities, Katy Balls is joined by Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Work and Pensions, Jackie Leiper, CEO of Embark Group and MD of Pensions at Scottish Widows, both part of Lloyds Banking Group, and Lauren Wilkinson, from the Pensions Policy Institute, and co-author of the Underpensioned report. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group.

On the podcast this week: is Rishi ready for a Red Wall rebellion?  Lee Anderson’s defection to Reform is an indication of the final collapse of the Tories’ 2019 electoral coalition and the new split in the right, writes Katy Balls in her cover story. For the first time in many years the Tories are polling below 25 per cent. Reform is at 15 per cent. The hope in Reform now is that Anderson attracts so much publicity from the right and the left that he will bring the party name recognition and electoral cut-through. Leader of Reform UK Richard Tice joins Katy on the podcast to discuss. (02:23) Then: Will and Lara take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Lloyd Evans’ Life column and Sean Thomas’ description of taking ayahuasca at Pablo Escobar’s cocaine and occasional execution palace.  Next: is the Church of England about to apologise for Christianity?  Our own William Moore writes this week about the C of E’s latest apology, which – if given – he says is tantamount to apologising for Christianity itself. This comes after the Oversight Group suggested the C of E gives £1 billion in reparations to atone for its historic links to the slave trade and instances of ‘deliberate actions to destroy diverse African religious belief systems.’ The Reverend Dr Jamie Franklin, host of the Irreverend podcast, joins Will to discuss. (21:19)  And finally: 'Operation Kenova: Northern Ireland Stakeknife Legacy Investigation’ was precipitated by claims that the British Army had an agent at the heart of the IRA. ‘Stakeknife’ was head of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit and was responsible for questioning, torturing and executing people the IRA suspected of being British agents. He was a British agent, passing on information to his controllers in the British Army. Now the Boutcher report has found that Stakeknife might have instigated more deaths than lives he saved during his time embedded in the terrorist organisation. Alasdair Palmer writes about it for our magazine and argues that infiltrators such as Stakeknife must have licence to do whatever necessary when fighting terrorism. Alasdair joins the podcast alongside Douglas Murray, The Spectator’s associate editor and author of the award-winning Bloody Sunday: Truth, lies and the Saville Inquiry. (34:21) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  We are always looking to improve the podcast, please send any feedback to: [email protected]

Freddy Gray speaks to author Robert Bryce whose recent docuseries Power Politics & The Grid explores the growing vulnerabilities of America's electric grid. On the podcast they talk about Trump vs Biden energy policy; why Europe needs America's energy and what environmentalism could look like in 2024. 

This week's Book Club podcast sees me speaking to the critic and novelist Lauren Oyler about her first collection of essays, No Judgment: On Being Critical. Lauren and I talked about the freedoms and affordances of the essay form; about how making and criticising art has been changed – and hasn't – by the advent of the digital age; why it's weird we all still treat the internet as if it's a new thing; and about why David Foster Wallace can still be a role-model even after his cancellation.

Alex Jackson is the founder of Sardine and currently head chef at Noble Rot, Soho. His cookbook Frontières: the food of France's borderlands is available now.  On the podcast, he tells Lara and Liv why the smell of chip fat reminds him of home, how his interest in cooking was ignited during time spent at university France, and divulges his desert island meal. 

On this episode of Spectator Out Loud, Mary Wakefield has a solution to smartphone addition (00:28), Hannah Tomes reviews the latest production of King Lear (07:27) and Cosmo Landesman gets high (11:13).

Freddy Gray is joined by John Rick MacArthur, president and publisher of Harper's Magazine to discuss Robert F. Kennedy junior and his candidacy in the presidential election.

On the podcast: what would Trump’s second term look like?  Vengeance is a lifelong theme of Donald Trump’s, writes Freddy Gray in this week’s cover story – and this year’s presidential election could provide his most delectable payback of all. Meanwhile, Kate Andrews writes that Nikki Haley’s campaign is over – and with it went the hopes of the Never Trump movement. Where did it all go wrong? They both join the podcast to discuss what to expect from Trump’s second coming. (03:11) Then: Will and Gus take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Michael Hann’s Pop review and Cosmo Landesman’s City Life column. (16:38) Next: Flora Watkins writes in The Spectator about on private schools. She discusses how she is taking her kids out of private school, partly because of a rise in school fees brought about by inflation and the cost of living and partly in anticipation of Labour imposing VAT on school fees. To debate, Julie Robinson – general secretary of the Independent Schools Council – and Fiona Millar – former education advisor to Tony Blair – join the podcast. (20:36) And finally: the rise of organised shoplifting. Shoplifting is on the increase, writes Harriet Sergeant, not because of struggling Britons, but because of organised criminals trafficking children, too young to be charged, from around Europe to steal from British shops. They view the UK as poorly policed but rich; the perfect place for stealing goods to sell on quickly. Harriet joins the podcast alongside Xander Cloudsley, a shoplifting activist from the organisation This Is Rigged. (31:36) Hosted by William Moore and Gus Carter.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  If you have any feedback, please contact us on: [email protected]

For this Super Tuesday discussion, Sarah Elliot – head of the Special Relationship Unit at the Legatum Institute joins Freddy Gray to chat about the predicted Trump-Biden victory; what Nikki Haley will do next and who could be Donald Trump's vice president. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Peter Pomerantsev. Peter's new book How To Win An Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler tells the story of Sefton Delmer, the great genius of twentieth-century propaganda. Peter tells me about Delmer's remarkable life, compromised ethics, and the lessons he still has to offer us.  

Too often our stories about China are dictated by the urban experience, probably because journalists inside and outside of China are often based in the big cities; Beijing specifically. Those who live in the cities also tend to be more educated, more privileged, and so able to dominate the global attention more.  That’s why I’m particularly keen to hear about the lives of those who still live in the countryside, or at least are still considered ‘rural residents’ by the Chinese government. They make up a sizeable proportion of the population, and you’ll hear that in my first question to my guest today, we discuss just how big this group is. How do the poorest in China live today, considering the government has announced that there is no more extreme poverty? Just how wide are their gaps in living standards, education, health, compared to their compatriots who live in the cities?  Professor Scott Rozelle joins me on this episode. He is the co-director of the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, a developmental economist who has been conducting research in China for over three decades. He is also the co-author of Invisible China: How the Urban-Rural Divide Threatens China’s Rise. Further listening from the archive: Second class citizens: the lives of China’s internal migrants: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/second-class-citizens-the-lives-of-chinas-internal-migrants/ Is China turning away from the world?: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/is-china-turning-away-from-the-world/ Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

Freddy talks to political technologist Eric Wilson about the role technology and media will play in the 2024 US election. They cover the differences in strategy between the Democrats and the Republicans, why television is still the best medium for reaching voters, and the role of social media influencers.  Produced by Natasha Feroze.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lukas Degutis reports from Riga, exploring Latvia’s policy of expelling Russian speakers (01:16); Ysenda Maxtone Graham explains why she believes applause has no place at a funeral (10:03); paying homage to Christopher Gunning, Richard Bratby argues that composers of ads, film soundtracks and TV theme tunes should be taken more seriously (14:46); and Toby Young questions the Bidens’ choice of dog (21:50).   Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons.

Thangam Debbonaire was born in Peterborough to an Indian father and English mother. She has been an MP since 2015 but before Parliament spent over 25 years working to end domestic violence. She served under Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Minister for Arts and Heritage and has served in Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet since his leadership as the Shadow Culture Secretary. Thangam is no stranger to a lively debate at the dispatch box and despite a busy life as an MP, still finds time for music, playing cello in Parliament as part of the string quartet, The Statutory Instruments.

Welcome to a slightly new format for the Edition podcast! Each week we will be talking about the magazine – as per usual – but trying to give a little more insight into the process behind putting The Spectator to bed each week. On the podcast this week: plan Bibi In the early hours of Friday morning, Benjamin Netanyahu leaked his ‘Day after Hamas’ plan for post-war Gaza. But the plan is not a plan, writes Anshel Pfeffer – it is just a set of vague principles that do not stand up to the slightest scrutiny. Its sole purpose is rather to keep the ministers of Netanyahu’s fragile cabinet together to ensure his political survival. Joining the podcast is former National Security advisor to Netanyahu and former head of the Israeli Professor Uzi Arad, to discuss Bibi’s self-interested survival strategy. (03:08) Also this week: Lara and Will discuss some of their favourite pieces from the magazine. Including Richard Bratby’s arts lead on the composer you should take far more seriously and Ysenda Maxtone Graham’s piece on the ‘sad clappies’. Then: why Latvia is expelling its Russian speakers. New rules mean that ethnic Russians, many of whom have lived in Latvia for their entire lives, have been told they need to learn Latvian or face deportation. In the magazine, Lukas Degutis, The Spectator’s editorial manager, interviews people affected by the illiberal policy, as well as the politicians defending the change as part of de-Russification of the Baltic states. We spoke to Lukas and Inga Springe, investigative journalist at Re:Baltica who has been across this story on the derussification of the Baltic. (22:16) And finally: why don’t we have more time, and when we do, why do we waste it? This is the central question of a new book by Gary S. Cross, titled: Free Time: The History of an Elusive Ideal. We thought this was the perfect question to ask our own Wiki Man columnist Rory Sutherland, who had some fascinating things to say about free time and how best to spend it. (34:39) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  If there are any areas of the magazine that you are particularly interested in or any questions you have for Will and Lara, please email: [email protected]. We will try and answer as many as we can in next week’s episode. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the award-winning novelist Colum McCann, whose new book takes him out of the territory of fiction and into something slightly different. American Mother is written in collaboration with Diane Foley, mother of Jim Foley, the journalist killed by ISIS in Syria in 2014. He tells me how he came to reinvent himself as (not quite) a ghostwriter, why he thinks you can use the tools of the fiction-writer to get at journalistic truth, and about what it was like to sit in the room with Diane Foley and the man who murdered her son.

In this special episode of Americano, The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson explores Trump's candidacy with political commentator Deroy Murdock, and The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews.  They debate the influence of his rhetoric on American politics. How important is language? Will his achievements as President be enough to secure his re-election? Does personality Trump policy?  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons

Freddy Gray speaks to James Kanagasooriam who is the chief research officer at Focal Data about the state of the polls. They discuss why vaccines have become a polarising topic for this election; why bookmakers might be underestimating Joe Biden and the importance of the cost of living.

With cases of neurodegenerative conditions rising in the UK, it's crucial to re-examine how we tackle these diseases. The Spectator's assistant editor Isabel Hardman speaks to Debbie Abrahams MP (co-chair of the Dementia APPG), Dr Emily Pegg (associate vice president at Eli Lilly), Dr Susan Kohlhaas (executive director at Alzheimer's Research), and Professor Giovanna Mallucci (principal investigator at the Cambridge Institute of Science).  Eli Lilly and Company has provided sponsorship funding to support this event, and has had no influence over the content of the event or selection of speakers

At a press conference in Rome last week, an ex-nun claiming to have suffered ritual sex abuse at the hands of Fr Marko Rupnik turned the heat on Pope Francis. How much did he know about the stomach-turning charges levelled at the Slovenian mosaic artist, who was a Jesuit until he was thrown out of the order? And, more important, when did he know? Why is Rupnik still a priest? The Pope's allies in the media are desperate for this story to go away. But, as this episode of Holy Smoke argues, the scandal is growing and threatens to engulf Francis himself. 

Julie Bindel speaks to anti-sexist campaigner and author Jackson Katz, who has been part of a growing movement of men working to promote gender equality. On the podcast, Julie and Jackson discuss the power of bystanders to end rape culture; how men come to be afraid of other men when calling out abusive behaviour; and how men can truly fight against gendered violence. 

This week: Max Jeffery writes from Blackpool where he says you can see the welfare crisis at its worst (01:29); Lisa Haseldine reads her interview with the wife of Vladimir Kara-Murza, whose husband is languishing in a Siberian jail (06:26); Christopher Howse tells us about the ancient synagogue under threat from developers (13:02); Philip Hensher reads his review of Write, Cut, Rewrite (24:34); and Calvin Po asks whether a Labour government will let architects reshape housing (34:42).  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Margaret Mitchell.

Freddy speaks to journalist and author of The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties, Chris Caldwell, about the human rights movement. Can America’s influence be considered imperial? Is how we think of human rights outdated? And, what does the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2011 intervention in Libya tell us about the state of human rights today?  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Patrick Gibbons

Welcome to a slightly new format for the Edition podcast! Each week we will be talking about the magazine – as per usual – but trying to give a little more insight into the process behind putting The Spectator bed each week. On the podcast this week: the cost of Britain’s mass worklessness. According to The Spectator’s calculations, had workforce participation stayed at the same rate as in 2019, the economy would be 1.7 per cent larger now and an end-of-year recession could have been avoided. As things stand, joblessness is coexisting with job vacancies in a way that should be economically impossible, writes Kate Andrews in the cover story. She joins the podcast alongside Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), to debate the problems plaguing Britain’s workforce. (03:11) Also on the podcast:  Lara and Will discuss some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Mark Mason’s piece on anti-depressive quality of cricket and Anne Robinson’s fantastic diary. (18:29) Then: In the arts section of the magazine, Calvin Po writes the lead. He asks whether a Labour government will allow architects to reshape houses as part of their flagship housebuilding plans. Telegraph columnist and author of Home Truths Liam Halligan joins the podcast to discuss Labour’s plans, whether they are realistic and if we can start to build better and more beautifully under a Labour government. (21:32) And finally: In his column this week Rod Liddle says that smartphones are all too successful and advocates for banning them altogether for children. Interestingly, he argues that we give children smartphones not for their convenience, but for the convenience of parents. He joins the podcast alongside Miranda Wilson, co-founder of Teched Off, a group which campaigns to keep young people safe online. Our editor Fraser Nelson also stops by to give his thoughts. (33:38) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. If there are any areas of the magazine that you are particularly interested in or any questions you have for Will and Lara, please email: [email protected]. We will try and answer as many as we can in next week’s episode. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Tom Chatfield, whose new book is Wise Animals: How Technology Has Made Us What We Are. He tells me what we get wrong about technology, what Douglas Adams got right, and why we can't rely on Elon Musk and people like him to save the world.  

Freddy speaks to philosopher Slavoj Zizek ahead of what we understand will be Julian Assange's final court appeal against extradition back to the US. The WikiLeaks founder has been wanted by the US authorities after he leaked tens of thousands of highly sensitive documents. On the podcast they discuss the parallels between Assange and Navalny, whether the West is beginning to behave more like the Soviet Union than we ever have, and if WikiLeaks was behind the election of Donald Trump. 

The Argentinian football star Lionel Messi has been trending on Weibo – and unfortunately, not for a good reason. It all started when Messi sat out a match in Hong Kong earlier this month. His reason – that he was injured – wasn’t good enough for some fans, and keyboard nationalists quickly took offence when Messi played in Japan, a few days later. The furore has dominated Chinese social media over the last few weeks, and even led to the cancellation of some upcoming Chinese matches with the Argentinian national team, as authorities demanded an apology from Messi. What a mess. But beyond its seeming triviality, this episode tells us something about the nature of Chinese online nationalism and it might also shed light on how football works within China. After all, why is it that China, which is so good at so many things, has still failed to turn out a competitive national team? That is the multi-billion yuan question that puzzles football fans within and outside of China. Joining Cindy Yu on the episode this week is Cameron Wilson, an expert on Chinese football and founder of the Wild East Football blog, who has lived in China for almost two decades. Produced by Cindy Yu and Max Mitchell.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud, Harry Mount reads his diary, in which he recounts a legendary face-off between Barry Humphries and John Lennon (00:45); Lara Prendergast gives her tips for male beauty (06:15); Owen Matthews reports from Kyiv about the Ukrainians' unbroken spirit (12:40); Catriona Olding writes on the importance of choosing how to spend one's final days (18:40); and Jeremy Hildreth reads his Notes On Napoleon's coffee. Produced by Cindy Yu, Margaret Mitchell, Max Jeffery and Natasha Feroze.

Freddy Gray speaks to Americano regular Jacob Heilbrunn about Lord Cameron's recent visit to DC, where he persuaded Congress to pass a bill sending aid to Ukraine. Jacob and Freddy also discuss why Jacob thinks Biden's mental capacity is over exaggerated, and what Nato could look like under Trump.

Justine Greening was born in Rotherham, the daughter of a steel worker and first in her family to go to university. Campaigning for the Conservatives, she won back a Tory stronghold from Labour in the 2005 general election becoming MP for Putney. She began politics in opposition, but became a Cabinet Secretary in David Cameron’s government, and remained there for Theresa May’s premiership as Education Secretary. Now having left Parliament, Justine is never far from politics – she founded the Social Mobility Pledge and now even runs her own podcast.

Welcome to a slightly new format for the Edition podcast! Each week we will be talking about the magazine – as per usual – but trying to give a little more insight into the process behind putting The Spectator to bed each week. On the podcast: The Spectator’s assistant foreign editor Max Jeffery writes our cover story this week, asking if Nato is ready to defend itself against a possible Russian invasion. Max joined Nato troops as they carried out drills on the Estonian border. Max joins us on the podcast along with historian Mark Galeotti, author of Putin's Wars. (00:55) Then: Lionel Shriver talks to us about the sad case of Jennifer Crumbley, the mum who's just been convicted of manslaughter – for her son carrying out a school shooting. Does this set a dangerous moral precedent? (16:05) And finally: would you stay in a haunted hotel? The travel writer Sean Thomas speaks to us from one in Cambodia, having written for the magazine about the places with grisly pasts that he has stayed in over the course of his career. We're also joined by Judith Blincow, owner of the Mermaid Inn in Rye, one of the most haunted hotels in the country. (26:10) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Cindy Yu. If there are any areas of the magazine that you are particularly interested in or any questions you have for Will and Lara, please email: [email protected]. We will try and answer as many as we can in next week’s episode. 

Freddy Gray speaks to author Joshua Green who wrote The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Struggle for a New American Politics. On the podcast they discuss the three rebels in the book; how they influenced Joe Biden in office; and whether the Democratic Party has given up ‘finance-centered’ liberalism.

Freddy Gray speaks to JL Partners Director Scarlett Maguire about America's swing states which could decide the general election. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Chris Bryant, who tells me about his new book James and John: A True Story of Prejudice and Murder. In it, he seeks to tell what can be known of the lives, world and fatal luck of the last two men executed for homosexuality in Britain.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

Professor Charles Spence is an experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on how an in-depth understanding of the human mind will lead to the better design of multi-sensory foods and products. He is the author of several books including his most recent, Sensehacking: How to Use the Power of Your Senses for Happier, Healthier Living. On this episode he talks about how he started experimenting with food and the human senses, working with Heston Blumenthal, and how he doesn't understand ice-cream.

Freddy is joined by Todd Bensman, fellow at the Centre for Immigration Studies and author of Overrun: how Joe Biden unleashed the greatest border crisis in US history. They discuss how to solve what is perhaps the issue of our time, why meaningful reform doesn't seem to happen on immigration, and the extent of Biden's physical and mental frailty after a week of public gaffes. 

This week: Svitlana Morenets takes us inside Ukraine's new plan for mass conscription (01:01); Paul Mason says that Labour is right to ditch its £28 billion green pledge (10:49); Robbie Mallett tells us about life as a scientist working in Antarctica (15:48); and Lloyd Evans reads his Life column (21:24).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Julie Bindel speaks to Björn Suttka, anti-sexist campaigner and co-founder of Male Allies Challenging Sexism. On the show they discuss how Björn changed his mind about the liberal approach to porn and sex work and how men can help in the fight for women’s liberation. 

Welcome to a slightly new format for the Edition podcast! Each week will be talking about the magazine – as per usual – but trying to give a little more insight into the process behind putting The Spectator to bed each week.  On the podcast: The Spectator's political editor Katy Balls writes our cover story this week about 'the plot' to oust Rishi Sunak. When former culture secretary Nadine Dorries made the claim in her book that a secret cabal of advisors were responsible for taking down prime ministers, she was laughed at. But with shadowy backroom fixers assembling to try and take down the prime minister, did she have a point? Katy joins the podcast alongside the Financial Times' Stephen Bush to discuss what makes a successful 'plot'. (03:11) Also: Lara and Will take us through some of their favourite pieces from this week's issue, featuring an extract from the 'letter from Antarctica', narrated by its author Robbie Mallet, a polar climate scientist at UiT the Arctic University of Norway. (15:33) Then: The Spectator's commissioning editor Mary Wakefield writes her column this week about XL Bullies. She says that coming face to face with one forced her to change her tune when it comes to the vilified breed and joins the podcast alongside XL Bully owner Sophie Coultard. (19:45) And finally: who knew women love flowers? Henry Jeffreys, for one. Ahead of Valentine's Day he writes this week about his surprise at learning that women do, in fact, love flowers. He speaks with Lara – a former florist herself – about the dos and don’ts of flower purchasing. (32:37) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. If there are any areas of the magazine that you are particularly interested in or any questions you have for Will and Lara, please email: [email protected]. We will try and answer as many as we can in next week’s episode. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Paula Byrne. In her new book Hardy Women: Mothers, Sisters, Wives, Muses, she investigates the women in the life and work of the great poet and novelist Thomas Hardy. She talks to me about Hardy's romantic life, the torture he inflicted on the women he fell for, and how – in the bitter words of his first wife Emma – 'he understands only the women he invents'. 

Freddy Gray is joined by pollster and writer Patrick Ruffini. They talk about why the strengthening economy isn’t improving Biden’s numbers, and the other factors that will influence the 2024 election.

At last count, the Chinese Communist Party has 98 million members, more people than the population of Germany. Its membership also continues to grow, making it one of the most successful and resilient political parties of the last a hundred years, perhaps with the exception of India’s BJP, which boasts 180 million members. And yet the CCP's track record is strewn with bloody crackdowns and systematic persecution. So what would drive someone to join the CCP, and what accounts for its success? Do party members today all support the atrocities committed by their government? I think these are important questions to ask, because without understanding the answers to them, one couldn’t understand China’s modern history or its society today.  To delve into the psychology of card carrying communists, I’m joined by two great guests in this week's episode. Xinran Xue is a Chinese journalist, who had a popular radio show in China in the 90s, before moving to the UK and becoming an author of numerous books on China. Her latest book is called The Book of Secrets, which is a memoir of sorts, where her protagonist was one of the founding members of the CCP’s intelligence service. I recently reviewed it for The Spectator. Professor Kerry Brown is Director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College London and a former diplomat in Beijing where he worked alongside Chinese government officials for many years. His latest book is China Incorporated: The Politics of a World Where China is Number One. On the episode, we discuss the party membership's divide between the intellectuals and the peasants; how the Cultural Revolution changed the party from an ideological body to a corporate one; and what a new generation of communists might have in store.

Last week Donald Trump was ordered to pay more than seventy million dollars to E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused him of sexual assault. Freddy speaks to Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver about some of the oddities of this case against the former president. 

On this week’s episode, Lionel Shriver asks if Donald Trump can get a fair trial in America (00:39), Angus Colwell speaks to the Gen-Zers who would fight for Britain (08:25), Matthew Parris makes the case for assisted dying (13:15), Toby Young tells the story of the time he almost died on his gap year (20:43), and Harry Mount tells us about the grim life of a Roman legionary (25:38).

Freddy Gray is joined in the office by Mike Baker a former CIA operations officer, CEO of the global intelligence and security firm Portman Square Group and host of the popular news podcast the President’s Daily Brief. 

Gina Miller was born in Guyana to a political family, but was sent to England for her education. Fleeing dictatorship, she couldn’t receive financial support from her family, and so began finding work in hotels and handing out flyers. With an entrepreneurial spirit, Gina set up her first company in 1987 – a property photographic company. Since then, her CV boasts a myriad of achievements, degrees, the Vanity Fair Challenger Award and financial services. But she is most well known as the woman who set up the first legal challenge to the government’s attempts to trigger article 50 in 2016. Since then, my guest has worked on many anti-Brexit campaigns and in 2021 she launched The True and Fair Party.

On the podcast: have the Tories given up on liberty?   Kate Andrews writes the cover story for The Spectator this week. She argues that after the government announced plans to ban disposable vapes and smoking for those born after 2009, the Tories can no longer call themselves the party of freedom. Kate is joined by conservative peer and former health minister Lord Bethell, to discuss whether the smoking ban is a wise precedent for the government to set. (01:22) Also this week: can the UAE be trusted on press freedom? At The Spectator that’s a question close to our hearts at the moment as we face possibly being sold off to an Abu Dhabi backed fund. In the magazine this week Anna Somers Cocks, co-founder of the Art newspaper, writes about her own experience dealing with the UAE as an art journalist. And it's not exactly a positive one. She joins the podcast alongside The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson. (20:03) And finally: can Gen Z be counted upon to defend Britain? Investigating in this week's magazine, The Spectator's assistant online editor Angus Colwell argues not. He speaks to people his own age about whether they would take up arms to defend King and country. This is of course in light of general Sir Patrick Sanders’ comment that Britain may need to resort to conscription if world events spiral further out of control. Angus joins the podcast alongside Dr Mike Martin, security expert and former British army officer. (31:16)   Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.    Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast my guest is Sathnam Sanghera, author of the new book Empireworld about the effect of British imperialism around the globe. He tells me why he's trying to get beyond the 'balance-sheet' view of imperial history, why we should all read W E B Dubois, and why he's not good at going on holiday.  Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

Freddy Gray sits down with host and producer of the 538 Politics podcast Galen Druke to discuss whether a Taylor Swift endorsement could sway the general election.

Edward Stourton is a broadcaster who has worked as foreign correspondent for the BBC, Channel 4 and ITN. He is the presenter of BBC Radio 4's Sunday Program, and presented the Today Program for ten years. He has authored eight books including his most recent, Sunday: A History of Religious Affairs through 50 Years of Conversations and Controversies which is available now.  On the podcast, he recalls chocolate-stuffed baguettes on Swiss ski slopes, reveals the disappointing breakfast options in the Today Program green room, and explains why heaven is eating oysters to the sound of trumpets. 

Julie Bindel speaks to Pala Molisa, an academic and life coach from Vanuatu, New Zealand. Pala has become an outspoken critic of sex work and the left's failure to accept the implications that a sexually liberated culture can have on women's safety. On the show, Pala and Julie discuss how the porn industry deliberately grooms children into becoming a 'customer for life'; Pala's research into post-colonial power structures and the onslaught of criticism Pala received from his academic writing.

Freddy Gray speaks to Jonathan Askonas, assistant professor of politics at the Catholic University of America about Jon Stewart's return to TV, and what role, albeit inadvertent, he played in Tucker's media success.

On this episode, Richard Dawkins explains how to convert an atheist like him to a Christian (00:37), Lisa Haseldine says the German army is in a dire state (05:53), Douglas Murray looks at the return of the Trump show (12:44), Cindy Yu reviews a Chinese intelligence officers account of life under the CCP (20:14), and Mary Wakefield wonders if it’s wrong to track her child (25:14).

On the podcast: gangsterism or government? The Covid Inquiry has moved to Scotland and, in his cover story for the magazine, our editor Fraser Nelson looks at the many revelations uncovered by Jamie Dawson KC. Fraser describes how civil servants were enlisted into what he calls an ‘SNP secret state’ and how SNP corruption is threatening devolution. Joining us to discuss is the Coffee House Scots team: Times columnist Iain Macwhirter, The Spectator’s data editor Michael Simmons and The Spectator’s social media editor Lucy Dunn who coordinates our Scotland coverage. (01:26) Also this week: With the UK army chief raising the prospect of conscription in the event of war with Russia, spare a thought for Germany whose plans to rebuild its army are already imploding. Lisa Haseldine, The Spectator’s assistant online editor, writes about the dire state of Germany’s army for the magazine and joins the podcast alongside Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. (14:58) And finally: is the customer – in fact – always wrong? The old maxim is that the customer is always right. But Quentin Letts, sketch writer for the Daily Mail, says that the adage has been reversed in recent times. It seems instead that the customer is always wrong, or can never be right. He joins the podcast to discuss the sorry state of modern customer service. (27:48) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

On this week’s Book Club my guest is the writer and psychoanalyst Adam Phillips, whose new book is On Giving Up. He tells me how literature relates to psychoanalysis, why censorship makes life possible, and what Freud got wrong. 

Freddy Gray is joined in New Hampshire by Ben Domenech, editor at large of Spectator World. On the podcast they discuss the pro-Trump establishment of the Republican party; how the Republican cohort have changed since the Obama election and what issues Trump can identify that appeal to voters. 

Today, the US and China are at loggerheads. There’s renewed talk of a Cold War as Washington finds various ways to cut China out of key supply chains and to block China’s economic development in areas like semiconductors and renewables. There’s trade, of course, but the imbalance in that (some $370 billion in 2022) tilts in China’s favour and only serves as another source of ammunition for America’s Sinosceptics. China, on the other hand, is also decoupling in its own way, moving fast to cut its reliance on imported technology and energy. At this moment, it seems like US-China tensions are inevitable – but look into the not so ancient history, and you’ll find a totally different picture. In fact, when it comes to Communist China’s early entry into the global economy, American policymakers and businesspeople were vital in the 1970s and 80s. You could even say that a big part of China’s economic success was ‘Made in America’. Cindy Yu is joined on the podcast by Elizabeth Ingleson, Assistant Professor of International History at the LSE, whose upcoming book contains some very interesting research on this question. It’s called Made in China: When US-China Interests Converged to Transform Global Trade. Cindy and Elizabeth discuss President Nixon's visit to China and how that opened up decades of American economic support to the Chinese miracle – including at the expense of its own workers.

Julie Bindel speaks Bob Jensen who is an academic and writer based in Toronto. Bob has authored several papers on the damaging and exploitative effects of the porn industry. On the podcast, Julie and Bob's feminist critique of pornography; why they have both become disillusioned by the left and how Bob got cancelled when he weighed into the gender wars. 

For this special Americano podcast, Freddy Gray is in New Hampshire with the Spectator US team, Matt McDonald and Zach Christenson covering the chilly primaries. Are both Ron De Santis and Nikki Haley's defeat a foregone conclusion?

This week: Spectator editor Fraser Nelson on why the Emirati ownership of the magazine matters (00:30), Robert Hardman on the time the King could have poisoned Rishi Sunak (06:24) and Michael Simmons on why sobriety isn't worth it (13:02).

Theo Clarke is Conservative MP for Stafford. She is the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kenya and sits on the International Development Select Committee. Before being elected she set up and sold her business and then went on to be Chief Executive of an international development charity backed by Bill Gates. Theo got involved in politics after the election expenses scandal and stood in Bristol East in 2015 and 2017. She currently Chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma and recently launched a national inquiry into this issue.

This week: The Spectator’s cover story looks at how Britain is sobering up, forgoing alcohol in favour of alcohol free alternatives. In his piece, Henry Jeffreys – author of Empire of Booze – attacks the vice of sobriety and argues that the abstinence of young Britons will have a detrimental impact on the drinks industry and British culture. He joins the podcast alongside Camilla Tominey, associate editor of the Telegraph and a teetotaler. (01:27) Also this week: could Mongolia be the next geopolitical flashpoint? The Spectator’s Wild Life columnist Aidan Hartley writes in the magazine about Mongolia’s fate, as the country tries to juggle a historic relationship with China and Russia, with desires for a stronger association with the West. Aidan joins us alongside Sergey Radchenko, the Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, to discuss Mongolia’s dilemma. (17:10) And finally: why isn’t Lenin as reviled as some of history’s other villains? To coincide with the centenary of Vladimir Lenin’s death, James Bartholomew writes about the increase in pro-Lenin sympathy amongst young people. He says that despite Lenin’s many crimes, around 15% of young people approve of him. To discuss James's article, Lara speaks to Robert Service, author of Lenin: A Biography. (27:39) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Applications to join the Spectator’s broadcast team will close on Sunday. So if you noticed any mistakes in this podcast, any inaccuracies or perhaps even a sloppy editing job in this podcast, then you could be exactly who we need. To apply, follow the link: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wanted-a-broadcast-producer-for-the-spectator-2/

In this week’s Book Club podcast, I’m joined by Rebecca Boyle to talk about her new book Our Moon: A Human History. She tells me how we know that the moon is more than just an inert lump of rock in the sky and how the whole of human life  – and civilisation – may depend on it.

Alexandra Collier is a Melbourne-based writer who has written for theatre, screen and print. She is a MacDowell fellow and a recipient of the RE Ross Trust playwrites' award. Her memoir Inconceivable, about her journey to becoming a solo Mum by choice, is out now.  On the podcast she tells Lara and Liv why restaurants are inherently theatrical places, discusses her experience with IVF, and explains that it takes a village to raise a child.  Photo credit: Karin Locke.

Just before Christmas, the Vatican's new doctrinal chief Cardinal Victor ‘Tucho’ Fernandez unveiled a new style of blessing designed to make gay couples feel at home in church without changing the Church's teaching on marriage. The Argentinian Tucho has for years been Pope Francis's protégé – but for how much longer? The new gay blessings, supposedly blessing the couple but not their union, have been decisively rejected by all the Catholic bishops of Africa, forcing Francis to backtrack and say they could ignore Fernandez’s decree. Then, last week, it was revealed that in 1998 Tucho published a book on, of all things, the theology of orgasms. It is jaw-droppingly graphic, has been widely described as ‘creepy’, and has encouraged leading cardinals hoping to succeed Francis to distance themselves from this pontificate. Listen to this episode of Holy Smoke if you want to know about the new crisis tearing apart the Catholic Church – but be warned: the erotic musings of the future Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith are not suitable for children. 

Julie Bindel speaks to Michael Conroy who teaches boys against rape, domestic violence and porn use. Michael set up Men At Work – an organisation that looks at 'macho culture', the different ways boys are brought up to fight, and in some cases become abusive towards women and girls.  

This week: Cindy Yu reads her piece ahead of the Taiwanese elections (00:54), Mary Wakefield discusses the US opioid crisis which she fears has come to the UK (07:13), and Natasha Feroze tells us about the rise of relationship contracts (13:26).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week: can anyone stop Trump?  The Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Guy takes a look at Trump's ‘second coming’ in his cover story. He says that despite Trump’s legal troubles, he is almost certain to receive the Republican nomination. Freddy joins the podcast alongside Amber Duke, who also writes in the magazine this week about the brides of trump: the women hoping to receive the nod as his running mate. Also this week: the old trope is that there is nothing more ex than an ex prime minister, but what about an ex MP?  In the magazine this week, The Spectator’s political correspondent James Heale says that Tory MPs expecting to lose their seats at the next election are jumping on the 'green gravy train' and taking up consultancy positions in the fast-growing climate sector. He joins the podcast alongside Edwina Currie, author, broadcaster, and former Tory MP, to talk about life after politics.  And finally: is self-publishing the future?  Alison Kervin, author and former sports editor at the Mail on Sunday, discusses the rise of self-publishing for The Spectator. In her piece, she praises its financial benefits and argues that it allows writers to overcome some of the problems caused by gatekeepers at the big publishing houses. Alison joins us alongside author and Spectator columnist, Lionel Shriver. Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. The Spectator is hiring! We are looking for a new producer to join our broadcast team working across our suite of podcasts – including this one – as well as our YouTube channel Spectator TV. Follow the link to read the full job listing: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wanted-a-broadcast-producer-for-the-spectator-2/

The Book Club will return next week! In the meantime we are revisiting Sam’s conversation from 2020 with Hadley Freeman whose book House of Glass tells the story of 20th century jewry through the hidden history of her own family. The four Glahs siblings — one of them the writer’s grandmother — grew up in a Polish shtetl just a few miles from what was to become Auschwitz. They fled the postwar pogroms to Paris; and then had to contend with the rise of a new and still more dangerous antisemitism under the Vichy regime. Hadley traced their story through two wars and across continents, and tells Sam how the story reflects both on Jewish history and urgent concerns of the present day. She even offers an intriguing cameo of the teenage Donald Trump…

Freddy Gray is joined by pollster James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners. They speak about the upcoming Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary, and whether Trump’s opponents have any chance of beating him. They also discuss the impact of Trump’s trials, and JL Partners’ viral word cloud which both Biden and Trump have been attempting to use to their advantage. (Photo credit: JL Partners) The Spectator is hiring! We are looking for a new producer to join our broadcast team working across our suite of podcasts – including this one – as well as our YouTube channel Spectator TV. Follow the link to read the full job listing: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wanted-a-broadcast-producer-for-the-spectator-2/

India is the fifth largest economy in the world, and now has a population larger than China’s. It’s no surprise, then, that officials in Washington often see India as a powerful non-western bulwark to growing Chinese power. On this episode of Chinese Whispers, Cindy Yu look’s at where China and India’s rivalry comes from. How much have long-lasting skirmishes on the China-Indian border damaged relations? How have demographics, economic competition and recent international conflicts affected the relationship between the two countries? And are the domestic politics of China and India in fact more similar than most westerners like to admit? Cindy Yu speaks to Avinash Paliwal, an international relations expert at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the author of India’s Near East: A New History.

Julie Bindel speaks to law academic, Michael Foran who is based at the University of Glasgow. Michael played a key role campaigning against Nicola Sturgeon who attempted to push through the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) – a bill allowing self identifying females into women's spaces. Michael wrote a legal paper to explain how the GRA could be in breach of equality laws – and bring down Sturgeon's campaign. 

This week: Svitlana Morenets explains why Ukrainians can't trust Putin's hollow promises (00:57), James Heale reads his politics column on Rishi's January blues (05:42), and Theo Hobson describes the joys of middle-aged football (10:54).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

For the first Americano episode of 2024, Freddy Gray is joined by Peter Wood, President of the National Association of Scholars to discuss Claudine Gay's resignation from Harvard University. On the podcast Freddy and Peter discuss Gay's accusations of plagiarism; how the row has became wrapped up in racism, and what this means for the future of affirmative action in America. The Spectator is hiring! We are looking for a new producer to join our broadcast team working across our suite of podcasts – including this one – as well as our YouTube channel Spectator TV. Follow the link to read the full job listing: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wanted-a-broadcast-producer-for-the-spectator-2/

On the podcast: In his new year’s address this year Vladimir Putin made no mention of the war in Ukraine – despite missile strikes over the Christmas period – and now Owen Matthews reports in The Spectator this week rumours that Putin could be looking to broker a land-for-peace deal. Unfortunately – Owen says – this deal would mean freezing the conflict along its current lines and the de facto partition of Ukraine. Owen joins the podcast alongside The Spectator’s Svitlana Morenets who gives her own take on Putin’s 'peace' deal in the magazine this week. (01:21) Next: Former Sky News and GB News broadcaster Colin Brazier writes a farmer’s notebook in The Spectator this week about his new life as a farming student. He brings to light how the culture wars have percolated into the world of agriculture and is joined by farmer and former Tory MP Neil Parish, to discuss. (26:18) And finally: are video games really a waste of time? The Spectator’s literary editor Sam Leith explains – in advance of his first video games column for the magazine – that video games are not in fact a waste of time but an artform which should be appreciated as such. He joins the podcast alongside Simon Parkin, writer, contributor to the New Yorker and the host of the My Perfect Console Podcast. (39:10). Hosted by William Moore. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. The Spectator is hiring! We are looking for a new producer to join our broadcast team working across our suite of podcasts – including this one – as well as our YouTube channel Spectator TV. Follow the link to read the full job listing: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wanted-a-broadcast-producer-for-the-spectator-2/ 

The Book Club is taking a brief Christmas break, so we have gone back through the archives to spotlight some of our favourite episodes. This week we are revisiting Sam's conversation from 2017 with the Pulitzer Prize winning historian (and former Spectator deputy editor) Anne Applebaum about her devastating new book Red Famine. The early 1930s in Ukraine saw a famine that killed around five million people. But fierce arguments continue to this day over whether the 'Holodomor' was a natural disaster or a genocide perpetrated by Stalin against the people and culture of Ukraine. Sam asks Anne about what we now know of what actually happened — and what it means for our understanding of the present day situation in the former Soviet Union.

Philip Hensher is a novelist and regular contributor to The Spectator’s books pages. His books cover a variety of subjects and often deal with important historical change, such as the fall of the Berlin wall and the war in Afghanistan. His most recent novel is To Battersea Park.  On the podcast, he discusses how he developed an affection for offal as a small child, the secret to an ‘austerely perfect’ carbonara, and why food is a such a great character device for novelists. 

The Book Club is taking a brief Christmas break, so we have gone back through the archives to spotlight some of our favourite episodes. This week we are revisiting Sam's conversation from 2017 with Robert Webb. His moving and funny book How Not To Be A Boy turns the material of a memoir into a heartfelt polemic about what he calls 'The Trick': the gender expectations that he identifies as causing many of the agonies of his adolescence and young manhood. What is it to be a man? Are we doomed to lives of inarticulacy, shagging, fighting and drinking — giving pain and fear their only outlet in anger?

Susan Hall is a born and bred Londoner running for one of the most important jobs in the city. After leaving school at 18 she had dreams of being a mechanic and struggled to get into technical college. She was later a business owner, running a beauty salon and hairdressing business.    Susan has been involved in politics for almost twenty years. Starting out first as a Councillor in Harrow, she later ran the Conservative group before leading the Council itself. In 2017 she joined the General London Assembly replacing Kemi Badenoch. Within two years she was running the Conservative group there too. Her rise in Conservative politics continues, as this year she was selected to be the Conservative candidate for the 2024 London Mayoral election. 

The Book Club is taking a brief Christmas break, so we have gone back through the archives to spotlight some of our favourite episodes. This week we are revisiting Sam's conversation from 2017 with Philip Collins, former speech writer to Tony Blair, about his book When They Go Low, We Go High: Speeches That Shape The World and Why We Need Them. He takes Sam through the history of rhetoric, how Camus is the original centrist Dad, and why David Miliband’s victory speech is perhaps one of the best speeches never delivered. 

Freedom of speech is one of the fundamental tenets of a liberal democracy, and yet threats to freedom of speech today don’t so much come from authoritarians abroad as they do from within. The idea of ‘no-platforming’ those you disagree with, or ‘cancelling’ them, has taken root in all forms of public debate, and increasingly so in science. The word ‘science’ can today often be a shorthand for ‘truth’, which creates an orthodoxy where diversity of opinion is not welcomed. Science is meant to be ongoing process of finding truth, where what each generation takes as given may well be overturned as we discover more. On this podcast, we will be looking into the question of free speech within science, and asking whether we have lost sight of what science means. Is it simply the case that in an age where misinformation travels at lightning speed, there needs to be greater restrictions on freedom of speech in science? Cindy Yu, assistant editor at The Spectator, is joined by Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an expert in health policy at Stanford University, David Willetts, a former science minister who sits on the board of a number of scientific bodies, and Dr Gizelle Baker, who trained in biometry and epidemiology and is the vice president of global scientific engagement at tobacco company Philip Morris International. Philip Morris International are kindly sponsoring this podcast.

Michel Roux Jr. is an English-French chef and is the chef patron of Le Gavroche, the first restaurant in the UK to received one, two and then three Michelin stars. Earlier this year it was announced that Le Gavroche will close its doors in January.  On the podcast, he recalls how his father would hand churn vanilla ice cream, reveals his fondness for both traditional French custard and English packet custard, and tells Liv and Lara why Le Gavroche is closing. 

On this week's episode, Peter Hitchens remembers a Christmas in Bucharest, Lionel Shriver says people don't care about Ukraine anymore, Ed West wonders if you can ‘meme’ yourself into believing in God, Mary Wellesley reads her ‘Notes On’ St Nicholas, and Melissa Kite says she had to move to Ireland to escape the EU‘s rules.

Welcome to this festive episode of the Edition podcast, where we will be taking you through the pages of The Spectator’s special Christmas triple issue.  Up first: What a year in politics it has been. 2023 has seen scandals, sackings, arrests and the return of some familiar faces. It’s easy to forget that at the start of the year Nicola Sturgeon was still leader of the SNP! To make sense of it all is editor of The Spectator, Fraser Nelson, The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls, and Quentin Letts, sketch writer for the Daily Mail. (01:06) Next: The story that has dominated the pages of The Spectator in the latter half of this year is of course the conflict in Gaza. Writing in the Christmas magazine, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Bloomberg Opinion columnist Niall Ferguson discusses the history of generational divide when it comes to geopolitical conflicts. This is partly inspired by a piece that Douglas Murray wrote earlier in the year, pointing out the generational divide in the Anglosphere when it comes to support for either Israel or Palestine. They both join the podcast to ask why the kids aren’t all right? (19:29) Then: In the Christmas magazine this year Charles Moore discusses the divine comedy of PG Wodehouse, and discloses to readers the various literary and biblical references contained within The Code of the Woosters. To unpack the Master’s references further and discuss the genius of Wodehouse, Charles is joined by evolutionary biologist and author, Richard Dawkins. (41:03)  And finally: who would put on a village Christmas play?  This is the question Laurie Graham asks in her piece for The Spectator where she rues her decision to once again take charge of her community's Christmas play. It’s a struggle that our own William Moore knows all too well. He has written and will star in his local village Christmas play this year. Laurie and William join  the podcast to discuss how to put on a great Christmas play. (57:30).  Throughout the podcast you will also hear from The Spectator’s agony aunt Dear Mary and the special celebrity guests who have sought her advice in this year's Christmas magazine, including Joanna Lumley (17:43), Nigel Havers (39:36), Sharron Davies (55:56) and Edwina Currie (01:10:59).  Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is the food historian Pen Vogler, author of the new Stuffed: A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain. Pen tells me how crises have affected British food culture from the age of enclosures onwards, how rows over free school meals are nothing new, and why the Christmas pudding tells the story of Empire.

Taiwan goes to the polls in just over a month. This is an election that could have wide repercussions, given the island’s status as a potential flashpoint in the coming years. The incumbent President, Tsai Ing-wen, is coming to the end of two elected terms, meaning that she cannot run again. Her party’s chosen successor is William Lai – Lai Ching-te – who is the current vice president. For most of this year, he has been facing off opposition from the Kuomintang, the biggest opposition party in Taiwan, and the Taiwan People’s Party, a third party led by the charismatic Ko Wen-je. Lai remains in the lead with a month to go, but polls show that the KMT is only a few points behind, meaning that an upset is still possible. Since Taiwan became a democracy, it’s the KMT that has been the party calling for closer relations to China, and Tsai and Lai’s DPP that has been more pro-independence and pro-West. Given Beijing has shut off the hotline with Taipei in protest of the DPP since Tsai was first elected in 2016, if Lai wins in January, relations with Beijing are unlikely to get better. But how can the KMT justify closer relations with China, when it seems like the world is in a different place compared to 2015, the last time the KMT held the presidency? Joining the episode is William Yang, a Taipei-based freelance correspondent, who has written for Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, the Guardian and the Times.

This week: James Heale reads his politics column on Sunak's migration minefield (00:55), Michael Simmons says that Scotland's 'progressive' teaching methods have badly backfired (05:53), and Mary Wakefield asks: why can't I pray in Westminster Abbey? (11:40) Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.

Jacqui Smith was born in Malvern, where she joined the Labour party aged 16. After graduating from Oxford, Jacqui moved to London and worked briefly as a parliamentary researcher but trained to be a teacher and became head of economics. The temptation to electoral politics eventually pulled her back. Having failed the first time, Jacqui became the MP for Redditch in 1997 – labeled one of ‘Blair’s babes’.  Within two years, Jacqui joined the government, and under Gordon Brown, she became the first female Home Secretary, a post she later described as a ’poisoned chalice’ to her successor. She resigned over a dispute related to parliamentary expenses, spending a few years as backbench MP. Since leaving politics Jacqui has served as Chair on several public and private posts. Now she co-hosts the LBC weekly show with Iain Dale and chairs two NHS trusts.

In her cover piece for the magazine this week, The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls writes that whilst Keir Starmer’s accession seems certain, his agenda is less so. She tries to piece together what a Labour government would look like and which areas they will chose to prioritise. Katy joins the podcast alongside Paul Mason, the journalist who is seeking a Labour seat at the next election. They debate: does Keir Starmer stack up? Also on the podcast: Journalist and scriptwriter Gareth Roberts writes in the magazine this week about the fading art of the pantomime dame and pleads with us to take the politics out of drag. He is joined by The Spectator’s business editor – and occasional pantomime dame – Martin Vander Weyer.  And finally:  The Spectator’s arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic writes the arts lead for the magazine this week about Iris Barry, the pioneering Spectator film critic who he transformed British cinema. He joins the podcast to discuss. Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

How should we think of the 26 million people in the UK living with a long-term health condition? Under the current system, only a handful of long-term conditions are prioritised. This leads to a huge strain on NHS resources and capacity later down the road, as long-term health conditions comprise 50 per cent of all GP appointments and 70 per cent hospital bed days. What's more, 2.5 million working-age adults are out of the labour market because of long-term sickness. How do we better make the NHS – and politicians – accountable to these patients? With treatment and care of patients with long term conditions estimated to take up around £7 in every £10 of total health and social care expenditure, we urgently need fresh thinking to grasp the scale and scope of this challenge.  Isabel Hardman hosts this special episode of Spectator Briefings with a panel of expert guests: Guy Opperman MP, Minister for Employment Lord Nick Markham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for the Lords) - DHSC Richard Sloggett, Founder – Future Health Research Georgina Carr, Chief Executive – Neurological Alliance Todd Manning, VP and General Manager – Abbvie UK Developed in association with and funded by AbbVie. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Arthur Conan Doyle's biographer (and historical consultant to the new BBC TV programme Killing Sherlock) Andrew Lycett. Introducing his new book The Worlds of Sherlock Holmes: The Inspiration Behind the World's Greatest Detective, Andrew tells me about the vexed relation between the great consulting detective and his creator, and the extraordinary afterlife of this apparently ephemeral creation.  

Tara Wigley is the in-house writer for the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, she also has a weekly column in the Guardian and a monthly column in the New York Times which she shares with Yotam Ottolenghi. On the podcast she reminisces about her father's 'egg in the cup', the secret to a great Ottolenghi recipe, and takes Lara and Liv through her new book How to Butter Toast, which is written completely in verse.

This week: Katy Balls on what the Elgin Marbles row is really about (00:56); Lionel Shriver on feckless politicians when it comes to immigration (06:43) and Marcus Walker on his rage against multi-faith prayer rooms (15:37).

On the podcast: In her cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator's assistant editor Cindy Yu – writing ahead of the COP28 summit this weekend – describes how China has cornered the renewables market. She joins the podcast alongside Akshat Rathi, senior climate reporter for Bloomberg and author of Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions, to investigate China's green agenda. (01:22) Also this week: Margaret Mitchell writes in The Spectator about the uncertainty she is facing around her graduate visa. This is after last week's statistics from the ONS showed that net migration remains unsustainably high, leaving the government under pressure to curb legal migration. Margaret joins the podcast with Michael Simmons, The Spectator’s data editor. (13:07) And finally: why not eat man’s best friend? This is the question that Sean Thomas grapples with in his piece for the magazine this week. He writes in light of the news that South Korea aims to ban eating dogs and recalls his experience sampling dog meat in Cambodia. He is joined by The Spectator’s vintage chef, Olivia Potts. (21:42) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

On this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is Guy Kennaway, whose new novel Good Scammer sprinkles a protective dusting of fiction over the true story of the real-life king of Jamaica's phone scammers. Guy tells me why telephone fraud might be considered ad-hoc reparations for slavery, why James Bond is a Jamaican, and why the island on which he has lived for 35 years is in no danger of turning into Switzerland-in-the-Caribbean.  

Across the span of China, a country as big as Europe, there are countless regional dialects and accents – perhaps even languages. Often, they're mutually unintelligible. The Chinese call these ‘fangyan’, and each Chinese person will likely be able to speak at least one fangyan, while also understanding Standard Mandarin, the official language of the People's Republic. It means that the Chinese are more multilingual than you might think. But it also means that the question of language is inherently a political one. Standard Mandarin has a relatively short history, created by the country’s founding fathers to unify the spoken word in a huge country. But with the ubiquity of Standard Mandarin now, is fangyan at risk of dying out? Joining the episode is Gina Tam, a historian and author of Dialect and Nationalism in China.

This week: David Swift looks at whether hope remains in Jaffa, Isreal (00:51); Mary Wakefield on the civil service’s ‘say my name’ campaign (06:49) and Peter Hitchens on his time in prison (13:17). 

Alison McGovern sits on Labour’s front bench as the shadow minister for work and pensions but was first elected as an MP in 2010. Growing up in Merseyside, her grandfather was a folk singer who wrote ‘My Liverpool Home’. Her father was a railwayman that campaigned for better working conditions, but it was her mother that sparked her interest in politics. Following a successful career as Labour councillor she went onto win her seat for Wirral South. Alison has led several senior posts for Labour, which began as Gordon Brown’s parliamentary secretary, then Opposition Whip, Shadow Minister for international development, Shadow Education, Shadow Treasury Minister and Shadow DCMS Minister.

On the podcast: Anshel Pfeffer writes The Spectator’s cover story this week. He voices concern that support from Israel’s allies might begin to waver if they don’t develop a viable plan after the war finishes. Paul Wood – former BBC foreign correspondent – and Dennis Ross – former Middle East coordinator under President Clinton and advisor to President Obama – join the podcast to debate whether Israel can rely on its allies. (01:18) Also this week: In the Books section of the magazine this week we review Andy Stanton’s new book Billy The Blue Whale. It has a fascinating inception and was co-authored by the machine learning tool ChatGPT. Andy is joined by crime author Ajay Chowdhury, who is also known for using AI as a writing tool, to discuss whether AI is the future of fiction. (23:02) And finally: when is it acceptable to date a widower? This is the question that Elisa Segrave ponders in her piece in the magazine. She says that recently bereaved men are much sought after, and joins the podcast alongside Cosmo Landesman, journalist and former dating columnist for the Times. (35:45) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Freddy Gray talks to McKay Coppins, author of the New York Times bestselling book 'Romney: A Reckoning'. Romney has announced he will not seek reelection in 2024. What next for the 'never-Trumper', could he support the creation of a new centrist party? And how does he feel about the significant losses in his career?

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is the art critic Jonathan Jones. The term 'renaissance' is out of fashion among scholars these days, but in his new book Earthly Delights: A History of the Renaissance Jonathan argues that it points to something momentous in human history. On the podcast, Jonathan makes the case for what that something is – which is perhaps more heretical, and less Italian, than we might have remembered.

Celia Walden is a journalist, novelist and critic whose most recent novel, The Square, is out now. On the podcast she tells Lara and Liv why lentils are her ultimate comfort food, explains the joys of a buttered scotch pancake and discloses her husband Piers' signature dish, 'spaghetti Morganese'. 

This week, Svitlana Morenets says Ukraine’s counteroffensive is not living up to the hype (00:59), Sean Thomas says he likes travelling to crappy towns (10:27), and Angus Colwell defends London’s rickshaw drivers (17:38).  Presented and produced by Max Jeffery.

How we achieve net zero is more than just a political or environmental decision. It is one that will have huge societal impacts. How we get our energy translates to how we move around, how we heat our homes. It’s a reminder that the energy transition has many trade-offs, as we navigate achieving net zero while protecting the wellbeing of people and industry, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.  Might hydrogen be part of the answer? In this special podcast, The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews speaks with those working in government, NGOs, and industry about how to unlock this technology. She is joined by Chris Stark, Chief Executive of Climate Change Committee (CCC); Chris Skidmore MP, author of the government’s net zero review; Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of Energy UK; and Jon Butterworth, CEO of National Gas.  This podcast is kindly sponsored by National Gas. 

On the podcast: It's been a busy week in Westminster. On Monday, Rishi Sunak's first major reshuffle saw Suella Braverman sacked and David Cameron make a surprise return to politics.  Then two days later, the Supreme Court's Rwanda ruling left the government's pledge to 'stop the boats' in tatters. It was meant to be the week in which Rishi Sunak had hoped to stamp his authority on a fracturing party, but it seems to have only added to the narrative of Tory disrepair. Katy Balls writes about Rishi’s last gamble in the magazine this week, and joins the podcast alongside Kate Andrews, The Spectator’s economics editor. (01:01) Also this week: Svitlana Morenets writes a candid account of the current state of the war in Ukraine for The Spectator. After visiting the frontline recently, she concludes that Zelensky needs to start being upfront with the population about the harsh realities on the battlefield and abandon his current line of tactical optimism. She is joined by Owen Matthews, The Spectator’s Russia correspondent, to discuss. (15:05) And finally: what happened to the golden era of television ? Zoe Strimpel writes in the arts section of the magazine this week that after a boom in quality TV starting in the early 2000s, we are now in the televisual dark ages. She joins the podcast alongside James Delingpole, regular television reviewer for The Spectator. (32:51) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast my guest is Terry Hayes, author of the squillion-selling thriller I Am Pilgrim. He tells me about invisible submarines, taking advice on crucifixion from Mel Gibson, and why it took him ten years to follow up that first novel with his new book The Year of the Locust.

Controlling history is key to the Chinese Communist Party’s control of the country. Whether it’s playing up the ‘century of humiliation’, or whitewashing past mistakes like the Great Leap Forward or the Tiananmen Protests, the Party expends huge effort and resources on controlling the narrative. That’s why it’s so important and interesting to look at those Chinese people who are documenting the bits of history that the Party doesn’t want you to know about. They interview survivors from Communist labour camps, or keep their own memoirs of the Cultural Revolution, and try to keep the memory of past horrors alive through film, magazines and paintings. A new book called Sparks documents their work. Its author is Ian Johnson, a Pulitzer-Prize winning writer and long time China journalist. Ian calls these people the ‘underground historians’. He joins this episode of Chinese Whispers. Visit https://minjian-danganguan.org/ to see some of their work documented, in an upcoming website founded by Ian and others. Produced by Cindy Yu and Patrick Gibbons.

When I was in Rome last month, I watched the 'synod on synodality' fizzle out while the Marko Rupnik sex scandal took another sinister turn (and various Catholic journalists shamefully tried to suppress the story). But don't worry: this episode of Holy Smoke is devoted to more uplifting matters. I visited the ancient little church of Saints Cosmas and Damian on the edge of the Forum, which incorporates the remains of a pagan temple and a secular Roman basilica or meeting place. The contrast between the darkness of one and the light of the other had powerful theological significance for those Roman Christians who were encouraged to build their first official churches by Constantine. And I was lucky to have it explained to me by one of the world's leading architectural historians, Dr Elizabeth Lev. We spoke, sometimes sotto voce, inside the little church, with tour guides and visitors swirling around us. So, apologies for the inevitable background noise, but I hope you'll agree that it doesn't get in the way of Liz's gripping narrative. 

This week, Michael Simmons looks at the dodgy graph thats justified the second lockdown (00:55), Christopher Howse examines what happened to received pronunciation (05:56), and Melissa Kite wonders whether Surrey’s busybodies have followed her and her boyfriend to Cork (14:47). Presented and produced by Max Jeffery. 

Arlene Phillips was born in Lancashire, but moved to London to pursue her love for dance. She started age 3 and by the age of 20 she became a dance teacher. From here she formed the dance troupe Hot Gossip and made regular appearances on the Kenny Everett show, catapulting her into the public eye. She went on to be involved with some of the biggest productions on West End – including Grease, Guys and Dolls and the Sound of Music. She’s also choreographed films such as 1982’s Annie and has worked with some of the stars like Freddie Mercury and Tina Turner. In 2004 Arlene was on the original judging panel for Strictly Come Dancing – now one of the nation’s favourite shows. Arlene has no shortage of awards and most recently received royal praise, being awarded a Damehood in the 2021 Birthday Honours.

On the podcast: In his cover piece for The Spectator Ian Acheson discusses the potential disruption to Armistice Day proceedings in London this weekend. He says that Metropolitan Police Chief Mark Rowley is right to let the pro-Palestine protests go ahead, if his officers can assertively enforce the law. He joins the podcast alongside Baroness Claire Fox to discuss the problems of policing protest.  Next: are smartphones making us care less about humanity?  This is the question that Mary Wakefield grapples with in her column in The Spectator. She says it’s no wonder that Gen Z lack empathy when they spend most of their lives on social media. She is joined by Gaia Bernstein, author of Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies. And finally: Alan Hollinghurst writes this week about Ronald Firbank, the innovative but little known English author who has recently been awarded a blue plaque. In the magazine he sets out the reasons why he is so deserving and is joined alongside The Spectator's literary editor Sam Leith, to discuss further.  Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast, I'm joined by the novelist Jonathan Lethem. Two decades after his breakthrough book The Fortress of Solitude crowned Lethem the literary laureate of Brooklyn, he returns to the borough's never-quite-gentrified streets with the new Brooklyn Crime Novel. He tells me why he felt the need to go back, and talks about race, intimacy, realism, the 'non-fiction novel' – and why he regrets his beef with the critic James Wood.

Victoria Hislop is a bestselling author and a lover of all things Mediterranean. Victoria’s first book 'The Island', came out in 2005 and became an immediate international best-seller. Victoria’s subsequent novels have explored the Spanish Civil War, Cyprus and the Greek islands, and she’s celebrated for cleverly combining history, culture, family, time and place into fascinating stories. Her latest book ‘The Figurine’, is out now and it deals with the contentious subject of acquiring cultural treasures. Now an honorary Greek citizen, Victoria divides her time between Kent and Athens. Presented by Lara Prendergast. Produced by Linden Kemkaran.

Every year, The Spectator travels the country in search of the best and boldest new companies that are disrupting their respective industries. In a series of five podcasts, we will tell you about the finalists for 2023's Innovator of the Year Awards, sponsored by Investec. The awards winners will be announced in a prize ceremony in November. Listeners will have heard businesses in all sorts of fields – from consumer goods to health technology, from sustainability to the cutting edge of British engineering. But what about the companies that make these businesses work? The behind-the-scenes, boiler room people who offer services to businesses themselves. These days, with advancement in artificial intelligence, their work has been made more effective than ever before. Britain, after all, brought us Alan Turing and Tim Berners-Lee. Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator's business editor, judges the awards and hosts this podcast along with three other judges: Melissa Readman, partner and investor director at ESM Investments, a fund which invests in early stage companies; Caroline Theobald CBE, an entrepreneur and co-owner of FIRST, which provides enterprise training to young people and business leaders; and Michelle White, co-head of Investec's private office. The finalists in this category are: Igloo Vision, which creates immersive spaces using virtual reality for companies and organisations. Synthesia, an AI video creation platform that produces videos quickly and cheaply. ComplyAdvantage, which uses AI and machine learning to carry out financial due diligence for corporate clients. SoPost, which uses a digital platform to help streamline supply chains for retailers. Good-Loop, which converts clicks on online ads into revenue for partnership charities. Yoti, which provides digital IDs for identity verification. Exclaimer, which provides email signature solutions for the marketing and other needs of businesses. LegalVision, which provides legal advice on an affordable, subscription basis. Finboot, which uses blockchain to help businesses track the environmental impact of their supply chains. Huboo Technologies Ltd, which takes care of the storage and shipping needs of e-commerce businesses that don't have their own warehouses.

Every year, The Spectator travels the country in search of the best and boldest new companies that are disrupting their respective industries. In a series of five podcasts, we will tell you about the finalists for 2023's Innovator of the Year Awards, sponsored by Investec. The awards winners will be announced in a prize ceremony in November. This episode showcases the finalists in the Sustainability and Social Purpose category. These businesses all want to make the world a better place – whether that’s through helping reduce our emissions or giving back to the local community. They believe that business isn’t just for profit, but for a purpose. Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator's business editor, judges the awards and hosts this podcast along with three other judges: Eva-Maria Dimitriadis, CEO of The Conduit Connect, which connects businesses with an eye to social and environmental impact with investors and mentors; Clive Bawden, chief operations officer of Warwick Music Group, a company that makes affordable instruments made from plastic and a former winner of the Innovator of the Year Awards; and Michelle White, co-head of Investec's private office. The finalists in this category are: Coracle, which provides digital education to prisoners. Beam, which supports homeless and other disadvantaged people to get jobs, homes and skills. Agricarbon, which provides affordable and accurate soil carbon audits in aid of regenerative farming. Aqua Metrology Systems Ltd, which provides water monitoring to local municipalities, to ensure their water is safe. Sunamp, which uses patented 'heat batteries' to store heat produced by heat pumps, instead of water tanks. Celtic Renewables, which produces sustainable chemicals from unwanted wastes and residues. CeraPhi, which uses the earth's heat, accessible from end-of-life oil and gas wells, to produce clean energy. NatureSpace Partnership Ltd, which helps housing developers and local authorities check for newts, a protected species, in proposed sites for building.

This week: Katy Balls reads her politics column on Keir Starmer's ceasefire predicament (00:54), Matthew Parris warns us of the dangers of righteous anger (06:48), and Fabian Carstairs tells us how he found himself on an internet dating blacklist (14:29).  Presented by Oscar Edmondson.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson. 

This week: The Covid Inquiry has reached its more dramatic stage this week with the likes of Domic Cummings, Lee Cain and Martin Reynolds giving evidence. But in his cover piece for the magazine Carl Heneghan, professor of evidence-based medicine at the University of Oxford and director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, says that the Hallett Inquiry is asking all the wrong questions, and is preoccupied with who said what on WhatsApp. He joins the podcast alongside Tom Whipple, science editor at the Times to go through this week's revelations. (01:43). Also this week: will Israel succeed in its stated aims? In the magazine this week Hugh Lovatt, senior policy fellow at the European Council of Foreign Relations, argues that Israel has misjudged growing support for Hamas throughout the Middle East and underestimates how hard the group will be to eradicate. He joins the podcast to discuss. (17:49). And finally: Fabian Carstairs, who works for The Spectator’s digital team, writes this week about his surprise at finding himself on the Facebook group, 'Are we dating the same guy?' The group aims to highlight ‘red flag men’ in the hope of protecting women. He is joined by Flora Gill, freelance journalist who investigated the group for the Times. (29:25).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is Nicholas Shakespeare, author of Ian Fleming: The Complete Man. He tells me about the astonishing secret life of a writer whose adventures in espionage were more than the equal of his creation's; and about the damaged childhood and serially broken heart of a man far kinder and more sympathetic than his biographer had ever suspected. 

Every year, The Spectator travels the country in search of the best and boldest new companies that are disrupting their respective industries. In a series of five podcasts, we will tell you about the finalists for 2023's Innovator of the Year Awards, sponsored by Investec. The awards winners will be announced in a prize ceremony in November. The businesses in this category are reinventing the very staple goods that we, as consumers, use everyday, from pet food to laundry tabs. You might not think that much can be done to improve on them, but some bright British entrepreneurs have come up with great ideas. Finalists include a subscription service for children’s bikes, so you can trade up as your children grow, and prams that can gently rock your baby to sleep while playing soothing background sounds. The finalists in this category are: Rockit, which produces affordable vibrating devices that gently rock prams, strollers and cots to give parents some time off. The Friendly Chemical Co, which produces eco-friendly household, personal care and laundry products. Bike Club, which is Europe's largest subscription provider of children's bikes. Pets Purest, which creates all-natural supplements to treat ailments in pets, such as digestive, skin and joint issues. Lovat Parks Ltd, which is a provider of holiday homes and caravan parks. Net World Sports, which sells premium sports equipment at cost. Cascade Cash Management Ltd, which helps customers get the best returns on their savings. Smartify, a culture and museums app, which has partnered with more than 700 cultural institutions internationally. Picture News, which produces thought-provoking and engaging news resources to help teachers explore current affairs with pupils of all ages.

All cultures care about their cuisine, but the Chinese must have one of the most food-obsessed cultures in the world. You may have come across the classic Chinese takeaway with dishes like sweet and sour pork, or you may like Cantonese dim sum, and some of you may be big fans of Sichuanese cooking. But China has so much more to offer than what has made across into the West’s Chinese restaurants. Thankfully, that’s changing and quite fast. Part of the education campaign to bring more of the diversity and richness of Chinese cuisine to the West is the work of people like Fuchsia Dunlop. She trained to cook in Chengdu and is one of the most engaging and thoughtful writers on Chinese cuisine in the English language. Fuchsia Dunlop joins Cindy Yu on the podcast today, to mark the publication of her new book, Invitation to a Banquet, which is all about the history, meaning and diversity of Chinese cuisine.

Every year, The Spectator travels the country in search of the best and boldest new companies that are disrupting their respective industries. In a series of five podcasts, we will tell you about the finalists for 2023's Innovator of the Year Awards, sponsored by Investec. The awards winners will be announced in a prize ceremony in November. In the West, the UK was the first country to create a national health service, free at the point of use. And yet 75 years on, it’s rare that a winter goes by without some kind of crisis in the NHS. And that’s not even to mention the impact of the pandemic on waiting lists. In this category we’re looking at innovations in the British health industry. How can we do things better? Many finalists in this category are relying on AI and better data collection, which can help with screening for cancer and more efficiently distributing medicines; some of them are literally inventing new technologies, patenting new materials to use in dentistry, for example, or 3D-printing personalised vitamins. Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator's business editor, judges the awards and hosts this podcast along with three other judges: Jonny Olson, executive chair of Touchlight, a biotech start-up specialising in producing DNA at speed; Nicholas Hardie, non-executive director at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; and Michelle White, co-head of Investec's private office. The finalists in this category are: Nourished, which uses 3D printing to produce personalised vitamin supplements. Ethoss Regeneration Ltd, which has developed and patented a novel bone graft material for use in dentistry. iEthico, which has developed an AI-powered platform to optimise the distribution of medicine to tackle shortages. Locate a Locum, which has connected locum pharmacists to pharmacies in need using a digital platform. Nuclera, which enables researchers to obtain active proteins from DNA at speed. Attomarker, which uses nanotechnology to measure human biomarkers in the diagnostics process. Kheiron Medical Technologies, which uses AI for early diagnosis of breast cancer.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud, Peter Oborne reads his letter from Jerusalem (00:55), Kate Andrews talks about why Rishi Sunak has made her take up smoking (07:20) and Jonathan Maitland explains his growing obsession with Martin Bashir (12:15). Presented by Cindy Yu. Produced by Cindy Yu and Natasha Feroze.

The UK is facing a housing crisis hitting both buyers, renters and those who aren’t in a position to live in a stable home. Factors such as rising mortgage rates and inflation mean that people are increasingly struggling to meet their housing costs, especially those on low incomes – and women disproportionately fall into that bracket.  There are a number of reasons for this: of all jobs that pay less than the living wage – 60 per cent are held by women. Over the course of a woman’s lifetime her income can be seriously affected by taking time out to care for children or elderly relatives. Even in higher paid jobs, women still earn less than their male counterparts. Katy Balls speaks to a specialist panel of guests to discuss housing crisis from a female perspective: Rachel Maclean – Minister of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Esther Dijkstra – the Managing Director of Intermediaries at Lloyds Banking Group; and Clare Miller – the Group Chief Executive for Clarion Housing Group. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group. 

On the podcast: In his cover piece for the mag this week, political scientist, Yascha Mounk has written about why identity politics has polarised our understanding of race. And why the left has come to divide groups into oversimplified categories of ‘the oppressors’ and ‘the oppressed’. Also this week: Can we trust photographs to paint a true picture of a story? The Israel-Palestine conflict has been one of the most documented wars to date. But with AI manipulation and staged imagery, is there a way of differentiating between real and fake news? Bryan Appleyard CBE and Eliot Higgins from Bellingcat discuss. And finally: There has been a new rise in Paganism over the past few decades and now students can apply for a degree in Magic and Occult Science – but how scientific really is it? Spectator writer Andrew Watts joins the podcast alongside Oxford PhD student Lois Heslop.

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the film writer Peter Biskind. In his new book Pandora’s Box, he tells the story of what’s sometimes called “Peak TV” – and how a change in business model (from network to cable to streaming) unlocked an extraordinary era of artistic innovation, and uncovered an unexpected darkness in the public appetite to be entertained.

John Nichol is a former RAF Tornado navigator who, during the first Gulf War in 1991, was famously shot down, paraded on television and held prisoner by Saddam Hussein. John wrote movingly about his experience in his first book, 'Tornado Down', and has gone on to write fifteen more best-selling books. His latest, 'Eject, Eject', is out now. He also loves food, is very fond of cooking and often posts pictures on social media of his many and varied culinary creations. Presented by Olivia Potts. Produced by Linden Kemkaran.

Every year, The Spectator travels the country in search of the best and boldest new companies that are disrupting their respective industries. In a series of five podcasts, we will tell you about the finalists for 2023's Innovator of the Year Awards, sponsored by Investec. The awards winners will be announced in a prize ceremony in November. This episode will be focusing on the manufacturing and engineering category. Some of the nominees have found novel uses for old materials, often finding a much more sustainable way of producing things. A couple of them use cutting edge engineering – including graphene, a miracle material rediscovered right here in the UK, by the University of Manchester. Britain is, of course, the home of the industrial revolution. These modern homegrown champions are keeping that legacy alive. Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator's business editor, judges the awards and hosts this podcast along with three other judges: Gabriel Fysh, entrepreneur and Director at Transcend Packaging, a former winner of the awards; Ian Ritchie CBE, an engineer and entrepreneur, who sits on the board of a number of companies in Scotland and in the IT and engineering sphere; and Michelle White, co-head of Investec's private office. The finalists in this category are: The Cheeky Panda, which makes tissue and hygiene products from bamboo. THIS™, which makes meaty-tasting plant-based foods, from sausages to chicken. QLM Technology Ltd, which has invented a quantum gas lidar technology to detect greenhouse gases. MacRebur Limited, which uses waste plastic to replace bitumen in road surfacing. Partful, which helps manufacturers with an end-to-end repair process by locating components and parts. Graphene Innovations Manchester, which aims to replace highly-emitting cement with graphene in construction. Equipmake, which produces ultra-high-performance electric motors, power systems and vehicle drivetrains. Paragraf, which mass produces graphene-based electronic devices using standard semiconductor processes.

This week:  Katy Balls discusses the SNP’s annual conference and asks what will it take to hold the party together if things get much tougher over the next twelve months (01:10), Christina Lamb goes to Ukraine, only to be told that she’s 'at the wrong war' as events unfold rapidly in the Middle East (06:55), and Sam Leith chats to the man who heads up the tiny publishing house that regularly churns out Nobel Prize winners (12:13).  Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran. 

This week Freddy speaks to Dennis Ross, former Middle East coordinator under President Clinton and current Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. They discuss Biden's visit to Israel this week, how his policy towards the Middle East borrows from Trump and Obama, and how we can discern between the public posturing and private desires of Middle Eastern states. 

Kate Mosse is an international best-selling author who’s sold millions of books, translated into 38 different languages. She describes herself as a feminist and has worked hard to champion other female authors by creating the Women’s Prize for Fiction and non fiction - now the UK’s most prestigious annual book award. Kate isn’t afraid to use her platform to address issues she feels strongly about. In 2013, she was awarded an OBE for services to women and literature. Born in West Sussex, my guest still lives there now, alongside her childhood sweetheart and they have two children.

On the podcast: In The Spectator's cover piece Jonathan Spyer writes that as America's role in international security diminishes history is moving Iran’s way, with political Islam now commanding much of the Middle East. He is joined by Ravi Agrawal, editor in chief of Foreign Policy and host of the FP Live podcast, to discuss whether America is still the world's policeman. Also this week: In the magazine this week, The Spectator’s literary editor Sam Leith speaks to Jacques Testard, publisher at Fitzcarraldo Editions, the indie publishing house which has just won its fourth nobel prize in under ten years. They have kindly allowed us to hear a section of their conversation in which they discuss the joy of translations, how a literary publishing house should exist as a work of art in and of itself and why winning prizes isn’t everything. And finally: In his arts lead, journalist Dan Hitchens reviews Georgian Illuminations, an exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum on the golden age of public spectacle. He joins the podcast alongside Louise Stewart, co-curator of the exhibition, to uncover how the Georgian's invented nightlife. Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the novelist Sandra Newman, whose new book Julia retells George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four from Julia’s point of view. We discuss the spaces Orwell’s classic left for her own novelistic imagination, what we do and don’t know about the world of Big Brother, and whether the misogyny in Orwell’s original belongs to the author or the dystopia he depicts.

When China brokered a historic detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this year, it seemed that a new phase in world history – and certainly in Chinese foreign policy – had opened up. Instead of the US being a policeman of the world, it was the rising power, China, that was stepping into that role. Whereas Chinese foreign policy had previously only really cared about promoting trade and silencing dissidents, it seemed that perhaps, now, Beijing was taking a more leadership role in global diplomacy and security issues. And yet the events of the last week and China’s response to them have shown that perhaps the country isn’t ready for that responsibility just yet. In response to the horrors unfolding in Israel and later Gaza, Beijing has given only lukewarm statements, calling for 'relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians'. At no point has it condemned Hamas by name. So what does this mean for China’s grander ambitions in the Middle East? With me to discuss is Tuvia Gering. During peacetime, his full time role is as a researcher on China and the Middle East, with the Israeli thinktank the Institute for National Security Studies and he is also a nonresident fellow in the Atlantic Council. But in the last week, as with all Israelis, his life has been changed forever. He’s now been called up for active duty. What you’re about to hear is an incredibly well informed but raw contribution from an expert whose research interests have come crashing into his real life.

This week Paul Wood delves into the complex background of the Middle East and asks if Iran might have been behind the Hamas attacks on Israel, and what might come next (01:11), James Heale ponders the great Tory tax debate by asking what is the point of the Tories if they don’t lower taxes (13:04) and Robin Ashenden on how he plans to introduce his half Russian daughter to the delights of red buses, Beefeaters and a proper full English (18:36). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran

This week Freddy speaks to Andrew Cockburn, Washington editor of Harper's Magazine, about America's response to the developments in the Middle East. On the podcast they discuss the 'squad' (a section of Democrats who have been making pro-Palestinian noises), how America and Israel's surveillance system allowed the attack to happen, and the importance of the conflict ahead of next year's presidential election.

This week: Paul Wood writes for The Spectator about the role that Iran potentially played in the Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend. He says that it is unlikely that the proscribed terrorist group acted alone and joins the podcast alongside Uzi Arad, former national security advisor to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (01:22) Also this week:  Labour conference in Liverpool has come to end and, as always with conference season, the best events took place on the fringes. Katy Balls our political editor spoke to London mayor Sadiq Khan and they have kindly allowed us to hear a section of their discussion, where they cover anti-seminitism, ULEZ and the upcoming mayoral election in May. (27:29) And finally: Former Labour MP Sion Simon writes in the magazine this week about his experience losing his sight and his battle with ‘internalised ableism’. He joins the podcast to tell us what he has learned from going blind. (43:39) Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

In this week's Book Club podcast, we're celebrating 50 years of a unique classic – Richard Adams's Watership Down – and its forthcoming adaptation in graphic novel form. I'm joined by Richard Adams's two daughters Juliet and Rosamund, who tell me how a story that their dad started telling them to beguile a long car journey became one of the best selling children's books of all time, how that changed their father's life, and how Fiver's prophesy, alas, is finally coming true. 

Ewan Venters is the former chief executive of Fortnum & Mason and is now the CEO of Artfarm and Hauser & Wirth. Ewan is launching Artfarm’s first London venture combining food, drink and art which will also mark the revival of the historic Mayfair landmark, The Audley. Presented by Olivia Potts. Produced by Linden Kemkaran.

Fraud, by some margin, is the biggest crime in Britain. How did it spin out of control? Who is responsible? And who do we call to tackle and prevent the biggest menace in the digital era? The Spectator's economics editor, Kate Andrews is joined by an esteemed panel for this discussion, kindly sponsored by TSB and hosted at Conservative Party Conference. Also on the panel: Tom Tugendhat MP, Minister of State – Minister for Security, Victoria Atkins MP, Finance Secretary, Bob Wigley, Chair – UK Finance, Richard Hyde, Senior Researcher and Lead on Fraud - Social Market Foundation and Paul Davis, Fraud Director - TSB.

This week Melissa Kite mourns the Warwickshire countryside of her childhood, ripped up and torn apart for HS2, and describes how people like her parents have been treated by the doomed project (01:15), Nigel Biggar attempts to explain the thinking behind those who insist on calling Britain a racist country, even though the evidence says otherwise (06:38) and Matt Ridley enters a fool’s paradise where he warns against being so open-minded, that you risk your brain falling out (13:01). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran.

Freddy speaks to Roger Kimball, editor of the New Criterion and columnist for The Spectator's US edition. After Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker of the House this week, they discuss why the Republican party is such a mess.

Rosie Duffield is the Labour MP for Canterbury and one of the most well-known faces in British politics. She first became an MP in 2017, a historic win which overturned 99 years of Tory rule. Since becoming an MP, Rosie has spoken out against issues such as Brexit, the two-child policy and most famously for her views on self-ID. On the podcast she talks how she never expected to win her seat; the isolation she has faced from inside her party as a gender-critical feminist and why she thinks that the Labour Party is slowly moving back towards her. 

This week: Katy Balls writes in her cover piece that after Tory conference the battle lines have now been drawn between the two main parties. She says we should prepare for a 'presidential campaign' ahead of the 2024 election and joins the podcast alongside The Spectator’s editor Fraser Nelson to discuss the dividing lines between Labour and the Conservatives. (01:17). Also this week: In her column Lionel Shriver says that she is leaving the UK for the sunnier climes of Portugal. She argues that Britain has lost its way both economically and culturally and is joined by another American expatriate Kate Andrews, The Spectator’s economics editor. (15:37). And finally: Matt Ridley writes that we are entering a new age of gullibility. He says that our fascination with monsters, aliens and everything in between has overcome our common sense. He joins the podcast with Ian Keable, magician and author of The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in Eighteenth-Century England to debate whether as a country we are uniquely gullible. (26:53).  Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week Winston speaks to David Goodhart, author of The British Dream: Successes And Failures Of Post-War Immigration, which celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year. On the podcast they discuss the state of immigration in the UK. Is home secretary Suella Braverman right to suggest that immigration an existential threat to the West? Has multiculturalism failed?

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Caspar Henderson, whose new book A Book of Noises: Notes on the Auraculous really is a journey into sound. He tells me why the music of the spheres – at least in this solar system – is a terrible racket, what we can learn from whale earwax, and why bat-squeaks are, in fact, very very loud indeed. 

This week Freddy Gray takes a trip to Planet Biden and imagines what would happen if little green men invaded earth and found a big orange one back in the White House (01:15), Kate Andrews finds herself appalled by the so-called ‘advice’ routinely handed out to women that can be at best, judgemental, and at its worst, slightly bullying (12:51), and Lloyd Evans spills the beans on searching for love on his recent blind date, courtesy of the Guardian (07:13). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran

This week Freddy is joined in The Spectator offices by regular contributor and fellow of urban studies at Chapman University, Joel Kotkin. They discuss Biden and Trump's respective attempts to burnish their credentials with the unions this week, how the cultural agenda is alienating voters, and whether technology could prevent the coming of neo-feudalism.

On the podcast this week: Lord Sumption makes the case for leaving the ECHR in The Spectator's cover piece. He says that the UK has strong courts and can pass judgement on human rights by itself and joins the podcast alongside Dr Joelle Grogan – legal academic and head of research at UK in a Changing Europe – to discuss whether the Strasbourg has lost its appeal. (01:22). Also this week: Rory Sutherland takes a look at the rise of dynamic pricing in the magazine, a new trend where prices can surge at peak times and a phenomenon which has now made its way into pubs. He says that it’s not necessarily the cost that matters, but the way it is framed and is joined by Times business columnist Ryan Bourne to debate. (17:10) And finally: is a Guardian Blind Date the most effective way of finding love?  This is the question that Lloyd Evans wonders in his piece for the magazine, detailing his experience being set up by the national newspaper. He joins the podcast alongside journalist Cosmo Landesman, whose dating columns I’m sure many listeners will remember. (33:02).  Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the writer, broadcaster and academic Mary Beard. In her new book, Emperor of Rome, she explores what we can and can’t know about the men who ruled the Roman Empire, and what the lurid stories about so many of them tell us about the anxieties and fantasies of Rome’s ordinary citizens and the remarkable resilience of the regime. We also discuss, among other things: decapitated ostriches, fatal rose petals, and Mary’s robust reappraisal of Marcus Aurelius’s 'sub-Stoic' maundering.

Diana Henry is a critically acclaimed, multi-award winning cook, food writer and author of 12 books including the classic cookbook 'Roast Figs, Sugar Snow', which has just been updated and re-released twenty years after it was first published. Diana also writes for newspapers and magazines, and presents food programmes on TV and radio.  On this podcast Diana shares childhood memories of her mother's baking, how 'Little House on the Prairie' influenced her writing and when, on a French exchange trip, she learned how to make the perfect vinaigrette. Presented by Olivia Potts. Produced by Linden Kemkaran.

Matthew Parris, just back from Australia, shares his thoughts on the upcoming referendum on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (01:08). Dan Hitchens looks at church congregations and wonders why some are on the up, while others are in a spiral of decline (08:32), and Leah McLaren describes the delights of audio and tells us why young children should be heard, but not seen (17:57). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran

This week: Christopher Caldwell writes The Spectator's cover piece on Italy’s new wave of migrants. This is in light of the situation in Lampedusa which he argues could upend European politics. Chris joins the podcast alongside Amy Kazmin, Rome correspondent at the Financial Times, to debate Europe’s escalating migrant crisis. (01:23) Also this week: In his column, Matthew Parris writes about Australia’s Voice vote, a yes/no referendum being held on whether to establish a new body which will advise parliament on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is a source of real controversy in the country, and Alexander Downer – former Australian minister for foreign affairs and leader of the Liberal Party between 1994 and 1995 – joins Matthew to discuss. (16:07) And finally: why do some Churches rise and others fall?  In the magazine, journalist Dan Hitchens writes a tale of two churches by comparing the fastest growing – Elim Pentecostal church – and the fastest shrinking church in the UK – United Reformed church. He is joined by Revd Marcus Walker, Rector of the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, London. (31:29) Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week Winston speaks to journalist Mary Harrington about her new book, Feminism Against Progress. 

In this week's Book Club podcast I'm talking to Sarah Ogilvie about the extraordinary story of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary, as told in her new The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary. She tells me why the OED was different in kind from any previous English dictionary, how crowdsourcing made it 'the Wikipedia of its day', and how – as she discovered – quite so many cranks, murderers, perverts and foreigners took such an interest in it.

Two years ago, Richard Moore, head of MI6, said that China was now the organisation’s ‘single greatest priority’. Parliamentarians and the British public have been starkly reminded of this by last week’s news that a parliamentary researcher had been arrested on suspicion of spying for China. This episode won’t be commenting on the ins and outs of that case, but talking more generally about Chinese espionage. What forms does it take, what are its goals and how successful are the Chinese secret services at achieving those? Cindy Yu is joined by Nigel Inkster, the former director of operations and intelligence for MI6. He has served in Beijing and Hong Kong, and is now the senior adviser on cyber security and China at the think tank IISS. Produced by Cindy Yu.

Cindy Yu tells the story of how she got to know Westminster’s alleged Chinese agent and the astonishment of seeing herself pictured alongside him when the story broke (01.12), Charlie Taylor, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, talks breakouts, bureaucracy and stabbings, and wonders – where have all the inspirational leaders gone? (06.45), and Petroc Trelawney shares his classical notebook and describes a feeling of sadness as the BBC Proms wraps up for another year (11.54). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran.

On the podcast this week: Boris Johnson writes The Spectator’s cover piece, urging the West to supply more military assistance to Ukraine, in order to bring a swift end to the war. Former commander of the joint forces Sir Richard Barrons and The Spectator’s Svitlana Morenets join the podcast to ask why aren't we giving Ukraine what it needs? (01:21) Also on the podcast:  Charlie Taylor, His Majesty’s chief prisons inspector, writes in the magazine about the state of crisis in British prisons. This is in light of Daniel Khalife's escape from Wandsworth prison last week. Charlie is joined by David Shipley, commentator and former inmate at Wandsworth to discuss the state of crisis in British prisons. (16:37) And finally:  In the arts section of the magazine Rod Liddle writes about the new Rolling Stones single, supposedly their best in decades. He joins the podcast alongside Will Hodgkinson, chief rock and pop critic at the Times to debate whether rock and roll really is dead. (25:34) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Winston speaks to Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, about the Online Safety Bill, the Digital Services Act and whether Britain will be the next surveillance state.

In this week's Book Club podcast, I'm joined by Francesca Peacock to talk about the remarkable life and extraordinary work of Margaret Cavendish, the 17th-century Duchess of Newcastle. Famous in her own day for her bizarre public appearances and nicknamed 'Mad Madge', the author of The Blazing World has been marginalised by posterity as an eccentric dilettante. But in her new book Pure Wit, Francesca sets out to reclaim her as a serious feminist writer before feminism was generally thought of, and as a radical thinker in natural philosophy. She tells me about the contradictions of 'Lady Bashful' who lived to be famous, this happy wife who wrote scaldingly about marriage, and this autodidact who nevertheless wasn't afraid to take on Hobbes, Descartes and the dusty fellows of the Royal Society. 

Kate Andrews talks crumbly concrete, overcrowded trains, NHS waiting lists, and describes the general air of despair and asks – who broke Britain? (01.15). Katy Balls analyses Keir Starmer’s reshuffle and describes the appearance of a New Labour restoration as the party prepares for power (11.20), and Max Pemberton outlines the worrying increase of Tourettes and tics in children, neglected during lockdowns and possibly damaged for life (17.25). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran.

On the podcast: In her cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews writes that political short termism has broken Britain. She joins the podcast alongside Giles Wilkes, former number 10 advisor and senior fellow at the Institute for Government, to ask what went wrong? (01:12) Also this week: In his column Douglas Murray writes about Burning Man, the festival which has left Silicon Valley’s finest stuck in the mud. He is joined by David Willis, who has been covering the festival this year for the BBC, to discuss the schadenfreude of Burning Man. (14:41) And finally: Travel writer Sean Thomas argues in The Spectator that having a pet is far worse for the planet than flying and warns that all pet owners should watch their ‘carbon pawprint’. He joins the podcast alongside Rachel Spencer, freelance writer and pet blogger. (25:13) Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Linden Kemkaran. 

The Book Club podcast returns next week. In the meantime, here's another from the archives, and one which looks more timely now even than it was when we recorded it in 2017. Here's perhaps Russia's most prominent dissident writer, Masha Gessen, talking about their book The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia. 

For thousands of years, Confucianism has run through the fabric of Chinese society, politics and culture. Decades of Communism has taken its toll on China, so can it still be considered a Confucian country? Joining the episode is one of the world’s leading experts on the philosophy, Professor Daniel Bell. In 2017, he was appointed the dean of Shandong University, an unusual appointment for a foreigner in China but one based on his expertise in Confucianism, in the province of Confucius’s birth. His new book, The Dean of Shandong: Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese university, details some of the ups and downs of his time in that position.

This week Katy Balls asks whether Rishi is a risk taker or whether he’ll choose to play it safe as Conference season approaches (01.17), Owen Matthews explains why America is still Ukraine’s best hope for victory (07.27), Kate Andrews is totally baffled and exasperated by the British refusal to get checked out by a doctor (15.34) and Ian Thomson reports from Sicily on the Godfather, Greek Temples and a misunderstanding involving mascarpone cheese (20.50). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran.

This week Freddy speaks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, about Vivek Ramaswamy. What does he stand for? Could he be the ideal candidate for Trump's vice president? 

This week: In his cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator’s political correspondent James Heale writes that the PM’s visit to New Delhi for the G20 Summit next week could be a defining moment in the special relationship between Britain and India. He is joined by Shanker Singham, former advisor to UK Secretary of State for International Trade, to discuss Rishi's Indian summer. (01:18) Also on the podcast: Owen Matthews The Spectator’s Russia correspondent expresses his concern about the US’s waning support for Ukraine in the magazine this week. He argues that ultimately it is America – and the outcome of next year's presidential election – that could decide Ukraine’s fate. He is joined by Jim Townsend, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence (DASD) for European and NATO Policy, under the Obama administration. (12:08) And finally: when was the last time you cleared out your freezer drawer? Ysenda Maxtone Graham celebrates the joys of freezer food for the Spectator’s notes on this week and joins the podcast alongside The Spectator’s vintage chef and co-host of The Spectator’s food and drink podcast, Table Talk, Olivia Potts. (28:24) Hosted by Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Listen to Lara and Olivia's fortnightly food and drink podcast here: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcasts/table-talk/

As Sam is still away, we've dug out one our favourite podcasts from the archives. Back in 2019 Sam spoke to the historian Tom Holland, about his book Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind. The book, though as Tom remarks, you might not know it from the cover, is essentially a history of Christianity and an account of the myriad ways – many of them invisible to us – that it has shaped and continues to shape Western culture. It’s a book and an argument that takes us from Ancient Babylon to Harvey Weinstein’s hotel room, draws in the Beatles and the Nazis, and orbits around two giant figures: St Paul and Nietzsche. Is there a single discernible, distinctive Christian way of thinking? Is secularism Christianity by other means? And are our modern-day culture wars between alt-righters and woke progressives a post-Christian phenomenon or, as Tom argues, essentially a civil war between two Christian sects? 

The Hon. Mr Justice Mostyn was a British high court judge who left the Bench just a few weeks ago. Nick Mostyn enjoyed a long and distinguished career and earned the nicknames 'Mostyn Powers' and 'Mr Payout' after winning vast sums for ex-wives in high-profile divorce cases. Recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he went on to form the cult podcast 'Movers and Shakers' with fellow sufferers Jeremy Paxman and Rory Cellan-Jones. To join a special live episode of 'Movers and Shakers' on Wednesday 6th September 2023, click on this link: https://youtube.com/live/xH_uejTjCLU?feature=share

This week James Heale describes the mess the Conservative Party has got itself into when selecting its parliamentary candidates (01.17), Svitlana Morenets is in Ukraine witnessing first hand the tragedy of how troops are dying for want of proper medical supplies and training (06.59), Melanie McDonagh discusses the art of kissing and when a kiss is not just a kiss (18.22) and Richard Madeley shares with us his diary in which he ponders Queen songs and cancel culture and the shocking case of Lucy Letby (22.07). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran

On the podcast this week: In his cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray says that he was hardly surprised that Donald Trump chose not to participate in last night’s Republican candidates debate. He argues that Trump no longer needs the TV networks and joins the podcast alongside Douglas Murray, who profiles the no-hoper Republican candidates looking to pip Trump to the nomination in his column. (01:21) Also this week: Mark Millar, the comic book writer and producer behind Hollywood hits such as Kingsman, Kick Ass and a host of Marvel films, writes The Spectator’s notebook. He discusses everything from London’s fading glory to his new Netflix series The Chosen One, and joins the podcast to tell us how to shock a Satanist. (11:29) And finally: should trans women be allowed to compete in women’s chess? It seems a fairly obvious question on the surface, with no physical advantage to be gained in games of chess. However, John MacGhlionn argues that there are hormonal and cognitive factors which give men the advantage in this week’s magazine. This is in light of the decision by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to ban trans women from competing in women’s events. Chess enthusiasts and regular Spectator contributors Debbie Hayton and Zoe Strimpel join us to set out the arguments for and against FIDE’s controversial decision. (16:08) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

178 miles to the east of Beijing, there’s a beach resort called Beidaihe. The water is shallow and the sand is yellow and fine. Luxurious holiday villas dot the coastline. Starting from the 1950s, leaders of the Chinese Communist Party have moved their families and work to Beidaihe in the summer, making the beach resort something of a summer capital. Secrecy clouds the gatherings, and though this tradition continues, today the resort seems to serve a much more leisurely purpose when the CCP visits. On this episode, I’m joined by the historian James Carter and Bill Bishop, editor of the very popular Sinocism newsletter, to discuss where Communist leaders go, when they go on summer holiday. What is the changing role of Beidaihe, and what does this tell us about the changing nature of Communist leadership? Presented by Cindy Yu. Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

This week: James Heale reads his politics column on why the Tories should fear the Greens (00:56), Lisa Haseldine outlines some of the changes to Russia's school curriculum (06:04) and Neil Clark extols the joys of non-league football (13:02).   Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week: The cover of The Spectator magazine looks at whether after years of Covid-based disruption, rising cost and lecturer strikes, university students are getting what they paid for. The Spectator’s data editor Michael Simmons writes a sidebar in which he rails against some of the changes that are happening to university freshers’ week and joins the podcast alongside Emma de Saram, Guild president at the Exeter University Student’s Guild. (01:26) Also this week: In the magazine we are running an interview by The Spectator's special projects editor Ben Lazarus with professor Jim Skea – the new head of the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) and arguably the most important man in climate science. Ben and Jim kindly allowed us to share a section of their discussion, where they talk about the 1.5 degree target, activist groups and if the messaging on climate has failed. (14:55) And finally: do dogs want ice cream? That’s the question that Mary Wakefield wrestles with in her column this week in The Spectator. With supermarkets now stocking everything from dog ice cream to dog caviar, she argues that we have lost our collective minds. Sir Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at the University of Manchester, joins the podcast. (24:00) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

James Dreyfus is an actor, best known for his roles in TV sitcoms The Thin Blue Line and Gimme Gimme Gimme. James also appeared in the film Nottinghill and has a long and distinguished stage career. On the podcast, James talks about his early memories of food living between France and America; some of the catering throughout his acting career and how that's changed over the years; and his time on Hell's Kitchen at the mercy of Gordon Ramsay. 

Freddy Gray speaks to Inez Stepman, a Lincoln Fellow at the Claremont Institute who was last on Americano to discuss the overturning of Roe vs Wade last year. As seen in the November midterms, could this be a winning issue for the Democrats who are gearing up for the general election?

This episode of Spectator Out Loud features Katy Balls on the new divisions within the Labour Party and what Jeremy Corbyn might run for next (01.08); Peter Hitchens describes the joys of cycling and his dislike of e-bikes and scooters (07.40); and Anthony Horowitz joins us from Crete where he ponders the end of the world, becoming a grandfather and travel limitations after Brexit (13.11)  Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran

Freddy Gray is joined by Spectator columnist Lionel Shriver and Rob Henderson to discuss Putin’s view of the western world and ask – does he have a point? Also on the show... William Moore takes aim at the covert 'lawfare' crushing countryside field sports; Ben Schreckinger talks about the Hunter Biden trial; Peter Hitchens and Henry Mance debate the menace of e-bikes and Julie Bindel explains why she’s fed up with sourdough bread. To watch Spectator TV click here

This week: It’s a special episode of the Edition podcast because our very own William Moore writes The Spectator’s cover piece, on how rural pursuits are being threatened by lawfare from countryside groups. Jonathan Roberts, who leads the external affairs team at the Country Land and Business Association, joins us to discuss whether disillusioned rural Tories could look to Labour at the next election. Also this week: In his piece in The Spectator, journalist Andrew Kenny writes about the rise of Julius Malema and his Economic Freedom Fighters. He warns that South Africans should beware its new rising political star and joins the podcast alongside Ernst Roets, author of Kill the Boer: Government Complicity in South Africa’s Brutal Farm Murders. And finally: Could testosterone be the missing piece in HRT treatments for menopause symptoms? This is what The Spectator’s Linden Kemkaran investigates in the magazine and she joins us alongside Dr Sarah Ball, GP and Menopause Specialist. Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the journalist and author Celia Brayfield whose new book Writing Black Beauty: Anna Sewell and the story of animal rights, takes us back to the 19th century. Celia describes how Anna Sewell's writing of the Black Beauty book ultimately led to the kinder treatment of horses, and we both recall fondly the popular TV adaptation with its soaringly emotive theme tune.

Laura Dodsworth is a photographer, artist and author. In her most recent book Free Your Mind: The New World of Manipulation and How to Resist it, Laura draws on the Nudge Unit, behavioural psychology and fact checking services to analyse the range of ways in which our minds are manipulated. On the podcast, Laura talks about the government propaganda machine and how this all relates back to issues such as climate catastrophe, the pandemic and free speech. 

At the end of last year, some thought that the Chinese economic recovery after three years of zero Covid could happen just as fast as zero Covid itself ended being government policy. I admit, that included me. And yet, more than halfway into 2023, that recovery looks increasingly elusive. The Chinese economy has failed to shake off its own long Covid while other structural problems have reared their heads. What does the future hold for the Chinese economy? Is this the new normal? And if so, is that really a problem? I’m joined on this episode by the economist Keyu Jin, author of The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism. Keyu is an associate professor at the London School of Economics and advised and consulted for the World Bank and the IMF. Keyu has divided opinion. Unlike some other English-language economists, she is sympathetic to the Chinese political and economic structure, arguing, as you’ll hear, that Chinese state intervention can often virtuous; that the Chinese people value stability more than liberty. On the episode, I challenge these views as we discuss what the macro data tells us about the health of the Chinese economy, and whether there are reasons to be optimistic for China's politics and economy in the years to come. Produced by Cindy Yu.

This episode of Spectator Out Loud features Professor Robert Tombs on Canada's willingness to believe anything bad about its own history (00:55); the farmer Jamie Blackett on the harms of wild camping (12:10); and Tanya Gold on the reopening of Claridge's Restaurant. Presented and produced by Cindy Yu.

The US government is apparently hiding a programme to capture and reverse-engineer UFOs. At a congressional hearing last week, David Grusch, a former intelligence official who worked with a Pentagon team looking into UFOs, said 'non-human' objects had been recovered by the government. Are they finding aliens, or Chinese and Russian drones? What's behind the American obsession with extraterrestrials? And is the government making up sightings to justify higher defence spending? Freddy Gray is joined by Spectator contributor Sean Thomas.

In this week’s cover article, The Spectator's political editor Katy Balls takes a look at the bottom-up reform that’s happening in some parts of the country, and asks whether tough policing is making a comeback. Katy joins the podcast together with Kate Green, Greater Manchester's Deputy Mayor of Crime and Policing. (00:50) Next, the war has finally gone to Moscow. Recently, a number of drone strikes have hit targets in the Russian capital. Though Ukraine hasn’t explicitly taken responsibility, in the magazine this week, Owen Matthews writes that it’s all a part of psychological warfare. Owen is the author of Overreach: The Inside Story of Putin and Russia’s War Against Ukraine and he joins the podcast. (18:20) And finally, is it ever right – or easy – to cut off your parents? If you look at TikTok, as our columnist Mary Wakefield has been doing, it seems that declaring your parents ‘toxic’ and excising them from your life is all the craze amongst some teenagers. Is this a sign that the fundamentals of family life have moved on from duty, or unconditional love, to a more transactional approach? Mary joins the podcast, together with Becca Bland, founder and CEO of Stand Alone, a charity which supports people estranged from their families. (28:00) Presented by Lara Prendergast and William Moore. Produced by Cindy Yu.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the novelist and psychologist Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, whose gripping new book The Wolf Hunt tells the story of an Israeli-American mother who finds herself wondering whether her teenage son Adam could have been responsible for the death of a classmate. She tells me about using the thriller form as a Trojan horse, about fear and what we do with it, and whether, as an Israeli writer, you can ever escape from politics.   

Nick Gillespie is an American libertarian journalist and the editor-at-large for Reason magazine. He is also the author of The Declaration of Independence. On the show, Nick talks about censorship in America in the age of information; the recent trend of book banning and why he believes the debates around demographic collapse are actually a sign of improved quality of life.

This week (01.07) James Heale meets the Conservative London Mayoral Candidate, Susan Hall, who is ready and willing to take the fight to Sadiq Khan in next year’s elections, (06.51) Melanie McDonagh examines the effects on children’s publishing as sensitivity readers gain more and more influence and (12.39) Sam McPhail explains why football clubs could be in big trouble if fans start following superstar players, rather than the clubs.  Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran

Lucy Frazer is the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Prior to this role in government, Lucy held several ministerial positions from the Department Transport to the Ministry of Justice. On the podcast, Lucy tells Katy about her background working as a barrister which paved the way for a political career; her vision for how the Conservatives could still win the next election; and how she will choose the next chairman of the BBC.  Produced by Natasha Feroze. 

In this week’s cover story, The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls writes about Labour’s new paymasters – Keir Starmer’s party now receives more money from private donors than it does from trade unions. What do the new donors want, and what does Starmer want from them? Katy joins Will and Lara alongside the writer and Labour supporter Paul Mason. (01:00) Next up, Webb Keane, from the University of Michigan, and Scott Shapiro, from Yale, write in the magazine this week about the dawn of the godbots – you can now chat online to an artificial intelligence that pretends it’s god. Might people soon start outsourcing their ethics to a chatbot? We're joined by Webb and The Spectator’s commissioning editor Mary Wakefield. (14:19) And finally, The Spectator’s Sam McPhail writes in this week’s magazine about how the football’s biggest stars are changing the way fans enjoy the game, and the way teams play it. To explain, Sam joins alongside Spectator contributor Damian Reilly. (25:09) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore. Produced by Max Jeffery, Joe Bedell-Brill and Linden Kemkaran.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the investigative and tech writer James Ball, to talk about his new book The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World. In it, James traces the rise and disturbing metastasis of what he calls 'the conspiracy theory that ate all the other conspiracy theories', and argues that what looks from the outside as an extreme set of fringe beliefs about Satanic paedophile rings running the Deep State is something we need to take very seriously indeed.  

In the 1800s, Qing China’s final century, European powers were expanding eastwards. The industrialised West, with its gunboats and muskets, and the soft power of Christianity, pushed around the dynasty’s last rulers. But was this period more than just a time of national suffering and humiliation for China? The British Museum's ongoing exhibit, China’s hidden century, tells the story of Qing China’s final decades. The more than 300 exhibits tell a story not only of decline, but of a complicated exchange between China and the West about culture, fashion, politics and ideas. Cindy reviewed China’s hidden century in The Spectator last month, and hosted a live Chinese Whispers recording about the exhibition in the British Museum a few weeks ago. Cindy was joined by Jeffrey Wasserstrom, a historian from University of California, Irvine, and by Isabel Hilton, the journalist and founder of China Dialogue.

This week (01.13) Freddy Gray, on why Ron De Santis is no longer ‘de future’ in the race for the Presidency, (09.50) Mary Wakefield recounts the train journey from hell, (16.10) we hear from Gareth Roberts about the screenwriters and actors striking over AI potentially taking their jobs and (22.24) Rachel Johnson shares her diary of SAS adventures and mishaps in New Zealand. Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran

This week:   In his cover piece for the magazine Ross Clark writes about ‘the war on motorists'. He argues that the backlash against London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s expansion of Ulez is just the beginning, as motorists – and Labour MPs – prepare to revolt. He joins the podcast alongside Ben Clatworthy, transport correspondent at the Times, to discuss whether the Ulez expansion is just a money-grab. (01:11).  Also this week: In his piece for The Spectator, journalist Ian Williams compares both Labour and Conservative policy on China. He says that Labour is gearing up to take a much more hawkish stance on China. He is joined by Charles Parton, senior associate fellow at RUSI, who worked as a diplomat in China for over two decades. (12:12) And finally: lights, camera, industrial action.  This is of course the news this week that the Screen Actions Guild are striking in support of the Writers Guild of America over concerns that AI will take over the role of screenwriters. Gareth Roberts argues in The Spectator that there is such a glut of poor scripts that we may not even notice that if AI replaces screenwriters, and is joined by Anna Smith, film critic and host of the girls on film podcast. (26:39) Hosted by William Moore.    Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

In this week's Book Club podcast I'm joined by Ferdinand Mount who in his long career has been literary and political editor of this very magazine, as well as editor of the TLS and head of Margaret Thatcher's Number Ten policy unit. We discuss his new book Big Caesars and Little Caesars: How They Rise and How they Fall, from Julius Caesar to Boris Johnson. He tells me why he thinks it's fair to compare our recent former prime minister with a cast of despots and autocrats from Indira Gandhi and Oliver Cromwell to Louis Napoleon and even Adolf Hitler, and why he sees the impulse to autocracy as an ineradicable thread in human history.   

Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector who from fled home country through China where she was saved by Christian missionaries. She is the author of two books, In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom and While Time Remains: A North Korean Defector's Search for Freedom in America. Yeonmi now lives in the US, where she writes and campaigns for freedom of speech. She tells Winston about her astonishing journey to freedom, how China props up the Korea dictatorship and the impact of Jordan Peterson on her life.

Freddy is joined this week by Roger Kimball, editor of the New Criterion to talk about the diminishing power of Ron DeSantis. It wasn't so long ago he looked like a serious challenger that could beat Donald Trump to the Republican nomination. Where did it all go wrong?

The way we use energy is changing. As electric heat pumps and electric vehicles become more popular, and as the government tries to phase out fossil fuels to reach its net zero target, some estimate that our electricity demand will increase by 50 per cent by 2035. But can our energy system take that strain? Cindy Yu is joined by Andrew Bowie, minister for networks at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Sir Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at the University of Oxford; Fflur Lawton, head of policy and public affairs at Smart Energy GB; and Anna Moss, senior consultant at Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy. This podcast is sponsored by Smart Energy GB.

James Heale is joined by Tom Hunt MP and Tim Farron MP to debate the illegal migration bill. Also on the show, will AI kill us all? Eliezer Yudkowsky and James Phillips discuss; Katy Balls and Stephen Bush look at Labour’s future relationship with the trade unions; Louise Perry on Britain’s addiction to plastic surgery and Alice Hoxton on Britain’s love for gossip.  00:00 Welcome from James Heale  01:47 How to stop the boats? With Tom Hunt MP and Tim Farron MP  19:03 Will AI kill us? With Eliezer Yudkowsky & James Phillip  33:46 Will Starmer win over the unions? With Katy Balls & Stephen Bush  45:41 Britain's plastic surgery addiction. With Louise Perry  57:55 Why do Britons love to gossip? With Alice Loxton  Produced by Natasha Feroze.

This week: (01:08) Katy Balls on the tricky relationship between Labour and the Unions, (07:11) Olenka Hamilton on why Poland is having a row with Brussels over migrants and asylum seekers and (15:29) Damian Thompson asks whether the Vatican is turning its back on tradition and beautiful art.

Cleo Watson is a former No.10 advisor to Boris Johnson and now author or the recently published book Whips, a novel set in SW1 filled with sex, politics and scandals. On the podcast, Cleo talks about her life growing up in a big family; her career into politics which began in America on Obama's campaign and led to her advising the likes of Theresa May and Boris Johnson; and her recent departure from politics which gave her the chance to finish the book. 

This week: Ahead of the release of the Barbie movie, Louise Perry writes in her cover piece about how social media is fuelling the cosmetic surgery industry. She argues that life in plastic is not, in fact, fantastic. She joins the podcast alongside the Times’s Sarah Ditum, author of the upcoming book: Toxic: Women, Fame and the Noughties, to discuss the normalisation of plastic surgery. (01:11) Also this week: In anticipation of the BBC Proms Philip Hensher writes in The Spectator that classical music has gone from being a supreme cultural statement, to just another curious musical genre. He is joined by Sir Nicholas Kenyon, former controller of BBC Radio 3 and director of the Proms and now opera critic for the Telegraph, to discuss the changing face of the BBC Proms. (16:54) And finally:  The Spectator’s Damian Thompson writes about some of the misguided – as he says – initiatives by both the Church of England and the Vatican to engage with popular culture, prompting him to ask: has the Vatican abandoned beauty? He is joined by Fr Lawrence Lew, Prior and Parish Priest at Our Lady of the Rosary and St Dominic. (27:13) Presented by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Yoram Hazony is an Israeli-American philosopher, Bible scholar, political theorist and leader of the national conservatism movement. He discusses with Winston the differences between conservatism and liberalism, the future of America and the need for religion in politics.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Caitlin Moran. Having written one of the bestselling works of popular feminism of the last 20 years – How To Be A Woman – she has turned her attention to the other half of the population with her new book What About Men? I asked Caitlin why she felt she needed to write such a book, and what qualifies her to do so. She tells me why she thinks young men are turning against feminism, what she says to the people who accuse her of trading in stereotypes, and why she thinks Jordan Peterson is a poor excuse for a 'public intellectual'.

Kate Andrews, The Spectator’s economics editor is joined by Andrew Neil and Jonathan Miller to discuss the riots taking place across France. As the NHS turns 75, Sajid Javid gives his thoughts on the future of the health service. Also on the show, Katy Balls takes a look at the Tory’s by-election trouble; Freddy Gray considers the prospect of a ‘Secretary General von der Leyen’ and Tom Slater asks what's the point of trigger warnings. 

This week: Kate Andrews on the NHS and the celebrations that marked its 75th birthday (01:05), Igor Toronyi-Lalic is in Marseille watching with interest as the riots happen around him (06:57) and Ivo Dawnay describes how being related to Boris is cramping his style oversees (11:13). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran. 

For 75 years, the most anti-Christian regime in modern history has thrown its citizens into prison camps if they are suspected of the slightest dissent. Ten per cent of people live in modern slavery; perhaps 200,000 are behind bars. I'm talking about North Korea, of course – a regime even more abhorrent than Stalinist Russia, but which attracts suspiciously little attention from Western governments and churches unless they feel threatened by its nuclear arsenal.  My guest in this episode of Holy Smoke is Timothy Cho, a Christian human rights activist who escaped from North Korea. Even as a child, he was sentenced to forced labour for the crime of watching a James Bond film. In school he was subjected to hysterical anti-Christian propaganda, but found his faith when he was thrown into a Chinese jail. (North Korean refugees are routinely rounded up by Beijing, which then returns them to the Kim family's giant prison camp.)  Listen to his extraordinary testimony, and then ask yourself: why are Western governments so relaxed about the human rights abuses of this diabolical regime?

This week: In the magazine we look at the recent protests in France. The Spectator's Douglas Murray argues that racism is not the problem but that a significant chunk of the unintegrated immigrant population is. He is joined by Dr Rakib Ehsan, author of Beyond Grievance: What the Left Gets Wrong about Ethnic Minorities, to investigate why Europe riots. (01:16) Also this week: Journalist Ivo Dawnay and The Spectator’s associate editor Toby Young discuss the plight of 'politically exposed persons' in the magazine this week. This is of course in light of the news that Nigel Farage has had his bank account closed, with many speculating he has been 'debanked' simply because of his political views and associations. Ivo and Toby both join the podcast to discuss  the ‘debanking’ crisis. (18:11).  And finally:  Wimbledon might be on, but it is padel that William Skidelsky is more excited about in his piece for the magazine this week, as he charts the rise of the increasingly popular racket sport. He joins the podcast alongside Tia Norton, British female number one padel player. (27:45) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Tom Whipple, science editor of the Times and author of the gripping new book The Battle of the Beams: The secret science of radar that turned the tide of the Second World War. He describes the ingenious technological, psychological and espionage battles that made electromagnetic warfare a decisive – if under-appreciated – contributor to Britain's victory in the air war and, finally, in the Normandy Landings.

Francis Fukuyama is an American political scientist and international relations scholar known for his famous book The End of History and The Last Man. Francis and Winston discuss the state of liberal democracy, whether nationalism and liberalism can be reconciled and the case for liberalism.

Amy Newsome is a Kew-trained horticulturalist, beekeeper and author of the new book Honey: Recipe's from a beekeepers kitchen.  On the podcast, she tells Lara and Liv how beekeeping saved her mental health, why you should always keep at least four types of honey in your pantry and details her desert island meal. 

Freddy Gray speaks to Spectator columnist, Douglas Murray who wrote in the magazine this week about Joe Biden's endless gaffes and the incompetence which Douglas argues has spilled into the rest of the party. Produced by Natasha Feroze. 

It’s now a week since the Wagner Group revolted against the Kremlin. Though the dramatic uprising was quelled within 24 hours and the group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is now exiled to Belarus, the episode will have lasting impact on President Putin’s authority. Among those closely watching the events unfold would have been the Chinese leadership, who sent out a statement of support for Putin, but only after it was clear that the revolt had been put down. What will those in Zhongnanhai make of the Prigozhin uprising? And could something similar happen in China? On the episode, Cindy Yu is joined by James Palmer, a deputy editor at Foreign Policy and long time China hand, to discuss. Produced by Cindy Yu.

This week: Isabel Hardman examines our curious obsession with glucose monitoring gadgets (01:03), Paul Wood wonders what exactly went on between Putin and Prigozhin (07:11), and Alexandra Shulman shares the contents of her weekly diary (12:15). Produced and presented by Linden Kemkaran.

This week Freddy is joined by Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest, and Charles Lipson, professor of political science at the University of Chicago. They discuss Charles's recent piece in The Spectator's US edition where he argues that the walls are closing in on old Joe, in relation to the Hunter Biden story. Is the President's involvement in his son's dealings really just 'malarkey'? 

Tulip Siddiq is the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn and shadow economic secretary to the treasury. She was born into to a prestigious Bangladeshi family. Her grandfather was the founding father of Bangladesh, and her aunt is the current Prime Minister. After joining the Labour Party at 16, she studied first at UCL followed by completing a masters at Kings College London.  During her time as an MP, Tulip was prominent in campaigning for the return of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, as well as opposing Brexit. She gained national media attention when she delayed the birth of her son for a critical parliamentary vote. On the podcast Tulip talks about growing up in a Bangladeshi household, learning to read, speak and write in Bengali; the challenges she faced when going public about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment; and how she retained the most marginal seat in the country. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

This week: In the magazine we look at the Wagner Group’s failed coup and its implications for Putin’s reign. The Spectator’s Russia correspondent Owen Matthews examines why the Kremlin permits the existence of private armies such as Prigozhin’s Wagner Group, and joins the podcast alongside Jim Townsend, former deputy secretary of defence for European and NATO policy under the Obama administration. (01:15) Also this week: The Spectator’s special projects editor Ben Lazarus writes this week about the claims made in the recent Mirror Group phone hacking trial, and the man orchestrating many of the accusations, Graham Johnson. He is joined by Neil Wallis, commentator and former deputy editor of the News of the World, to investigate the convicted phone-hacker assembling complaints against the tabloids. (13:39) And finally: Harry Mount takes a look at the lewdness and lyricism of ancient Roman graffiti in the magazine, and takes us through some of the most rude and amusing examples that have been excavated in Rome and Pompeii. He joins the podcast alongside street artist Sarah Yates, aka Faunagraphic. (27:24) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the art critic Laura Cumming. Her new book Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death talks about her fascination for the paintings of the Dutch 17th-century Golden Age, and in particular the entrancing work of the enigmatic Carel Fabritius. She tells me how her preoccupation links to the story of her artist father, why she thinks academic art historians too often miss the most important thing about paintings, and how looking at a work of art makes it possible to commune with the dead.

Philip Morris International is one of the world's most interesting and controversial companies. Recently, they announced their vision to exit the business of making cigarettes and enter what they describe as a 'smoke-free world'. But what pace are they moving at? And what are the risks involved? Jacek Olczak the chief executive of Philip Morris International joins The Spectator's editor, Fraser Nelson to discuss what a smoke-free future might look like; the risks and rewards to cigarette alternatives; and why he believes big tobacco can be a force for good. 

This week: Matt Ridley reveals the identity of the Chinese scientists in the lab linked to Covid, Martin Newland makes the moral case for becoming a foster carer, and Mary Wakefield has a plan for her old age to rid the world of drones. Produced by Linden Kemkaran

In the ancient Syro-Malabar Church of south India, clergy who try to change the liturgy do so at their peril. At St Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam last December, a long-standing dispute over whether the priest should face the people led to scenes in which protestors attacked clergy in the middle of the service, sending the sacred vessels crashing to the ground. As a result, the cathedral was closed – and remains so, six months later. This liturgy war is a hideous embarrassment for the Vatican, because the Syro-Malabar Church is the second largest Eastern Church in Communion with Rome. Traditionally dated back to St Thomas the Apostle's mission to India, it has four millions members worldwide. Members are known for their missionary zeal – the Syro-Malabars are one of the few thriving Catholic communities in Britain – but also passions that in the last few years have spilled over into violence, allegations of corruption and hunger strikes. At the root of the dispute is an attempt by Rome to impose a uniform liturgy on congregations that bitterly disagree about whether the priest should face East or West during the Holy Qurbana, the Syro-Malabar name for the Mass. Bishops have been burned in effigy.  My guest in this episode of Holy Smoke is Luke Coppen, senior correspondent of the Pillar and one the few journalists outside India who has been following the escalation of the Christian world's most spectacular liturgy war. If you thought the Vatican's attempt to crush the Latin Mass was a nasty business, just wait until you hear what Luke has to say about the situation in India, which the Pope seems powerless to control. 

This week: First up: for the cover piece, The Spectator’s economics editor Kate Andrews has written about Britain’s mortgage timebomb, as the UK faces the sharpest interest rate hike since the 80s. In the year leading up to the general election, can the Conservatives come back from this? Kate joins us along with Liam Halligan, economics editor of GB News, Telegraph columnist and author of Home Truths - the UK's chronic housing shortage. Next: Spectator journalist Toby Young has written about 'furries' – children identifying as animals at school. He joins us now, along with Miriam Cates MP who sits on the education select committee. (17:11) Finally: in the arts leader this week, Robert Jackman has written about wrestling. From WWE to amateur fights, there's a whole world out there – and it is growing in popularity. Robert joins the show along with Anthony Sinfield, a professional wrestler, also known as 'Tony Sin'. (28:32) Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Sam Leith's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is the cosmologist Andrew Pontzen. His The Universe In A Box: A New Cosmic History describes how we have learned to simulate first the weather, and then the universe itself – and how we discovered that those simulations don't just mimic reality but allow us to learn new things about it. Dark matter, the Big Bang and the scientific importance of suboptimal pizza: it's all here. Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Joe Bedell-Brill and Cindy Yu.

Michael Shellenberger, Twitter Files journalist and founder of Public is in London to discuss the international censorship industrial complex. He explains to Winston how the complex web of government, big tech, intelligence and media collude to suppress speech in the UK, America and beyond. Michael will be continuing the debate on the censorship industrial complex with Russell Brand and Matt Taibbi on Thursday 22nd June at Central Hall, Westminster. Get tickets here: https://www.musicglue.com/good-faith-productions/events/2023-06-22-censorship-industrial-complex-exposed-westminster-central-hall

The word ‘West’ is often used as a shorthand to describe liberal democracies in Europe, and perhaps in Asia too, such that we’ll often talk about ‘the West’s attitude to China’, or the ‘West’s relations with China’. But this is at best a lazy shorthand – because when you dig a little deeper, it’s clear that there is no unified West on China. On this episode, Cindy Yu is joined by Noah Barkin, senior advisor at the Rhodium Group and author of the Watching China in Europe newsletter with the German Marshall Fund, to disaggregate the idea of ‘the West’, focusing especially on the continent of Europe. How do different European nation states, institutions, and even political parties see China differently? Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

This week: James Heale takes us through the runners and riders for the conservative nomination for mayor of London (1:00), Paul Wood discusses how Saudi Arabia is trying to buy the world (06:02), and Hermione Eyre reads her arts lead on the woman who pioneered colour photography (12:51).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week, Freddy is joined by a great American filmmaker, Oliver Stone, and a great Argentinian filmmaker, Fernando Sulichin. Their new documentary Nuclear Now proposes nuclear energy as the solution to the climate crisis. On the podcast, they address global concerns about adding nuclear to the energy mix, compare the nuclear policy of Presidents Biden and Trump and discuss the opinion that Oliver formed of Vladimir Putin while filming The Putin Interviews.

Isabel Oakeshott is a journalist and author of numerous political biographies, formerly the political editor for the Sunday Times. She's known for a number of scoops over the years, including Chris Huhne's speeding ticket and revealing Matt Hancock's lockdown WhatsApps. On the episode, she talks to Katy about why toughness was a quality her parents particularly emphasised in her upbringing; what it was like to break into the lobby as a female journalist; and why she decided to break her confidentiality agreement to expose the cache of messages that Matt Hancock had given her. Produced by Natasha Feroze, Saby Reyes-Kulkarni and Oscar Edmondson.

This week: For her cover piece, The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls writes that Boris Johnson could be attempting to spearhead an insurgency against the prime minister. She joins the podcast alongside historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon, to discuss whether – in light of the Privileges Committee's findings – Boris is going to seriously up the ante when it comes to seeking revenge against his former chancellor. (01:02) Also this week: In The Spectator journalist Paul Wood writes about how Saudi Arabia is buying the world, after the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund negotiated a controlling interest in the main US golf tournament, the PGA. This took many people by surprise. He is joined by New York Times journalist Justin Scheck to debate whether MBS's motivation really is international recognition, or perhaps domestic security. (12:41) And finally: In the books section of the magazine Simon Heffer reviews Tim Burrow’s new book: The Invention of Essex: The Making of an English County. They both join the podcast to consider whether the 'Essex Man' as alive and well. (25:00) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the former FBI director James Comey, who is making his debut as a thriller writer with an engrossing police procedural, Central Park West. Jim tells me how he mined his own early career as a prosecutor in the southern district of New York to produce this world of hard-bitten investigators and murderous mafiosi (and how he was able to bring it up to date because it’s a world his daughter now inhabits). And, as the investigator at the centre of the Scooter Libby and Hillary Clinton email cases – among many others involving classified intelligence – he gives me his take on what Donald Trump’s indictment means and where it’s likely to lead.

Tony Diver is part of the investigations team at the Telegraph who exposed the Government Counter-Disinformation Unit. The unit operated during the pandemic to suppress speech deemed dangerous. Tony explains how and why the government operated with social media companies to silence dissenters on lockdown, masks and more. They also discuss the Lockdown Files and the upcoming Covid inquiry.

Cindy Yu is joined by Neil Wallis and Freddy Gray to discuss Prince Harry’s lone crusade in the hacking trial against the Mirror. Also on the show, Katy Balls on the Prime Minister’s trip to Washington; Christopher Snowdon on why it’s time for Britain to pull out of the WHO; Michael Shellenberger to defends free speech and Helen Joyce on the terf Oxfam advert. 00:00 Welcome from Cindy Yu 02:14 What happened when Prince Harry took the stand? With Neil Wallis and Freddy Gray 16:20 Is the 'special relationship' reciprocated? With Katy Balls 23:19 Is it time Britain left WHO? With Christopher Snowdon 36:26 Why are government's clamping down on free speech? With Michael Shellenberger 48:39 Why is Oxfam weighing in on the gender critical debate? With Helen Joyce Produced by Natasha Feroze. 

This week: Michela Wrong asks whether anywhere is safe for Kagame's critics (00:58), Emily Rhodes charts the rise of fake libraries (07:54), and Cindy Yu reviews a new exhibition at the British Museum on China's hidden century (15:25).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Freddy Gray is joined by Steve Edginton, video comment editor at the Telegraph and host of the Off Script podcast to discuss curious case of Sir Kim Darroch. A former civil servant has accused the government of an attempt to cover up “crimes” by the former British ambassador to the US, who he claims leaked intelligence to his lover. What has this done to the Anglo-American relations on the week Rishi Sunak visited Washington?  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Harry Masterson. 

This week:  Prince Harry has taken the stand to give evidence in the Mirror Group phone hacking trial which The Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray talks about in his cover piece for the magazine. He is joined by Patrick Jephson, former private secretary to Princess Diana, to discuss whether Harry's 'suicide mission' against the press is ill-advised. (01:22) Also this week:  In The Spectator professor Robert Tombs details the trouble with returning the Benin Bronzes back to Nigeria, arguing that their restitution is more complicated than some claim. He is joined by Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, executive director of the Restitution Study Group, who have recently screened a short film in Cannes, detailing why they think the bronzes should stay where they are. (14:07) And finally:  Journalist Emily Rhodes writes this week about the rise of fake libraries and the current online trend for having phoney books on bookshelves. She joins the podcast alongside The Spectator’s literary editor Sam Leith, to discuss whether this fad could spell the end for books as we know them. (22:39) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast I talk to Peter Turchin about his new book End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites and the Path of Political Disintegration. He proposes a scientific theory of history, mapping the underlying forces that have led to the collapse of states from the ancient world to the present day, and warns of very turbulent times ahead indeed. 

In much of the conversation surrounding China and Taiwan, the question of invasion seems to be a ‘when’ not an ‘if’. But is an invasion really so inevitable? No one knows for sure, of course, but there are good reasons to think that speculations of a war have been overblown. For one, the economic links between Taiwan and China mean that their respective interests are not so zero sum. For another, China may well be causing serious damage to itself through an invasion. Former diplomat Charles Parton has written for the Council on Geostrategy on why Xi Jinping would not take the risk of invading, and he joins the podcast. Also on the episode is Professor William Kirby at Harvard University, who explains the complicated trade links between China and Taiwan. Ultimately, you must decide for yourselves whether you think an invasion will happen, but I hope that this episode at least presents a different side to the conversation.

This week: Lionel Shriver argues that we should rise up in our road rage (00:52), Ian Williams discusses the crackdown on China’s stand-up comics (09:42) and Matthew Dennison explains why we shouldn’t cancel Beatrix Potter (16:33). Produced by Seb Charleton & Natasha Feroze

Penny Junor is a journalist, biographer and author of several books. She began writing at the Evening Standard. Soon into her career, Penny was given an opportunity to write a book about Princess Diana which led to several more books about the Royals – The Firm: The Troubled House of Windsor and Charles: Victim or Villain? Aside from that, Penny has penned books on key political figures including John Major and Margaret Thatcher. On the podcast, Penny talks about her decision to leave university in second year to get married and become a journalist, she shares how her perspective on the Royal family changed throughout her career and she talks about some writing plans for the future. 

James Heale is joined by Kate Andrews and Sebastian Payne to discuss Rishi Sunak’s radical shift to the left. Also on the show, Quentin Letts on the navel gazing civil service; Esperanza Aguirre on the Spanish snap election; Douglas Murray on why we shouldn’t talk about Philip Schofield and Harry Pearson on British folk sport. 00:00 Welcome from James Heale 02:11 Has Sunak become a socialist? With Kate Andrews and Sebastian Payne 16:09 Does the civil service have a victimhood complex? With Quentin Letts 22:37 Why has the Spanish PM called a snap election? With Esperanza Aguirre 32:11 Why are Brits obsessed with salacious stories? With Douglas Murray 44:55 Which folk sports still exist? With Harry Pearson Produced by Natasha Feroze

On this week’s episode: Price caps are back in the news as the government is reportedly considering implementing one on basic food items. What happened to the Rishi Sunak who admired Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson? In her cover article this week, our economics editor Kate Andrews argues that the prime minister and his party have lost their ideological bearings. She joins the podcast, together with Spectator columnist Matthew Parris, who remembers the last time price caps were implemented and writes about it in his column. We also take a look at the experience of being addicted to meth. What is it like, and is it possible to turn your life around after that? The translator Eva Gaida has managed it, and writes powerfully about her experience in this week’s issue. She’s joined by drugs counsellor and Spectator World contributor, Kevin Dahlgren. And finally, have the Irish lost their famous sense of humour? Melanie McDonagh writes that ‘the country of the fighting Irish, the drinking Irish, the self-deprecating humorous Irish, has turned into a kind of parody of liberal authoritarianism’. She joins the podcast now, together with Irish comedian and impressionist Oliver Callan. Presented by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Cindy Yu.

In this week's Book Club podcast, I'm joined by the writer and critic Laura Freeman to talk about her book Ways of Life: Jim Ede and the Kettle's Yard Artists. Laura's book is the portrait of one of those figures who, without ever quite taking the spotlight themselves, was nevertheless hugely influential in kindling the love and appreciation of art in others – a man who knew everyone from Picasso and Brancusi to David Jones and the Nicholsons, and whose home-cum-gallery in Cambridge has been a sanctuary and inspiration to generations of undergraduate pilgrims.  

This week: Niru Ratnam argues that teachers are putting principles before children (00:59), Gus Carter discusses the curious business of fertility (08:14), and Graeme Thomson reviews Beyonce at Murrayfield Stadium (14:24).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week: In his cover piece, journalist Mark Galeotti asks whether Putin can be outsmarted by Zelensky’s counter-offensive. He is joined by The Spectator’s own Svitlana Morenets to discuss Ukraine's next move. (01:08) Also this week:  Journalist David Goodhart writes a moving tribute to his friend Jeremy Clarke, The Spectator’s much-missed Low Life columnist who sadly passed away earlier this week. David is joined by Cass Pennant and Freddy Gray, The Spectator’s deputy editor, to remember the life and writing of Jeremy Clarke. (12:52)  And finally: The Spectator’s deputy features editor Gus Carter writes this week about the curious business of fertility. He is joined by Nimco Ali co-founder and CEO of The Five Foundation. (27:06) Presented by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

In this week’s Book Club podcast, we celebrate the life and weigh the literary reputation of Martin Amis, who died at the end of last week. I’m joined by the critic Alex Clark, the novelist John Niven, and our chief reviewer Philip Hensher – all of whom bring decades of close engagement with Amis’s work to the discussion.

Matthew Goodwin, author of the bestseller Values, Voice and Virtue talks to Winston about the divide in British politics between cosmopolitans and traditionalists, the controversy surrounding the National Conservative Conference, and the future of the Conservative and Labour parties.

This week: J. Meirion Thomas tells us about the story of the politician, the street trader and the foiled kidney transplant plot (00:57), Tom Goodenough discusses the blurred lines between sport and entertainment (08:30) and Adam Sweeting reads his interview with documentary-maker Nick Broomfield about the forgotten Rolling Stone (13:42). 

Freddy Gray speaks to Nigel Farage and Fraser Nelson about Britain's latest immigration figures, and what this means seven years on from the Brexit vote. Also on the show, Tim Stanley and Mary Harrington discuss the future of Conservatism; Paul Wood looks at Putin's warlord, Yevgeny Prigozhin; and will Tinder swiping be replaced by AI? 00:00 Welcome by Freddy Gray 02:24 Has Brexit meant more immigration than ever? With Fraser Nelson and Nigel Farage 21:19 What do National Conservatives care about? With Mary Harrington and Tim Stanley 41:29 Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin? With Paul Wood 56:11 Will AI take over Tinder? With Jake Kozloski 01:05 Outro

Dambisa Moyo is an economist, life peer and author of five books: from Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa to her most recent, How Boards Work: And How They Can Work Better in a Chaotic World. Born in Zambia, Dambisa grew up in a house where discussing politics was a regular occurrence at the family table. Dambisa has a large portfolio of academic qualifications from all over the world and has consulted both public and private sector bank. Having sat on numerous boards, Dambisa received a life peerage and in 2023 when she entered the House of Lords. On the podcast Dambisa talks about growing up in Zambia, six years after independence; her first job aged 23 at the World Bank, and her new role sat in the House of Lords.  Produced by Natasha Feroze.

This week: Spectator editor Fraser Nelson writes in this week’s cover story about how Brexit has led to Britain having more, not less, immigration – Rishi Sunak’s government is masking dysfunction in the welfare system by bringing in people to fill vacant jobs. To make his case, Fraser joins us alongside our economics editor Kate Andrews. (01:04) Also this week: Novelist Elif Shafak writes about the Turkish elections in the diary for this week’s magazine. Ultranationalism and religious fundamentalism were the real winners in last Sunday’s poll. To tell us all about it. Elif joins us alongside Spectator contributor Owen Matthews. (23:18) And finally: Is reality television ruining sport? The Spectator’s online editor Tom Goodenough writes in this week’s magazine about how a new trend of TV shows following sports teams is taking the joy away for fans. To explain, Tom joins us alongside our deputy editor Freddy Gray. (34:24) Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Max Jeffery.

In this week's Book Club podcast, we're talking about a very new version of a very old book. Leo Africanus's The Cosmography and Geography of Africa was the first book to introduce Africa to the people of Western Europe. Part Baedeker, part-natural history, part-memoir, part-history book, it dominated the Western understanding of that continent for hundreds of years. Anthony Ossa-Richardson and Richard J Oosterhoff have just published the first new English translation in more than 400 years, and they talk to me about its tangled manuscript history, its mysterious author, and what it gets wrong about giraffes.    

The mail-order bride industry is booming – but today's international dating doesn't look as it used to. It turns out that it’s not so much young and uneducated Chinese women looking to marry out of the country anymore, and more middle aged and financially well off divorcees, looking for something different. The mail order bride industry is changing as the women involved are becoming more empowered with their growing wealth – and more demanding. On this episode, Cindy Yu speaks to sociologist Monica Liu, whose new book, Seeking Western Men, is all about these changing dynamics of race, class, gender and, ultimately, power. She writes about the book in an article for Sixth Tone.

This week Ece Temelkuran on Turkey's upcoming elections (0:54); Lara Prendergast looks at Millenial Millie – a new voter demographic (05:47) and Aidan Hartley on surviving this year's drought (12:12).

Freddy Gray is joined by filmmaker, Alex Holder who had access to Trump’s inner circle when making the documentary Unprecedented. On the podcast, they discuss Trump's supporter base, his relationship with his children, and why Ivanka is the favourite.

This week: Having been found guilty of sexual assault, is Donald Trump still in the running for the White House? In his cover piece, Niall Ferguson says he could still defy gravity. He joins the podcast alongside Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of The National Interest. (01:00)  Also this week: Journalist Andrew Watts interviews the Reverend Canon Dr Jason Bray, the Bishop of St Asaph’s ‘deliverance minister’, or the Anglican priest charged with exorcising evil spirits. They both join the podcast. (17:50).  And finally: Author and journalist Sophia Money-Coutts writes about the British women opting for Danish sperm donors to conceive. She joins us on the show, along with Annemette Arndal Lauritzen, CEO of the European Sperm Bank.  (34:07).  Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Natasha Feroze.

In this week's Book Club podcast my guest is the writer Madeleine Bunting, whose new book is The Seaside: England's Love Affair. She tells me how the great seaside resorts came into their 19th century pomp, how abrupt was their mid-century decline, and of the terrible desolation that has succeeded the idyll of donkey rides, ices and fish and chips.

Niki Segnit is the author of the hit cooking books The Flavour Thesaurus and Lateral Cooking. Her new book The Flavour Thesaurus more flavours: Plant-led pairings, recipes and ideas for cooks, is out this Thursday 11th May.    On the podcast she speaks to Lara and Liv about weird and wonderful flavour combinations, her childhood fascination with Oxo cubes and why she has gone plant-led for her new book. 

This week: William Moore recalls the 1953 coronation with those that were there (01:02), Katy Balls reads her politics column (10:13), Dan Hitchens discusses the art of coronation (16:20) and Ysenda Maxtone Graham reads her review of The Seaside by Madeleine Bunting (25:20).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.

Freddy Gray speaks to journalist Ben Smith, whose new book Traffic is an origins story for digital media. On the podcast they discuss how a new genre of journalism was birthed from a desire to cause trouble online, whether woke culture spawned from digital media and if we are nearing the end for the social internet.

Sam McAlister is a producer and author of Scoops: The BBC's Most Shocking Interviews from Prince Andrew to Steven Seagal. When she worked for Newsnight, she was the producer who secured the infamous interview with Prince Andrew, conducted by Emily Maitlis. This interview eventually led to Prince Andrew being suspended from public duties and stepping back from all of his patronages. McAlister is now being portrayed by the actress Billie Piper in a coming Netflix adaptation of the Prince Andrew interview. On the episode, she tells Katy about coming from a 'grafting, entrepreneurial' family and how that informed her competitiveness; her brief career in law; and the behind-the-scenes story of how she secured the interview. Produced by Natasha Feroze and Cindy Yu.

This week: In his cover piece for the magazine, Daily Mail writer, author of Queen of Our Times and co-presenter of the Tea at the Palace podcast, Robert Hardman looks ahead to the reign of King Charles III. He joins the podcast alongside historian David Starkey, who is interviewed in the arts pages of The Spectator by Lynn Barber (01:10) Also this week: Sean Thomas writes about generational reparations, that is: whether families with murky pasts should pay compensation for their ancestors’ wrongdoings. He is joined by Professor Christine Kinealy, historian and author This Great Calamity: The Irish Famine 1845-52, to ask whether generational reparations are simply a token gesture (20:58). And finally: Journalist Yannic Rack writes about the battle to restore Britain's hedgerows in The Spectator. He is joined by Clive Matthew, hedgelayer and founder of the National Hedgelaying Society to learn about the art of hedgelaying (30:29).  Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Shehan Karunatilaka, author of last year's Booker Prize winner The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Shehan tells me about writing a novel whose protagonist is dead on page one, about putting the chaos of Sri Lanka's long civil war on the page, and about the importance of Shakin' Stevens to a teenager in 1980s Colombo.

Hidden in March’s GDP figures was a shocking statistic – a fifth of Chinese 16 to 24 year olds are out of work. This is a near record high, and the economic background to a fresh wave of disillusionment among China’s young. It has led to the creation of a new meme - you’ve heard of lying flat, but young people are now comparing themselves to a Republican-era literary character, Kong Yiji. On this episode, Cindy Yu is joined by the journalist Karoline Kan, author of Under Red Skies: The Life and Times of a Chinese Millennial. They talk about the Kong Yiji trend, why prospects are so thin for the most educated Chinese generation, and what this all means for the government's claims to economic competence.

Freddy Gray speaks to Ed Condon who is the editor of The Pillar On the podcast they talk about Biden's Catholicism; how it plays out in his politics and whether it will be a big part of his presidential campaign. 

This week: Mary Wakefield explains why the NHS is broken; Jenny McCartney on the unproductive 'productivity gurus' and Robert Gore-Langton on Richard Burton’s botched Hamlet.  Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Freddy Gray is joined by Ayesha Hazarika and Katy Balls who has written the cover this week on Keir Starmer's centrist army. Also on the show, Cirino Hiteng Ofuho on Sudan's violent civil unrest; Gracy Curley on the upcoming US election and Sean Mathias and Rob Gore-Langton on Hamlet.  00:00 Welcome from Freddy Gray 03:39 Who are Keir's 'Starmtroopers?' With Katy Balls and Ayesha Hazarika 24:59 What's happened in Sudan? With Dr Cirino Hiteng Ofuho 36:29 A look ahead to the US election. With Grace Curley 53:56 Richard Burton's botched Hamlet. With Sean Mathias and Robert Gore-Langton. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

This week: In her cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator’s political editor Katy Balls writes that as Labour prepares for government, Keir Starmer is rooting out the far left sections of his party and replacing them with moderates. She is joined by John McTernan, former political secretary to Tony Blair, to discuss the return of the Blairites (01:06). Also this week: The Spectator’s Russia correspondent Owen Matthews writes about Putin's three most prominent political prisoners. He joins the podcast alongside The Spectator’s assistant online editor Lisa Haseldine to consider the cost of speaking up against the regime (17:50). And finally: Damian Thompson, associate editor at The Spectator, writes this week about the rise of America’s Satanists. He is joined by Chaplain Leopold, who co-runs the Global Order of Satan UK, to debate the rifts in modern Satanism (28:41).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

In this week's Book Club podcast my guest is the theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. In his new book Quantum Supremacy, Prof Kaku explains how – as he sees it – the advent of quantum computers is going to turn the world as we know it on its head. He explains the extraordinary possibilities and perils of the quantum revolution, tells me how Albert Einstein and Flash Gordon set him on his path, and argues why when it comes to trying to make sense of the universe, you need to be prepared to be crazy.

Winston speaks to former Portland State University professor turned international philosopher, Peter Boghossian. Peter was a prominent new atheist author and expert on the Socratic method when he resigned his position at Portland over the percolation of ‘woke’ ideology into the university. In his resignation letter he described how the institution had become a ‘dogma factory’ which had ‘weaponized diversity, equity and inclusion’. Peter and Winston discuss progressive domination of the Academy, how woke spreads, DEI vs free speech, how to have constructive conversations and whether the new atheists led to woke culture.

Freddy Gray speaks to Michael Wolff, author of books on Trump and Rupert Murdoch. On the podcast, they talk about the Dominion vs Fox trial settlement. Why did Fox let this case go on for so long?

This week: Sam Leith explains how he’s been keeping up friendships by playing online scrabble (00:55), Lionel Shriver questions Nike and Bud Light's recent marketing strategy (06:52) and Angus Colwell reads his review of the V&A Dundee’s tartan exhibition (15:24).

As world leaders gathered to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, is violence glorified when it comes to remembering the Troubles? John Connolly speaks to Spectator columnist Douglas Murray and former DUP leader Arlene Foster. This episode can be watched in full on Spectator TV's Week in 60 Minutes. 

John Connolly is joined by Andrew Neil to discuss the SNP’s implosion; Douglas Murray and Arlene Foster on the ongoing sectarianism in Northern Ireland; Louise Perry and Kim Cotton on the ethical dilemmas of surrogacy and David Abulafia on Neflix's portrayal of Cleopatra. 00:00 Welcome from John Connolly 01:54 Is the SNP over? With Andrew Neil 13:24 Can Northern Ireland move on from the Troubles? With Douglas Murray and Arlene Foster 32:03 Is surrogacy unethical? With Louise Perry and Kim Cotton  54:26 Why is Netflix pretending that Cleopatra was black? With David Abulafia Produced by Natasha Feroze.

On this week's episode: In her cover piece for The Spectator, journalist Louise Perry questions whether it is moral to separate a newborn child from their surrogate. She is joined by Sarah Jones, head of SurrogacyUK and five time surrogate mother, to debate the ethics of surrogacy (01:07). Also this week: In the books section of the magazine Olivia Potts reviews several recent books all of which seem to warn against the dangers of our food system and what we are eating. She is joined by Henry Dimbleby, author of Ravenous: How to Get Ourselves and Our Planet Into Shape, to ask if anything is safe to eat these days (14:29). And finally: Reverend Steve Morris speaks to modern day Holy Grail-hunters in The Spectator about their obsession with the search for the cup of Christ. He joins the podcast alongside Rat Scabies, Grail-hunter and drummer of the punk band The Dammed, to shed some light on the enduring appeal of the Holy Grail (26:50).  Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Sam Leith's guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Luke Jennings, the veteran reporter and novelist whose Codename Villanelle trilogy gave rise to the hit TV series Killing Eve. As his new thriller #PANIC is published he tells Sam how he found its inspiration after being drawn into the online fandom for Killing Eve, where he clashed with Phoebe Waller-Bridge... and why he's never going to write a novel about media types in North London having affairs. Produced by Cindy Yu and Joe Bedell-Brill.

Feminist philosopher, Unherd columnist and author of The Case Against The Sexual Revolution Louise Perry discusses population growth decline, how culture, the state and feminism are failing mothers and what can be done about it.

Just before Christmas, it was reported that the billionaire Jack Ma had moved to Tokyo after getting into trouble with the Chinese authorities. If he's still living there, he'd be one of several well known Chinese who seems to have made Japan their home after run ins with Beijing. In so doing, they’re following in the footsteps of those who came over a century ago – other Chinese exiles who holed out in Japan because of a hostile political environment back home. This episode is all about how important it was that Japan served as a safe haven for these exiles – both reformers and revolutionaries – at the turn of the 20th century. That would later contribute to the establishment of a Chinese national identity and even the creation of the Chinese republic itself. It turns out that Japan was not only an aggressor against modern China, but an inspiration for it. On this episode, Cindy Yu is joined by the Professor Rana Mitter from the University of Oxford and Bill Hayton, a journalist and author of The Invention Of China. [Pictured: Sun Yat-sen with Japanese film producer Umeya Shokichi and wife, who helped fund Sun's activities] Historical timeline: 1839 - 1842 – First opium war 1856 - 1860 – Second opium war 1868 – The 'Meiji Restoration' begins in Japan 1877 – The first Qing delegation arrives in Tokyo, including diplomat Huang Zunxian. 1894/95 – The Sino-Japanese war. China's defeat results in Taiwan being ceded to Japan as a colony. 1898 – The 'Hundred Days Reform', a failed attempt by the Emperor Guangxu and allies (including Liang Qichao, Kang Youwei and Huang Zunxian) to constitutionalise the Qing dynasty. It was quashed by the Empress Cixi. 1899 - 1901 – The Boxer Rebellion, a peasant movement against foreign forces in China and endorsed by the Qing dynasty. It ends in defeat and an influx of Chinese students are sent to Japan as a part of Qing indemnities. 1911 - The last emperor abdicates and the Republic of China is formed. Further listening: Jing Tsu on the Chinese language revolution. Bill Hayton on 'The Invention Of China'. Dylan Levi Thomas on modern China's psyche surrounding Japan.

This week: James Heale says the gloves are off as Labour campaigning takes a bitter turn (00:54), Mary Wakefield worries that she’s raising a snowflake (17:47), and Gus Carter tells us about the colourful history of the green man (31:34).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Baroness Martha Lane Fox is a dotcom pioneer having started lastminute.com in 1997. She sits on the board of some of the country's most prominent brands, including Marks & Spencer and Channel 4, and has made significant contributions to the government's digital agenda. On the podcast, Martha talks about the early years of the dotcom bubble; the car crash which led to her spending two years in hospital; and some of the campaigning work she has done to promote more accessibility for women in tech. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

On the podcast this week: In his cover piece for The Spectator, Adrian Wooldridge argues that meritocracy is under attack. He says that the traditional societal pyramid – with the upper class at the top and the lower class at the base – has been inverted by a new culture which prizes virtue over meritocracy. He joins the podcast alongside journalist and author of Chums: How a tiny caste of Oxford Tories took over the UK, Simon Kuper, to debate (01:04). Also this week: In the magazine, ad-man Paul Burke suggests how the Tories should respond to Labour’s attack adverts. Released last week, the adverts have caused a stir for attacking the Conservative's recent record on curbing child abuse, and accuses Rishi Sunak directly of negligence on the issue. Paul is joined by Carl Shoben, who leads strategic communications for Survation and was strategy director under Jeremy Corbyn (17:47). And finally: In the books section of the magazine Philip Hensher reviews Sarah Bakewell’s new book Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Thinking, Enquiry and Hope. Philip says that he admires the humanists of the past, and find them consistently kinder, more decent and generous than their contemporaries. Both Philip and Sarah join the podcast (31:34).  Hosted by Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

For over forty years, tens of thousands of girls and young women have been abused, raped and some brutally murdered across Britain by grooming gangs. It is a scandal that should shame the nation, yet it is an issue that gets brushed aside by authorities, clouded out in the media by disputes over racist reporting, and largely ignored by politicians. All at the cost of justice for those young girls. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week announced policy to – finally – attempt to deal with this horrific issue.  To discuss the policy and the deeper story of the grooming gangs is journalist and documentary filmmaker Charlie Peters.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is the poet and artist Frieda Hughes, whose new book George: A Magpie Memoir tells the story of what caring for a foundling baby magpie taught her about life. She tells me about chaos, head-bouncing, magpie-poop, and how she managed to write about corvids without imagining her father Ted Hughes looking over her shoulder.   

Jonathan Ray is The Spectator’s drinks editor and formerly wine critic for the Telegraph. He has also written several books on the subject of wine and how to buy it.  On the podcast Lara, Liv and Jonny share a glass of wine and discuss Jonathan’s earliest memories of food, his go-to hangover cure and his desert island meal. 

Megyn Kelly joins Freddy Gray to take a look at the wider picture following Donald Trump's arrest. The presidential candidates' ratings have surged in the polls – has this rejuvenated Trump's campaign? Also on the show, Dan Hitchens and Andrew Doyle discuss the divisions in the Church of England; Charles Moore remembers former Chancellor and editor of The Spectator, Nigel Lawson; and Stuart Jeffries joins Lady Unchained to talk about the therapeutic nature of prison art.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud, Svitlana Morenets talks about how the lines between patriotism and profiteering are being blurred in Ukraine; Owen Matthews interviews Leonid Volkov, Alexei Navalny's chief of staff; and Ysenda Maxtone Graham calls for help from a 15-minute city. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Cindy Yu.

Galen Druke, host of the FiveThirtyEight podcast, joins Freddy Gray on this episode to talk about what to take away from Chicago's election this week, how well the Biden team is handling the progressive wing of the Democratic party, and whether the Democrats would prefer to face up against Ron or Don as the Republican nominee. Produced by Natasha Feroze, Saby Kulkarni and Cindy Yu.

On the podcast this week: In his cover piece for the magazine, journalist Dan Hitchens examines whether Archbishop Justin Welby and Pope Francis can heal the divisions threatening to tear apart the Church of England and the Catholic Church. He is joined by Telegraph columnist Tim Stanley to ask whether these two men – once heralded as great unifiers by their respective Churches – can keep their flocks in order. (01:05) Also this week: In his column, The Spectator’s associate editor Douglas Murray questions whether the English countryside can be considered exclusionary, after the news that the green and pleasant land will be studied by ‘hate crime’ experts. He is joined by the explorer and broadcaster Dwayne Fields to ask is the countryside racist? (13:44) And finally: Journalist Ysenda Maxtone Graham writes for The Spectator about the madness – in her view – of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. She is joined by Jason Torrance, CEO of UK100 which works closely with local governments and is in favour of the scheme. (32:28) Presented by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

In this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is the historian Katja Hoyer, whose new book Beyond The Wall: East Germany 1949-1990 tells the story of four decades which are vital to understand modern Germany, but which tend to be quietly relegated to a footnote in history. Born in the GDR herself, Katja tells me how much more there is to the East German state than the Berlin Wall, the Stasi, and the grey totalitarian dystopia of popular imagination. She tells me about Erich Honecker's wild side, about the importance of coffee to East German morale, and about how inevitable or otherwise were the historical forces that saw Germany first divided, and then reunited.    

Posie Parker, aka Kellie-Jay Keen, is back from her Let Women Speak tour of Australia and New Zealand, where she was mobbed and hounded by radical trans activists. She tells me what happened, why she went in the first place, the state of the gender wars down under and her plans to run against Keir Starmer at the next election. We also look back into her own history and how it is she became the lightning rod of the feminist movement today.

Until a few years ago, Hollywood dominated Chinese cinemas. In the People’s Republic, Marvel’s superhero romps were the people’s favourite, with Avengers: Endgame taking in over £510 million at Chinese box offices. Hollywood is desperate to crack the Chinese market – after all, it’s a country with a fifth of the world’s population and a growing middle class. But there’s just one problem – the small issue of the Chinese Communist Party, which tightly controls the films people can see. Since the success of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel films had effectively been blacklisted until earlier this year, with other Hollywood blockbusters failing to break through either. This episode is about the complicated love affair between Beijing and LA. Cindy Yu is joined by Wall Street Journal journalist Erich Schwartzel, author of Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy; and Chris Berry, Professor of Film Studies at Kings College London – you might remember him from a previous episode discussing the golden age of Chinese films.

This week: Katy Balls discusses why Humza Yousaf is the Union's best hope (01:00), Lisa Haseldine reads her interview with former Georgian defence minister David Kezerashvili (07:00), and Graeme Thomson asks whether supergroups are really that super (13:54).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Penny Mordaunt is the Conservative MP for Portsmouth North and one of the most recognisable women in British politics. She has served in several ministerial roles from International Development to Defence and she is currently Leader of the House. On the podcast, Penny talks about the last two tumultuous years; some of her proudest moments in politics – increasing armed forces pay and leading a Lords reform rebellion, and adding some humour to business questions in parliament. 

On the podcast: In his cover piece for the magazine, journalist Jonathan Miller argues that President Macron is pitting himself against the people by refusing to back down from his plans to raise the age of retirement. He is joined by regular Coffee House contributor Gavin Mortimer, to ask whether this could be Macron's last adventure (01:06). Also this week: In the magazine, travel journalist Sean Thomas says that – in comparison to other cities he has visited – American cities are uniquely struggling to bounce back from the impacts of the covid pandemic. He is joined by Karol Markowicz, columnist at the New York Post and contributing editor at Spectator World, to discuss the decline and fall of urban America (16:29). And finally: Mary Wakefield writes in the magazine about her fear of the advances in artificial intelligence and in particular voice cloning technology. This sort of tech is being increasingly used by fraudsters. James Ball, columnist at the New European, joins the podcast alongside Jay Hacks, an AI practitioner. Would they be fooled by a voice scam? (26:38).  Presented by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

On this week's Book Club podcast my guests are the former government food tsar Henry Dimbleby and his wife and co-author Jemima Lewis, to talk about their new book Ravenous: How To Get Ourselves and Our Planet Into Shape. They tell me about the perils and pleasures of working with your spouse, why exercise doesn't make you lose weight, what we don't understand about nutrition, when the state needs to take a hand in consumer choice -- and why sending Liz Truss a picture of a sheep's mutilated backside might not have been the best idea.

Winston speaks with Dutch legal philosopher, writer and political activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek. Three and a half years of farmer demonstrations against technocratic environmentalist policy has culminated in election victory for the farmers of one of the world's great farming nations. What happened? How did it happen? Eva explains the different worldviews in contention, gives her perspective on net zero and argues the Dutch case for 'Nexit'.

Britain’s high energy prices, insecure supply, and climate change commitments mean people’s relationship with energy will need to change. How could consumers change their attitude to energy consumption so that they use less? Will doing so give them a worse standard of living? On this podcast, Kate Andrews, The Spectator’s economics editor, is joined by Dan Brooke, the CEO of Smart Energy GB, a not-for-profit campaign to help Britons understand the benefits of smart meters. This podcast is sponsored by Smart Energy GB.

Cindy Yu, the Spectator's assistant editor speaks to Katy Balls about Boris's future – is the show over for the political influencer? Also on Spectator TV, Harriet Sergeant reveals the stories of children who never returned to school after lockdown; Gideon Rachman looks at China's shifting foreign policy; Danny Shaw on the rotten culture inside the Metropolitan Police and Sasha Hinkley believes there may be life on exoplanets.  00:00 Welcome from Cindy Yu 02:00 Is the Boris show over? With Katy Balls 11:01 What happened to lockdown's missing children? With Harriet Sergeant and Miriam Cates MP 25:17 Is the Met Police beyond repair? With Danny Shaw 36:18 Why did Xi visit Putin? With Gideon Rachman 47:18 What is an exoplanet? With Sasha Hinckley

This week: Ian Williams asks how China will cope with the rise of AI chatbots (00:56), Kara Kennedy recounts her upbringing in the Welsh ‘murder capital’ of Pontypridd (08:11), and Oscar Edmondson makes the case for the BBC World Service (13:38).  Presented by Natasha Feroze. 

Freddy Gray speaks to the Republican strategist and advisor Roger Stone about the Trump's possible arrest; his views on Ron De Santis and the end of honest journalism. 

This week:   In her cover piece for The Spectator, Harriet Sergeant asks what's happened to the 140,000 pupils who have been 'severely absent' from school since the pandemic. She is joined by The Spectator's data editor Michael Simmons to account for the staggering number of children who were failed by the government's Covid response (01:08). Also this week: Owen Matthews, The Spectator's Russia correspondent, looks at the opposition candidate who could usurp President Erdogan in Turkey. He joins the podcast alongside Turkish journalist Ece Temelkuran to discuss whether it really could be the end of Erdogan's two decade long hold over Turkish politics (14:48). And finally: Kara Kennedy, staff writer at Spectator World, writes this week about her upbringing in the Welsh 'murder capital' Pontypridd, and her own near miss with a recently convicted killer. She is joined by Welsh crime writer and psychologist Emma Kavanagh, to examine Wales's murderous reputation (24:36).   Hosted by Lara Prendergast and William Moore.   Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the writer Victoria Smith, whose new book Hags: The Demonisation of Middle-Aged Women explains why one of the oldest forms of misogyny is seeing a vicious resurgence in our own age. She says some of the worst of it now comes from young women. She tells me why she thinks feminists of each new generation seem destined to forget or reject the lessons learned by the previous one, and why female bodies – and the life experiences which go with them – are something that can't be wished away by postmodern theory.

As Xi Jinping visits Vladimir Putin in Russia this week, this episode of Chinese Whispers is returning to one of the missions of this podcast series – to look at things as the Chinese see them.  My guest today is Zhou Bo, a retired Senior Colonel of the People’s Liberation Army whose military service started in 1979. He is now a senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University. He’s an eloquent and informed advocate of Beijing’s perspective. On the podcast, we discuss why China hasn’t criticised Russia more, despite its purported support for sovereignty, to what extent it really means its peace plan, and whether China is about to invade Taiwan. We recorded most of this podcast two weeks ago, so when Xi’s visit to Moscow was announced last week, Bo kindly agreed to rejoin the podcast and give his take on the visit too. Chances are, you won’t agree with most of the things Bo says, and as you’ll hear, I didn’t on some issues either. Even so, Beijing will continue to play a crucial role in the war, and so it remains important for the West to understand how the Chinese see things.

Freddy Gray is joined by Joe Weisenthal, co-host of the Odd Lots podcast at Bloomberg. On the podcast, Joe talks about the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and the moral hazard of state intervention. How gloomy should people be?

This week: Cindy Yu discusses Britain’s invisible East Asians (00:51), Leah McLaren discloses the truth about single motherhood (06:02), and Hannah Tomes reads her notes on dining alone (12:08).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Ash Regan is the MSP for East Edinburgh who has served as minister for community safety. Since Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation, she has put herself forward to be the next First Minister for Scotland. Born in Biggar, Ash moved to England as a child and grew up in Devon. She surprised her family during the referendum for Scottish Independence, deciding she would vote to leave.  Ash began her foray into politics as a campaigner before running for elected office. She was little known outside of the Holyrood bubble until she quit as community safety minister over plans to allow people to self-identify their gender. On the podcast, Ash talks about life before politics; the challenges of the campaign trail; her plans for an independent Scotland, and why she voted against the Gender Recognition Act. 

On the podcast: The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews looks back on a week of economic turbulence and asks whether we should be worried, for her cover piece in the magazine. She is joined by the economist – and former 'Trussketeer' – Julian Jessop, to discuss whether we are entering a new era of economic uncertainty (01:06). Also this week: In the magazine, The Spectator’s deputy features editor Gus Carter says that the culture of toxic masculinity has gone too far, and that young men are being marginalised in schools and online as they are repeatedly told that they are a danger to women. He is joined by the Times columnist Hugo Rifkind, to explore how today's sexual politics is impacting young men (13:21). And finally: In the books section of the magazine, Philip Hensher reviews Oliver Soden’s new biography of the actor, writer, singer and playwright Noel Coward. Oliver joins the podcast alongside regular Spectator contributor Alexander Larman to consider Coward's life and legacy (27:44).  Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Sam Leith's guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the writer and editor Ian Buruma, to talk about his new book Collaborators: Three Stories of Deception and Survival in World War Two. A Chinese princess who climbed into bed with Japanese nationalist gangsters; an observant Jew who sold his co-religionists to the Nazis; and Himmler’s personal masseur. Ian describes how their stories link and resonate, and how murky morality gets in a time where truth loses its meaning altogether. Produced by Cindy Yu.

Winston speaks with Twitter files journalist David Zweig just as the Twitter files scandal goes to congress. They discuss the significance of the hearing, Big Tech/government censorship, what he uncovered when working on the story, the failure of journalists and government during Covid, myocarditis, mask-efficiency, and the link between free speech and bodily autonomy.

Eleanor is a features writer and columnist for the Daily Telegraph where she writes the the regular food column The Art of Friday Night Dinner. Her new book – of the same name – is released on the 30th March and includes recipes for every kind of Friday night.  On the podcast she reminisces about her mother's famous tomato sauce, takes us through her perfect Friday night and explains why she has always loved gathering friends around the kitchen table. (Photo credit: Sophie Davidson)

Freddy Gray The Spectator’s deputy editor speaks to Andrew Cockburn and Danielle Lee Tomson about the battle for the American right – who will win out of Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump? Also on the show, Katy Balls looks at the Home Secretary’s plans to stop migrant crossings; Ann Törnkvist on Swedish gang violence; Mary Wakefield debates Mary Dejevsky on whether cyclists should be allowed on pavements and Francesca Peacock talks about the politics of corsets.  00:00 Welcome from Freddy Gray 02:54 Who will win the American right? With Andrew Cockburn and Danielle Lee Tomson 23:44 Is Suella Braverman in trouble over the illegal migrant bill? With Katy Balls 31:16 Why has Sweden become so violent? With Ann Tornkvist 44:24 Should cyclists be allowed on pavements? With Mary Wakefield and Mary Dejevsky  56:20 Are corsets cancelled? With Francesca Peacock  Theme song written and performed by Jon Barker © 2020 Jonathan Stewart Barker  Publisher Jonathan Stewart Barker 100%, administered by prsformusic.com Recording © 2020 Jonathan Stewart Barker 100%, administered by ppl.com

This week: James Heale asks whether the cabinet secretary Simon Case can carry on (01:00), Cosmo Landesman tells the story of when a man – and his axe – came to visit his home in London (05:03), and Miranda Morrison warns against the damaging obsession with STEM in secondary schools (11:10).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.  Photo Credit: © The Estate of Tom Picton

Freddy Gray speaks to Shawn McCreesh, a features writer at New York Magazine who recently spent time with Republican Congressman, George Santos.

In the cover piece of this week's magazine, deputy editor Freddy Gray writes about the fight for the American right: it's Don (Trump) vs Ron (DeSantis). Who will win? On the podcast, Freddy is joined by Amber Athey, Washington editor of The Spectator's world edition. (00:37) Political editor Katy Balls writes in this week's magazine that small boats are a big election issue. Rishi Sunak has promised to stop the illegal crossings, but what will it cost him? Katy is on the podcast with Spectator contributor Patrick O'Flynn. (10:49) And finally, would you let a man with an axe into your house for the sake of art? Cosmo Landesman's father did, and he writes about it in the magazine's arts pages this week. Cosmo joins the podcast with Igor Toronyi-Lalic, The Spectator's arts editor, to talks about destructive art. (20:28) Presented by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Max Jeffery.

On this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is Sara Wheeler, who looks back on her travelling life in Glowing Still: A Woman's Life on the Road. She tells me why it's 'a book about tits and toilets', as well as a meditation on the past and future of travel writing and a lament for the books – in one case thanks to having children and the other to the modern fatwa on 'cultural appropriation' – she didn't get to write.

Winston speaks with Perrier Award-winning comedian, writer, author and co-founder of gay rights charity Stonewall, Simon Fanshawe. They discuss the history of Stonewall, Fanshawe’s recent book ‘The Power of Difference’, his new company Diversity by Design, and how it aims to promote diversity in the workplace. Together they debate the case for and against diversity and Stonewall's 'strategic pivot' towards trans rights. 

The Chinese Communist Party likes to blame its domestic political problems on foreign interference, and it has done so since the days of Chairman Mao. But sometimes, does this paranoia, this narrative, have a point? Or at least during the depths of the Cold War, when the United States, via the CIA, was countering communism across the world through so-called ‘covert operations’. Cindy Yu's guest today is Professor John Delury, a historian at the Yonsei University in Seoul, and author of a new book looking at the history of the CIA in China. It’s called Agents of Subversion – some of the incredible exploits detailed in there are nothing short of what you'd find in a spy thriller. Pictured here is CIA agent John T. Downey, who was imprisoned by China for over two decades after an exfiltration mission over Manchuria failed. He was eventually released following Nixon's visit to China. Further listening: Bill Hayton on Liang Qichao and the other Chinese reformers whose followers became the so-called 'Third Force' discussed in this episode: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/what-is-it-to-be-chinese/. Professor Rana Mitter and Jessica Drun on the history of Taiwan and what happened after Chiang Kai-shek fled there: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/why-does-china-care-about-taiwan/

In response to Seymour Hersh's recent appearance on Americano, Freddy speaks with open-source intelligence analyst Oliver Alexander, who unpacks his argument against Hersh's claims about the U.S. blowing up the Nordstream pipeline.

This week: Max Jeffery reads his letter from Abu Dhabi where he visited the International Defence Exhibition (00:56), Emily Rhodes discusses the tyranny of World Book Day (05:59), and Daisy Dunn tells us about the mysterious world of the Minoans (10:22).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.

Women make up half of the workforce in the UK. Yet when it comes to high-skilled, high-income jobs in tech, just 26 per cent of the workforce are women and 77 per cent of tech leaders are men. Jobs in tech filter into almost every sector and women from all walks of life are discovering they don’t need a maths or tech background to retrain and reinvent themselves. Over the last five years the UK’s tech sector has seen massive proliferation and investment, but given this level of growth, where are all the women? The government’s approach to bridging the gap has focused on teaching in schools. While evidently, the issue starts from a young age, should more emphasis be placed on encouraging women of all ages to learn new skills and explore opportunities that could offer a higher salary and career progression? On the podcast, Katy Balls is joined by Sharon Doherty who is the Chief People and Places Officer and Lloyds Banking Group. Nusrat Ghani, Conservative MP for Wealden and East Sussex and Minister for both Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office. Finally, Anneliese Dodds, Labour MP for Oxford East and Shadow secretary of state for Women and Equalities. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group.

This week:   Is Putin winning?    In his cover piece for the magazine, historian and author Peter Frankopan says that Russia is reshaping the world in its favour by cultivating an anti-Western alliance of nations. He is joined by Ukrainian journalist – and author of The Spectator's Ukraine In Focus newsletter – Svitlana Morenets, to discuss whether this could tip the balance of the war (01:08).    Also this week:   The Spectator's assistant online foreign editor Max Jeffery writes a letter from Abu Dhabi, after he visited the International Defence Exhibition. He is joined by author and former member of the ANC Andrew Feinstein, to uncover the covert world of the international arms trade and how governments seek to conceal it (17:52). And finally: Ysenda Maxtone Graham searches for the cheapest flat in Greater London in The Spectator this week. She is joined by The Spectator's newsletter editor Hannah Tomes, to investigate whether renting may be the better option for generation rent (29:33).    Hosted by William Moore.    Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

On this week’s Book Club, I’m joined by the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli to talk about his new book Anaximander and the Nature of Science, in which he explains how a radical thinker two and a half centuries ago was the first human to intuit that the earth is floating in space. He tells me how Anaximander’s way of thinking still informs the work scientists do everywhere, how politics shapes scientific progress and how we can navigate the twin threats of religious dogma and postmodern relativism in search of truth.

Winston speaks with American author, film-maker, political commentator and activist Matt Walsh. They discuss Matt’s film ‘What Is A Woman’ and its cultural and political impact, the difference between the transgender and women’s movement in the UK and the US. Winston asks about TikTok trans activist Dylan Mulvaney and the censorship of conservative media.

Tom Athron is the CEO of luxury brand Fortnum and Mason, a position which he undertook during the pandemic having held senior roles at John Lewis and Waitrose. On the podcast he talks about his earliest memories of food, the produce he grows in his vegetable patch and what makes Fortnums so special. 

This week: Isabel Hardman asks whether politics and religion can mix (00:58), Christopher Howse discusses the transformative power of folk costume (08:06), and Lucy Dunn reads her notes on meal deals (19:18). 

On this week's show, Kate Andrews The Spectator's economics editor speaks to historian Andrew Roberts about Britain's hollow army; Arlene Foster on the Northern Ireland Protocol; Andrew Drury on why he has has changed his mind about Shamima Begum; David Robertson on faith in politics and Lucy Dunn defends the meal deal. 00:00 Welcome from Kate Andrews 02:14 Can Britain restock its army? With Andrew Roberts and Tobias Ellwood MP 17:00 Will a deal be reached on the Northern Ireland Protocol? With Arlene Foster 29:42 Is Shamima Begum dangerous? With Andrew Drury 43:36 Can politicians separate faith from politics? With David Robertson 58:04 Is the meal deal on its way out? With Lucy Dunn Theme song written and performed by Jon Barker © 2020 Jonathan Stewart Barker  Publisher Jonathan Stewart Barker 100%, administered by prsformusic.com Recording © 2020 Jonathan Stewart Barker 100%, administered by ppl.com

This week: In his cover piece for the magazine, Andrew Roberts says that the British Army has been hollowed out by years of underfunding and a lack of foresight when it comes to replacing the munitions we have sent to Ukraine. Historian Antony Beevor and author Simon Jenkins join the podcast to discuss Britain’s depleted military (01:04).  Also this week: do religion and politics mix?  In The Spectator Isabel Hardman asks why it is that only Christian politicians are forced to defend their beliefs. This is of course in light of the news this week that Kate Forbes’s bid for SNP leadership may be derailed by her views on gay marriage. She is joined by former leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron, who also writes for the magazine this week about his experience of – what Isabel calls – the secular inquisition (17:16).  And finally:  Christopher Howse writes about the transformative power of folk costume in his arts lead for The Spectator. He is joined by Mellany Robinson, project manager at the Museum of British Folklore and co-curator of the new exhibition Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain (27:55). Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest on this week’s Book Club is Robert Douglas-Fairhurst. In his new book Metamorphosis: A Life in Pieces, Robert describes how being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis plunged him from his comfortable life as an English literature professor at Oxford into a frightening and disorienting new world; and how literature itself helped him learn to navigate around it.

Freddy Gray speaks to award-winning journalist and reporter Seymour Hersh to discuss his recent Substack article titled How America took out the Nord Stream pipeline. 

Every protest needs an anthem, and for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, 'Nothing to My Name' by Cui Jian became that emblem. Cui was one of China's earliest rockers, taking inspiration from the peasant music of China's northwest and fusing it with the rock 'n' roll that was beginning to arrive in the country. It put rock music – and the Chinese interpretation of it – under the national spotlight. On this episode Cindy Yu talks to Kaiser Kuo, host of the China Project's Sinica podcast, who also happens to be a founding member of Tang Dynasty, one of China's earliest and greatest rock bands. They talk about how a China opening up after the Cultural Revolution allowed in this decidedly western musical genre, how it fused with Chinese musical traditions upon contact, and its lasting association with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

This week: Anshel Pfeffer discusses Bibi's recent misstep (00:54), Laura Gascoigne reads her arts lead on Vermeer's women (06:54), and Simon Barnes examines the cultural life of orcas (14:32).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

For this special episode of Women With Balls, the government’s Attorney General, Victoria Prentis joins Katy along with Vika … a young Ukrainian woman who came over to the UK under the Homes For Ukraine scheme after the war began.  On the podcast, Victoria talks about how life has changed since Vika joined the family and as part of her role in government, working with the Ukrainian prosecutor general who will conduct war crimes tribunals. Vika tells Katy about the steps taken to escape Kyiv at the start of the war; her new life in Oxfordshire having been taken in by the community and what she misses about her home in Ukraine.

This week: What next after Sturgeon? In her cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator's political editor Katy Balls considers what Sturgeon's exit means for the future of Scotland – and the Union. She is joined by Iain Macwhirter, author of Disunited Kingdom, to discuss whether Scottish independence can survive after Sturgeon (01:09). Also this week: Elif Shafak writes a moving diary in The Spectator, reflecting on the terrible earthquakes that hit her homeland Turkey, and neighbouring Syria. She is joined by Turkey correspondent at the Financial Times Adam Samson, to assess President Erdogan's reaction to the disaster (15:03).  And finally:  In the magazine this week journalist Andrew Stuttaford writes about America's fascination with unidentified flying objects, and is joined by Michael Garrett, director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (26:23). Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is the scholar and biographer Richard Bradford, whose new book Tough Guy: The Life of Norman Mailer looks at the rackety life and uneven oeuvre of one of the big beasts of 20th-century American letters. Mailer, as Richard argues, thought his self-identified genius as a writer licensed any amount of personal bad behaviour – up to and including stabbing one of his wives. As the book makes clear Mailer was a racist, misogynist, homophobe, thug and a boor. But was he also, actually, any good? And will he last?

Alexander Downer is an Australian former politician and diplomat, whose roles have included Leader of the Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.  On the podcast he discusses his earliest memories growing up on a farm in Southern Australia, the role of food and wine in successful diplomacy, and why George W Bush is the perfect dinner party guest.

This week: James Heale reads his interview with Lee Anderson MP (00:54), Hannah Moore writes in defence of amateur sleuths (05:33), and Matthew Wilson discusses the rehabilitation of the rose (09:54).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

This week: the haunting of Rishi Sunak. In her cover piece for The Spectator Katy Balls says that Rishi Sunak cannot escape the ghosts of prime ministers past. She is joined by former Chief Secretary to the Treasury and New Statesman contributor David Gauke to discuss pesky former PMs (01:05). Also this week: In the magazine Julius Strauss writes about Black Tulip, a volunteer-led humanitarian organisation who recover the war dead from the front line in Ukraine. He is joined by Mark MacKinnnon, senior international correspondent at the Globe and Mail in Canada, to talk about the time they spent with the Black Tulip (16:45). And finally: The Spectator’s vintage chef Olivia Potts writes this week about the rise of nursery apps which allow parents to spy on their children whilst they are at daycare. She is joined by The Spectator’s executive editor Lara Prendergast (28:34).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the American writer, reporter and foreign policy expert Robert Kaplan, whose new book The Tragic Mind: Fear, Fate and the Burden of Power argues that it's in Greek tragedy that we can find the most important lessons in how to navigate the 21st century. He tells me how the reflections in the book arose from his remorse at having influenced the Bush administration with his support for the Iraq War, why it still makes sense to think about 'fate' in a world without gods and why George H W Bush was a paragon of the tragic mindset while his son George W Bush was a tragic hero.    

Winston speaks with Stanford University professor, physician, epidemiologist, health economist and public health policy expert, Dr Jay Bhattacharya. They discuss the history of the Great Barrington Declaration which he co-authored, advocating against lockdowns, and its censorship by Big Tech and at Stanford. He tells Winston about meeting Elon Musk at Twitter HQ, how censorship kills and why public health lies undermine trust.

What went wrong for Liz Truss? In her first interview since leaving 10 Downing Street, she talks to Spectator TV about her leadership election, her 49-day premiership and her plans for the future. Truss admits to some mistakes, says her premiership was probably doomed after she fired her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, and says Whitehall orthodoxy stopped her from doing what she wanted.

Freddy Gray speaks to Professor John Mearsheimer, American political scientist and international relations scholar about America's foreign policy on the war in Ukraine. 

This week: Svitlana Morenets explains why Ukraine won't accept compromise in any form (00:56), Rana Mitter details Japan's plans for an anti-China coalition (05:43), and Mia Levitin reads her review of Muppets in Moscow by Natasha Lance Rogoff (13:17).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.

Miriam Cates is the Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge. Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Miriam worked as a science teacher and business owner and spent some years raising her three children at home.  On the podcast, Miriam talks about her entry into politics through village life as the local Parish Councillor; how her life as a mother has shaped her views on gender and online harm; and how the 2019 caucus operates.  Produced by Natasha Feroze.

On the podcast this week: How will the war on Ukraine end? This is the question that Russia correspondent Owen Matthews asks in his cover piece for The Spectator. He is joined by Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of Nato, to discuss whether the end is in sight (01:02). Also this week: Matthew Parris interviews the theologian and ethicist Nigel Biggar on the legacy of Empire. They have kindly allowed us to hear an extract from their conversation, printed as a dialogue in this week's issue. They discuss Nigel's motivations for writing his controversial new book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, and reconsider the economics of colonialism (18:52). And finally:  Neil Clark writes that greyhound racing should not be banned, despite the news that the RSPCA has changed it position to oppose the sport. He is joined by Vanessa Hudson, leader of the Animal Welfare Party, to debate whether dog racing has had its day (29:03).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is the reporter Tania Branigan, whose experience as a correspondent in China led her to believe that the trauma of the Cultural Revolution was the story behind the story that made sense of modern China. In her new book Red Memory: Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution, she explores how the memory of that bloody decade, and the drive to forget or ignore it, shapes the high politics and daily lives of the Chinese nation. She tells me why official amnesia on the subject is a surprisingly recent development, how 1989's Tiananmen Square protests changed the course of the country, and why so many ordinary Chinese people still, extraordinarily, pine for the days of Mao.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed the insecurity of the UK’s energy supply. We may not have been reliant on Russian gas like our European neighbours, but that didn’t mean we avoided higher energy bills. The government had to seriously consider how the UK would cope with a blackout. Britain’s experience this winter has prompted a discussion about how we can safeguard our energy supply and avoid another precarious winter. On this podcast, Cindy Yu, The Spectator’s assistant editor, is joined by Laura Sandys, a former Tory MP who also chaired the government’s Energy Data Taskforce; James Murray, an environmental journalist who founded the website BusinessGreen; and Greg Jackson, the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Octopus Energy Group.

Katy Balls, The Spectator’s political editor is joined by Isabel Hardman and John Curtice to talk about her cover piece on the latest Tory sleaze scandals. Also on the show, Mike Martin and Richard Barrons on European tanks; Freddy Gray on Biden’s docudrama; Lionel Shriver is fighting a war against words and Igor Toronyi-Lalic looks at the highs and lows of art restoration.  00:00 - Welcome from Katy Balls 00:52 - Can Sunak stop Tory sleaze? With Isabel Hardman and John Curtice 14:27 - Tank weaponry with Mike Martin and Richard Barrons  27:01 - Is Biden in trouble? With Freddy Gray 35:51 - Is there a war on words? With Lionel Shriver 45:40 - Art restoration– the good, the bad and the ugly with Igor Toronyi-Lali

On this week’s episode, Matthew Parris wonders what ‘winning’ in Ukraine really means (00:52), Lionel Shriver says she’s fighting her own war against words (08:43), and Gus Carter wonders whether it’s a good idea to reintroduce Bison into Britain (18:28).

Freddy Gray talks to the Bloomberg journalist and podcaster Joseph Weisenthal about the likely rise America’s debt ceiling… once again.

On this week's podcast, Katy Balls, The Spectator’s political editor, writes about the return of Tory sleaze. She’s joined by Jill Rutter, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government, to discuss the problems piling up for Rishi Sunak and the Tories. (00:50) Also this week, security expert Mark Galeotti writes about why Europe has been reluctant to give Ukraine tanks. Journalist Owen Matthews and Ben Hodges, former commanding general of the United States Army (Europe), join the podcast. (18:44) And finally, Gus Carter, The Spectator’s deputy features editor, writes in this week’s magazine about bison being reintroduced into the UK. He joins the podcast with the environmentalist Stanley Johnson. (33:40)

Sam's guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the palaeobiologist Thomas Halliday, whose book Otherlands: A World In The Making takes us on an extraordinary journey through the whole history of life on earth. Thomas tells Sam why tyrannosaurus rex didn't eat diplodocus, why if you had to live in a swamp the carboniferous might be a good time to do it, and gives a jaw-dropping sense of what the night sky looked like when the earth was young.

Winston speaks with sceptical environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg, author of the book False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts The Poor, And Fails To Fix The Planet. They discuss climate change and climate change policy. Lomborg explains how net zero and the Paris agreement will do more harm than good and suggests some alternative sustainable development goals which would balance environmental protection with human prosperity.

Three years ago, as people across China welcomed the Year of the Rat, a new virus was taking hold in Wuhan. In London, the conversation at my family’s New Year dinner was dominated by the latest updates, how many masks and hand sanitisers we’d ordered.  Mercifully, Covid didn’t come up at all as we welcomed the Year of the Rabbit this weekend, though my family in China are still recovering from their recent infections. The zero Covid phase of the pandemic is well and truly over. So what better time to reflect on the rollercoaster of the last three years? In exchange for controlling the virus, China’s borders were shut for most of that time, while the economy has tanked and a general of children had their schooling disrupted. Yet after some remarkable protests last November, the country has opened up at a breakneck pace. The government is now keen to move on, focusing now on this year’s economic recovery. But can a country of 1.4 billion people move on quite so quickly? The exceptional nature of the pandemic and the collective trauma of the last three years need to be processed, and yet I wouldn’t say that the Chinese Communist Party is usually good at allowing people to come to terms with historical suffering, especially when it’s the Party at fault… So on this episode we’ll be looking at the social legacy of the pandemic on China, and the collective memory of this exceptional time. Joining me are the Financial Times’s Yuan Yang, who was the paper’s deputy Beijing bureau chief during the first two years of the pandemic, and Guobin Yang, Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Wuhan Lockdown, a book looking at how the Wuhan people documented the world’s first brush with Covid-19. On the episode I also mentioned the Chinese Whispers episode on the civil backlash against facial recognition. Listen here.

This week: Richard Madeley reads his diary in the magazine, including recollections of his Sunday lunch with George Michael (00:58). Also, Daniel Johnson shares a touching tribute to his late father Paul Johnson (05:36) and Melinda Hughes asks why BBC Radio 3 is dumbing down (12:28).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Nimco Ali is an activist, government advisor, author and FGM survivor. Born in Somaliland, Nimco moved to the UK as a child fleeing civil war. On holiday in Djibouti aged 7, she was subjected to female genital mutilation, a traumatising moment in her life that led her to become one of the world’s leading anti-FGM activists today. She went on to set up Daughters of Eve, a survivor-led organisation that has helped transform approaches to ending FGM, as well as the Five Foundation, a global coalition for the same cause. Now, Nimco travels the world to lobby governments to ban FGM and recognise the practice as a human rights issue. She is the author of What We Are Told Not To Talk About - containing 42 stories from 152 interviews and in 2019 was awarded an OBE for her groundbreaking activism.  Produced by Natasha Feroze.

On the podcast this week:  In his cover piece for the magazine Iain Macwhirter writes in the aftermath of the government’s decision to block the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill from gaining Royal Assent. He joins the podcast with Observer columnist Sonia Sodha to discuss the Union’s new battle line (01:03).  Also this week: why are our prisons still in lockdown?  Charlie Taylor, HM’s Chief Inspector of Prisons writes about some of his recent observations visiting institutions around the country. He says that control measures are failing both inmates and the taxpayer. He is joined by journalist David James Smith to examine this post-Covid inertia in UK prisons (16:48).  And finally: In The Spectator this week opera singer and comedian Melinda Hughes says that BBC Radio 3 is failing classical music fans by copying the likes of Classic FM and Scala Radio. She is joined by Sir Nicholas Kenyon, former controller of Radio 3 and the Telegraph’s opera critic, to debate whether the station is dumbing down (27:01).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Ashley Ward, author of Sensational: A New Story of our Senses, which takes us on a cultural, historical and neurobiological tour of the sensorium. Along the way he tells me why Aristotle's notion of five senses is a convenient but cockeyed idea, why men are best letting their wives pick out the curtains, why we call ginger-haired people "redheads" and, oddly, how a pooping dog might do in a pinch as an aid to navigation. 

Luke Farrell is a restauranteur and founder of two of London's fieriest new openings, Plaza Khao Gaeng and Speedboat Bar. He has spent the last few years dividing his time between Thailand and his nursery in Dorset, where he grows a 'living library' of south-east Asian herbs and spices.  On the podcast they discuss memories of Chinese cuisine, the thrill of Thai speedboat racing and why, despite his adventurous pallet, he can no longer eat raw oysters. 

Freddy Gray speaks to author and founder of the venture capitalist fund 1517 Michael Gibson, about his new book Paper Belt on Fire. On the podcast they discuss the parallels between universities and the 16th century Church and how investors are spearheading a revolt against these old institutions. 

On the show, journalist Petronella Wyatt and historian David Abulafia discuss Prince Harry’s new book, Spare, journalist Owen Matthews explains why Putin’s plan to freeze Europe failed, Spectator editor and academic Matthew Goodwin discuss whether a Keir Starmer government is something to be afraid of, political editor Katy Balls and Financial Times journalist Stephen Bush discuss Sunak's plan to save the Tories, and critic John Maier says Quentin Tarantino’s writing isn’t quite as good as his directing. 00:00 – Welcome from John Connolly 01:42 – Why fear Keir? With Fraser Nelson and Matthew Goodwin 13:52 – Can the Tories stop the boats? With Katy Balls and Stephen Bush 26:24 – What on earth his Prince Harry thinking? With Petronella Wyatt and David Abulafia 41:24 – Why Putin's plan to freeze Europe failed, with Owen Matthews 52:09 – Can Quentin Tarantino write? With John Maier 

This week: Lionel Shriver asks whether we are kidding ourselves over Ukraine (00:56), Theo Hobson discusses Martin Luther King and the demise of liberal Protestantism (09:28), and John Maier reads his review of Quentin Tarantino's new book Cinema Speculation (18:11). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.

This week: Who's afraid of Keir Starmer? In his cover piece for the magazine, The Spectator's Editor Fraser Nelson says that without a Labour demon to point at the Tories stand little chance in the next election. He joins the podcast alongside journalist Paul Mason, to discuss why Keir Starmer is so hard to vilify (01:10). Also this week: In the magazine, The Spectator's newsletter editor Hannah Tomes exposes the social media campaign targeting young women, such as herself, to freeze and donate their eggs. She joins the podcast alongside Sophia Money-Coutts, host of the Freezing Time podcast, to consider whether it is right to market this as an altruistic undertaking (16:58). And finally: This week saw Prince Harry's bombshell memoir Spare hit the shelves. Novelist and critic Philip Hensher writes a scathing review for the magazine and is joined by Kara Kennedy, staff writer at the Spectator World, to go through the best  – or perhaps the worst – details in the book (26:39).   Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

In this week's Book Club podcast, my guest is the distinguished poet A. E. Stallings, whose new selected poems This Afterlife marks her first UK publication in book form. She tells me why the idea that formal verse is stuffy is wrong, how she thinks Greek myth is a living tradition, and why women poets have to be both Orpheus and Eurydice.

President Biden is visiting Mexico this week to meet with President Obrador, and Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada. Biden is expected to bring up illegal immigration with Obrador, and hopes that he can offer him some way out of what is becoming a spiralling crisis. But is any help coming? Freddy Gray speaks to Todd Bensman, author of the upcoming book Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Biggest Border Crisis in US History. 

Should Confucius Institutes be shut down? There are hundreds of these centres across six continents, funded by the Ministry of Education, with the stated goal of public education on and cultural promotion of China. They offer classes on language, history and culture of China, and some would say they help to plug a crucial shortage of Chinese language skills in host countries, especially across the West.  And yet, these have become deeply controversial. Criticism of the institutes range from their CCP-sanctioned curriculum which do not include sensitive topics, to allegations of espionage and erosion of academic independence with Confucius Institutes as the core. Sweden closed all of its CIs two years ago, and universities in countries including the US and Japan have also shut their centres down. This is a live debate in the UK right now. Last November, security minister Tom Tugendhat confirmed that the government would be seeking to ban Confucius Institutes in the UK, repeating a pledge that Rishi Sunak had made during the Tory leadership race. But is this the right decision? In this episode, Cindy is joined by Charles Parton, senior associate fellow at the thinktank RUSI, who worked in or around China as a diplomat for two decades. He is an expert on Chinese interference and espionage in the UK. My interview with Raffaello Pantucci on how Confucius Institutes play a role in central Asia: https://www.spectator.co.uk/podcast/the-new-great-game-how-china-replaced-russia-in-kazakhstan-and-beyond/.

Kevin McCarthy’s hopes to be voted House Speaker reaches day four still without a resolution. How much will he have to concede in order to win over the Republican rebels? Freddy Gray speaks to Amber Athey, The Spectator’s Washington Editor.

This week: Stuart Ritchie asks how worried we should be about falling sperm counts (0:29). Mary Wakefield wants to end the term ‘making memories’. (9:00), and Toby Young shares his disastrous Airbnb experience (15:10). Produced and presented by Natasha Feroze.

On the podcast this week:  The Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray writes the cover piece looking ahead to the possibility of another 6 years of President Biden. He is joined by Amie Parnes, senior staff writer at The Hill and co-author of Lucky: How Joe Biden barley won the presidency, to discuss whether anyone can stop Biden running in 2024 (01:00).  Also this week:  In the magazine Fr Patrick Burke writes a moving tribute to Pope Benedict XVI. He joins the podcast to discuss Benedict’s intellectual legacy and what the Church gained from his theological work (16:05). We are also very lucky to have a special recording from Melanie McDonagh who dials in from St Peter’s Square to give her reflections on the late Pope’s funeral (29:43).  And finally:  In her article for The Spectator this week Tanith Carey, author of Never Kiss a Man in a Canoe: Words of Wisdom from the Golden Age of Agony Aunts, writes in celebration of the high-handed and unflinching advice of Victorian agony aunts. She is joined by The Spectator’s own agony aunt Mary Killen – aka Dear Mary – to consider whether today’s agony aunts are going soft (33:32).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Amber Guinness is a cook, author, journalist and co-founder of The Arniano Painting School. Her first book, A House Party in Tuscany, is out now.  On the podcast she discusses growing up in Tuscany, how to host a successful Tuscan dinner party and the best places to eat in Florence.

Covid 19 has been a crisis without borders. In a highly interconnected world, every country has felt the impacts of the pandemic, from supply chain disruption to low productivity and high inflationary pressures. Should the post-pandemic economic recovery be a global project? For decades, the UK has been a key player on the economic world stage, but is this still relevant today at a time when the UK faces domestic financial challenges and global supply chains are decoupling? Or can the ripple effect of lending a hand to one economy, become a good investment for Britain's future? The Spectator’s economics editor, Kate Andrews speaks to Simon Clarke, MP for Middlesborough South and East Cleveland who was chief secretary to the Treasury at the start of the pandemic; Professor Nouriel Roubini, economics expert and author of the book MegaThreats: The ten threats the imperil our future and how to survive them; Megan Greene, the global chief economist at the Kroll Institute and Michael Jacobs, who is a professor of political economy at the University of Sheffield. This podcast is kindly sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Since the pandemic, the nature of working has changed, and in some cases, revealed the weaknesses in the experience of work for women. With some companies eager to get back to business as usual, women are now demanding more from work, and they are leaving jobs in unprecedented numbers to get it. Women could benefit from the flexibility that comes with a hybrid office policy. At the same time, it could present challenges for those with caring responsibilities or disabilities who may wish to stay home when other employees would happily go into the office. How can businesses create a working environment that supports women in work? And with that, offer opportunities for women to expand their career potential. To discuss this Katy Balls is joined by Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton who also chairs the Women and Equalities Committee; Fiona Cannon, who is the Group Sustainable Business Director for Lloyds Banking Group; and Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn who is the Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury and Shadow Minister for Cities. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group. 

Dame Rachel de Souza is the Children’s Commissioner for England. Having spent more than 30 years in education, she grew a reputation for her unconventional but effective ways of turning poor-performing schools around and increasing pupil attendance. She was selected as Children’s Commissioner in December 2020, weeks before the Covid 19 pandemic. Since this time, she has been tracking down absent children, working on the Online Harms Bill in Westminster, and is conducting a nationwide study of the impacts of the pandemic on young people. On the podcast, Rachel tells Katy about growing up in Scunthorpe where she came from an Irish Catholic/Ukrainian background. Being educated by the nuns in a local comprehensive school, Rachel remembers her career advice; that she ‘couldn’t wash up and would never get a husband.

Freddy Gray and Jacob Heilbrunn reflect on an eventful year, looking back at the response to the invasion of Ukraine, the American economy and the makeup of the new Congress. Plus, will Joe Biden or Donald Trump be making a return to the White House? And will Jacob be buying a Trump NFT..?

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine shocked the world. Whilst fighting is happening in Europe, repercussions have been felt around the globe. Disruption to trade and supply chains means a rapidly worsening outlook for international development, making it harder to reach those that need support the most. Meanwhile the UK’s Covid recovery and the growing fiscal blackhole have forced Britain to make tough decisions on where our money goes, throwing into question our position as a world leader when it comes to international development and, with it, the reputation of ‘global Britain’.  Britain has always been a nation with a global mindset. But in times of crisis, do we need to reprioritise our commitments? What does the future look like for international development projects around the world? On this special podcast from The Spectator, economics editor Kate Andrews has spoken to some of those on the frontline of international development. She's joined by Rory Stewart, former secretary of state for international development who is currently the CEO of the NGO Give Directly; David Davis, former Conservative party leader; Daniel Hannan, former Conservative MEP and now advisor to the government's Board of Trade; Degan Ali, CEO of Kenya-based NGO Adeso; and Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta, a global health expert at the University of Toronto. This podcast is the second of a mini-series taking a look at Britain in the world, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. You can listen to the first episode here.

On this episode, Owen Matthews examines the original sin of Russia’s exiled media (00:44), Christopher Howse says Handel’s Messiah is as much a Christmas tradition as a pantomime (09:08), and Olivia Potts gives her recipe for boiled fruit cake (18:01). Get the full recipe to Olivia’s boiled fruit cake here: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/a-last-minute-alternative-to-christmas-cake-boiled-fruit-cake/

Many are already feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis. Choices between ‘heating and eating’ have become routine for some households, as bills and food costs rise. With money at the forefront of everyone’s minds, feelings of stress, shame, and embarrassment are causing a decline in mental health. Research has shown that the cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on people’s mental health, disproportionately affecting women and those from low-income households. Combatting mental health can come from peer support, professional help and public policy, but is the issue ever taken seriously enough? What can be done to address the shame and guilt linked to money worries?   For this episode, Katy Balls is joined by Maria Caulfield, who is the Minister for Mental Health where her department also oversees Women’s Health. Catherine Rutter, the Director for Customer Inclusion at Lloyds Banking Group. And Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, who received an MBE for her services to social cohesion and combatting loneliness.   This podcast is kindly sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group.

Welcome to the special Christmas episode of The Edition! Up first: What a year in politics it has been. 2022 has seen five education secretaries, four chancellors, three prime ministers and two monarchs. But there is only one political team that can make sense of it all. The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson, deputy political editor Katy Balls and assistant editor Isabel Hardman discuss what has surely been one of the most dramatic years in British political history (01:13). Then: Christmas is a time to spare a thought for our neighbours. While in the UK we have our own hardships, families in Ukraine are facing a Christmas under siege. The Spectator's Svitlana Morenets joins the podcast alongside author Andrey Kurkov, dialling in from Lazarivka near Kiev to discuss traditions in Ukraine (16:29). Next: We have a special Christmas treat for our listeners. For our festive triple issue of the magazine, historian Tom Holland interviews the author Robert Harris about everything from eco-radicals and interpreting history, to why the monarchy is so essential. They have kindly allowed us to hear some their conversation (25:58). Also this week: In his piece for The Spectator's Christmas issue, travel writer Sean Thomas reflects on a recent cruise around the Antarctic peninsula, a trip which gave him a new answer to the question which perpetually plagues him: what is the best place you have ever been? He is joined by explorer Felicity Aston who in 2012 became the first person to ski solo across Antarctica (40:59). And finally: Pantomime dames are as synonymous with Christmas as mince pies and a Spectator Christmas issue, but what makes a truly great dame? This is the question that Robert Gore-Langton asks in our festive magazine. He is joined by pantomime legend Christopher Biggins and Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator’s business editor and amateur pantomime dame (51:52).  Throughout the podcast you will also hear from some of our favourite answers to our Christmas poll: what gives you hope? Including Robert Tombs (15:19), Mary Beard (24:58), Susan Hill (39:15) and Peter Hitchens (50:58).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Winston speaks Sohrab Ahmari, author of The New Philistines, From Fire By Water and The Unbroken Thread, a co-founder of Compact magazine and former editor at the New York Post. Sohrab was an editor at the Post when they dropped the Hunter Biden laptop story and explains its significance and what the Twitter files reveal. They also discuss the future of free speech in America.

Over the last few hundred years, China has had a difficult and complicated relationship with foreigners. On the one hand, they added to the country’s intellectual richness by introducing western philosophy and science; and on the other, these contributions often came accompanied by guns and gunboats. And today, out of a country of 1.4 billion, there are fewer than one million foreigners living there. So what is it like to try to make China one’s home if you were British or anything else? On the episode, Cindy Yu speaks to two long time China hands. Mark Kitto is a writer and actor who lived in China for 16 years, setting up two businesses in succession there but now back living in Norfolk. Alec Ash is the author of Wish Lanterns, all about Chinese millennials. He moved to China around the time that Mark left, and has just moved back to the UK after a decade there. She speaks to them about what it is like to be foreign in China given the country’s complicated history with Brits and other foreigners; and whether the Chinese identity itself is particularly hard to penetrate as a foreigner.

This week: Jenny McCartney says don't expect a united Ireland any time soon (00:57), Chloë Ashby reads her review of Con/Artist the memoir of notorious art forger Tony Tetro (07:57), and Ysenda Maxtone Graham tells us the etiquette of canapés (14:55).  Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson. 

Freddy Gray talks to the Spectator’s contributing editor Chadwick Moore about the release of the so-called ‘Twitter files’ and what they reveal about the extent of censorship and coverup before, during and after the 2020 election campaign.  Chadwick Moore’s book ‘So You’ve Been Sent to Diversity Training’ is available now from all good retailers. 

This week: For his cover piece in The Spectator Freddy Gray asks who will win in the battle between the Waleses and the Sussexes. He is joined by historian Amanda Foreman to discuss the fallout Harry and Meghan's new Netflix documentary (01:00). Also this week: Should the House of Lords be reformed or even abolished? This is the question James Heale considers in the magazine. He is joined by Baroness Fox of Buckley to unpack Gordon Brown's recommendation to do away with the second chamber of Parliament (13:14). And finally: In the books section of The Spectator Chloë Ashby reviews Con/Artist, the memoir of notorious art forger Tony Tetro. She is joined by Tony and investigative journalist Giampiero Ambrossi, who co-authored to book (31:53).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Matthew Hollis, author of The Waste Land: A Biography of a Poem. In the tail end of this centenary year of the great monument of modernist poetry, Matthew tells me about the private agonies that went into the making of the poem. We discuss how not just Ezra Pound but Vivien Eliot had a hand in editing it, and why we misunderstand Eliot’s famous claim about the impersonality of poetry.

Winston speaks with Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan, creator of Father Ted, The IT Crowd and Black Books. Graham took a stand as a women’s rights activist which led to Father Ted: The Musical being cancelled. He was also suspended from Twitter for writing “men aren’t women tho”. Winston asks why he took a stand, and how his comedy career unravelled.

John-Paul Flintoff is a journalist, writer and artist who has written a number of books including his most recent, Psalms for the City: Original poetry inspired by the places we call home.  On the podcast they discuss John-Paul’s early aversion to peas, memories of his mother’s experimental cooking and how food aided his recovery from a mental breakdown. 

On this week's episode, Jade McGlynn reads her article on the Russian mothers and wives turning against Putin, because of their sons and husbands missing in the war (00:55). Lucy Dunn, a former junior doctor, asks whether pharmacists aren't part of the solution to the crisis in the NHS (09:45). And Graeme Thompson reads his Notes On protest songs (15:50). Presented and produced by Cindy Yu.

Freddy Gray discusses 'Ye' 2024 with writer, musician and host of the podcast Conversations with Coleman, Coleman Hughes. They consider whether Kanye has a messianic complex or if he is simply trolling the nation.

Kezia Dugdale was the leader of the Scottish Labour party from 2015 to 2017, taking on the job at a tough time following a near-wipeout defeat at Westminster. She served as an MSP for the Lothian region until 2019, and now runs the John Smith Centre for Public Service at the University of Glasgow. On the podcast, Kezia talks about her rapid rise through the ranks, the impact of the independence referendum on Scottish Labour; her own stint on 'I'm a Celebrity...'; whether she is ‘SNP curious’ and what can be done to stop young people leaving politics.

This week: In his cover piece Douglas Murray writes that museums are turning against their own collections. He is joined by the historian Robert Tombs to discuss whether a culture of self-flagellation is harming British museums (00:56). Also this week: For the magazine The Spectator’s assistant editor Cindy Yu writes that the tune is changing in China. She is joined by Professor Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College London to consider what the recent protests could mean for the Chinese Communist Party (13:24). And finally: Nicholas Lezard writes in The Spectator about how to beat London's expanding Ultra Low Emissions Zone. He is joined by journalist Tanya Gold to investigate an elegant loophole in the plans (24:56).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest on this week's Book Club podcast is Rupert Shortt, whose stimulating new book The Hardest Problem addresses one of the oldest difficulties in theology: "the problem of evil". Is this something the religious and the secular can even talk meaningfully about? What's the great challenge Dostoevsky throws up? And what did Augustine get right that Richard Dawkins gets wrong? 

It’s fair to say that the tobacco industry is one of the most controversial ones out there, with the phrase ‘Big Tobacco’ almost a meme, a shorthand for unscrupulous business practices. No wonder then that tobacco companies are trying to remake themselves, companies like Philip Morris International. PMI has a history dating back to the 1840s, and yet, today, their tagline is now ‘Delivering a smoke-free future’. Over the course of ten years, they’ve seen a third drop in the volume of cigarette sales. They’re keen to talk about their story of ‘transformation’, which is why they’ve sponsored this podcast. So what’s really going on? Cindy Yu talks to David Miller, a lecturer at Princeton where he specialises in faith and ethics. He’s been commissioned by PMI to author a report all about ‘corporate change’. We also speak to Moira Gilchrist, Vice President of Strategic and Scientific Communications at PMI, Martin Vander Weyer, the Spectator’s business editor, and Professor John Kotter, a leading business theorist at Harvard Business School. This podcast was sponsored by Philip Morris International (PMI) but produced under the sole editorial control of The Spectator. Therefore the views expressed represent those of the commentators featured and do not necessarily represent the views of PMI.

As Britons live longer and the population ages, society will soon have to rethink what it means to be of ‘working age’. Training and learning will have to be offered to older age groups who are healthier and more capable of work than their predecessors; while healthcare room to improve in making sure that health conditions are not barring those who wish to work from working. What can employers and the government do, armed with the right information and analysis, to prepare for this transition? On the special podcast episode, Martin Vander Weyer, The Spectator’s business editor is joined by Guy Opperman, Minister for Employment at the Department of Work and Pensions, Dame Carol Black DBE, FRCP who is a physician and academic; and Catherine Foot, who is the Director of Phoenix Insights. This podcast is kindly sponsored by Phoenix Group.

Comparisons with 1989’s Tiananmen Square protests are too often evoked when it comes to talking about civil disobedience in China. Even so, this weekend’s protests have been historic. It’s the first time since the zero Covid policy started that people across the country have simultaneously marched against the government, their fury catalysed by the deaths of ten people in a locked down high rise building in Xinjiang. Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi’An, Urumqi, Nanjing (Cindy Yu's home city) have all seen protests over the weekend. Most of them attack the zero Covid policy, but some have called out ‘Down with Xi Jinping’. After two days of protests, these cities, especially Shanghai, now see heavy police presence, with the authorities searching phones of any seeming troublemakers. This weekend’s burst of free speech may already have been snuffed out. Can the protestors sustain their momentum given the tight grip of the state?  Cindy is joined by Professor Jeff Wasserstrom at UC Irvine, an expert on protests in the mainland and Hong Kong, and Isabel Hilton, a long time China watcher and founder of China Dialogue.

This week: James Heale reads his interview with former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice (00:50), Lionel Shriver asks what's the price of fairness (05:38), and Tangil Rashid reflects on the BBC at 100 (14:01). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.  

On this week's podcast: Could China be the key to peace in Ukraine? In his cover piece for the magazine this week Owen Matthews reveals the covert but decisive role China is playing in the Ukraine war. He is joined by The Spectator's Cindy Yu, to discuss what Xi's motivations are (00:53).  Also this week:  Harriet Sergeant writes that the Iran is at war with its own children as it cracks down on young protesters. She is joined by Ali Ansari, founding director if the Institute for Iranian Studies, to consider the fragility of the Iranian regime (14:32).  And finally:  Julie Bindel says in the magazine this week that after recent controversy the Society of Authors is no longer fit for purpose. She is joined by historian, author, and former chair of the society Tom Holland, to debate whether it's time to replace the institution (23:56).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

In this week’s Book Club podcast, I’m talking to two of the brave souls who turn recent political dramas into the sort of quickly written books we might call the second draft of history. I’m joined by the FT’s Sebastian Payne, author of The Fall of Boris Johnson, and our own James Heale, co-author of a Liz Truss biography, Out Of The Blue, which notoriously was so rapidly overtaken by events that she was out before it was. They tell me how they disentangle their duties in their day jobs as political reporters from what they owe their book readers, how differently sources will speak to authors than journalists, what the day to day press got wrong – and whether they think history will look more kindly on their subjects than the front pages.

Freddy Gray talks to the comedian and media and culture editor of American Greatness Tim Young, about Twitter, Donald Trump and the Republican race for president in 2024.

This week: Paul Wood writes about meeting Syria’s underground drug lords (0:30) Mary Wakefield warns us of the perils of psychoactive drug therapy (10:30) and Melissa Kite defends her friend who has been excluded from AA (17:13).

Emma Sayle is the founder and CEO of Killing Kittens, a sexually liberated social network where women come first. She grew up in a military family, and when not in boarding school, Emma would visit her parents all over the world.  On the podcast, Emma talks to Katy about her 'outsider's mindset' – never truly feeling like she could fit in; becoming an entrepreneur in the sex tech industry and where the name Killing Kittens came from.  Produced by Natasha Feroze.

This week: How long will the pain last? The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews asks this in her cover piece this week, reflecting on Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt's autumn statement. She joins the podcast with Professor David Miles, economy expert at the Office for Budget Responsibility, to discuss the new age of austerity (00:58). Also on the podcast: After Donald Trump announced that he will be running for office in 2024, Freddy Gray writes in the magazine about the never ending Trump campaign. He speaks to Joe Walsh, 2020 Republican presidential candidate, about whether Trump could win the nomination (18:42). And finally: In the arts lead in The Spectator Mathew Lyons celebrates the bleak brilliance of the Peanuts comic strip. He is joined by Christian Adams, political cartoonist at the Evening Standard and long-time fan of the strip (29:02).  Hosted by William Moore.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is Edward Mendelson, who with the publication of the Complete Poems of W H Auden in two volumes now sets the crown on more than half a century of scholarship on the poet. There’s nobody on the planet who knows more about this towering figure in twentieth-century poetry. He tells me what he finds so inexhaustibly rewarding about Auden’s work, talks about the shape of the poet’s career, the personal encounters that set him on this path… and about sex, religion and semicolons.

With climate activists around the world vandalising great works by Monet, van Gogh and Goya, Winston speaks with environmentalist, conservationist and pro-nuclear activist Michael Shellenberger. They discuss the validity of Just Stop Oil's methods and environmental imperialism at this years United Nations Climate Change Conference. They take a deep dive into Shellenberger's book 'Apocalypse Never', evaluate the environmentalist case for fracking and consider why nuclear will save us all. 

When the city of Zhengzhou, home to the world’s largest iPhone factory, locked down recently, some of its factory workers had nowhere to go. Hoping to escape Covid restrictions, many of them walked miles along motorways to their hometowns, their journey captured by video and shared on social media in China and out. This episode is all about China’s migrant working class – poorly paid and often poorly educated people from the countryside who go to cities like Zhengzhou for better lives. There are hundreds of millions of these so-called ‘internal migrants’, making their story an important part to understand if you want to understand modern China. Even now, 'on average urban residents are making at least more than 2.5 times the income as the average rural resident', Professor Cindy Fan tells me on this episode. She's an expert on Chinese migration and population patterns at UCLA. Most commonly, migrants will send their earnings back to home villages and towns, where they have left behind family members. Often, children are being looked after by grandparents while the parents are earning away from home. Cindy and I discuss the role played by these migrants – often unwelcomed in the cities but vital for urban areas to develop, grow and function. We go deep into the hukou system – household registration – that gives urban residents rights and privileges that migrant workers cannot access, making them second class citizens. But ultimately, as the Chinese are wont to do, many migrant workers make the system work for them. They don't necessarily want to swallow urban life wholesale: 'Rural migrants are pretty smart... Yes they are victims… but at the same time, they are also weighing their options, they’re also strategising. They’re not just passive.'