Best of the Spectator

The Spectator

Home to the Spectator's best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to.

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2,707 episodes
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Yesterday · 25 min
Spectator Out Loud: Lara Brown, Patrick Kidd, Tali Fraser & Ella Veakins
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lara Brown explains the ongoing dissolution of the British private education sector; Patrick Kidd asks whether sporting curses are actually possible, or simply just a fiction; Tali Fraser goes to a death cafe to explore the world of positivity after death; and finally, Ella Veakins outlines why we should all stand in opposition the the potted plastic plant. Produced and presented by Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yesterday · 19 min
Reality Check: could women be the solution to Britain's prison problem?
Amid rising backlash over the early prisoner release scheme, Kemi Badenoch has called for emergency legislation to stop the plans going ahead. The new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has already halted the plans until a review has been conducted. The situation with prison overcrowding is a ticking timebomb – what options are available? To alleviate the risk, some suggest women should be prioritised as candidates for early release, and women's prisons repurposed. To discuss, Michael Simmons is joined by the CEO of the Prison Reform Trust Pia Sinha. This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Monday · 23 min
Americano: How will Team Burnham deal with Team Trump?
Freddy Gray is joined by Ben Judah, a former Labour Special Advisor to discuss the new government's outlook on foreign affairs. Freddy and Ben examine how Andy Burnham's appointment of Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary will shape the way Britain builds on its special relationship with the United States and the Trump Whitehouse. They also discuss the implications of Miliband's past positions on net zero and fresh drilling for oil and gas, and how that might come to affect his personal relationship with Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. Learn how to earn yield on gold, paid in gold, at Monetary-Metals.com/Americano Produced by Natasha Feroze and Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sunday · 19 min
Coffee House Shots: Britain's First Catholic PM? — with Patrick Maguire
Is Andy Burnham the country's first catholic Prime Minister, and how might it influence his leadership? Despite his faith drawing him to Labour, he doesn’t attend mass and rarely emphasises his religion publicly. To unpack his faith and where it might take him, Lara Brown, The Spectator's commissioning editor, is joined by the chief political commentator at The Times, Patrick Maguire, and The Spectator's religion editor, Damian Thompson. Produced by Henry Lloyd and Ed Parker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Saturday · 1 hr 2 min
The Edition: Rory Sutherland on private schools, early election & death doulas
For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by The Spectator’s columnist Rory Sutherland, political editor Tim Shipman and drinks editor Jonathan Ray. This week: What has been the damage of Labour’s punitive war on private education? Rory questions whether the sector had helped itself in the years prior, but did the policy itself ever represent more than ‘class warfare?’ Tim explores the vigour to which the (now former) Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson embraced that label, whilst Jonathan reflects on ‘canny approaches’ to game the system. Also: Election? What election? The panel discuss rumours that the PM may call an early general election in the wake of the ‘Burnham bounce’ in the polls giving Labour a narrow lead over Reform. If not, how does he escape the straitjacket of the 2024 manifesto? Rory further explains how government has been transformed from a ‘policeman to a traffic warden,’ and gives Burnham his top tips for an easy re-election. Plus: The death doulas movement. To what extent does this growing trend – of which figures such as Caroline Lucas, Davina McCall and Nicole Kidman are now subscribers – represent a broader point of death positivity, or in the end, is it all just ‘mumbo jumbo?’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Friday · 23 min
Reality Check: how to reform social care – with David Goodhart
Andy Burnham has launched a major push to overhaul adult social care in England, seeking cross-party consensus for a new National Care Service. He has refused to rule out tax rises to fund the reforms. Michael Simmons speaks to the author and journalist David Goodhart about why social care should be reframed as prevention, whether salaries should be increased in social care and why the public isn't as worried as politicians tend to panic about. This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit https://www.alliancewitan.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thursday · 41 min
Americano: Is the radical left taking over the Democratic Party?
Freddy Gray is joined by David Weigel to discuss the Democratic primary battle taking place in Michigan between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens. Freddy and David examine how the contest has become a proxy for the wider battle over the Democratic Party's future, pitting the Obama-era moderates against the ascendant progressive left. They discuss how Israel has emerged as one of the campaign's defining fault lines, how the issue of affordability has been used for different political ends, and what the result could mean for the party as it looks ahead to the 2028 presidential election. Learn how to earn yield on gold, paid in gold, at Monetary-Metals.com/Americano Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 28 · 55 min
Quite right!: Katharine Birbalsingh interview
Katharine Birbalsingh is the founder and headmistress of Michaela Community School in Wembley, and has been dubbed Britain’s strictest headteacher. Under her leadership, Michaela has become one of the country’s most successful state schools, while openly challenging the progressive orthodoxies of the British education system. On Quite right!, Katharine argues that ethnic-minority pupils do not need to see themselves reflected in every aspect of a culture to feel that they belong – and that suggesting otherwise may itself be racist. She and Michael also discuss whether individualistic parenting has gone too far, why ritual should be at the heart of British schools and why children need a return to small-c conservative values. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 28 · 14 min
Reality Check: Britain's homelessness & why Burnham won't fix it
Andy Burnham has laid out some of his top policy agendas for his premiership. Top of the list is to tackle homelessness – something the former Manchester mayor pledged to solve in Greater Manchester too, but the numbers have suggested the outcome was otherwise. What really needs to be done to fix homelessness in Britain? And how does his other policy of rent controls work against ending rough sleeping? Michael Simmons takes a look at the data. This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 26 · 24 min
Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Iona Bain, Tali Fraser & James Phillips
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: James Heale explains what the Opposition parties plan to do now that Andy Burnham is in No 10; Iona Bain explains why premium bonds are a pointless way to save for your child, and what to do instead; Tali Fraser asks whether we should be rolling back the years and all return to a barter economy; and finally, James Phillips reviews Biological War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen, giving us all a very friendly flashback to 2020. Produced and presented by Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 26 · 32 min
Americano: how Steve Hilton plans to win California
Steve Hilton is the British immigrant backed by President Trump who is running to be the next governor of California. On the podcast Steve and Freddy discuss his campaign, one slogan being Cali-fordable – how to improve the cost of living; why the Democratic 'machine' all hail from California and the East vs West coast political divide. Learn how to earn yield on gold, paid in gold, at Monetary-Metals.com/Americano Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 29 min
Coffee House Shots: Nick Clegg's coalition regrets
Tim Shipman is joined by Sir Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, as part of The Spectator's new event series, Tim Shipman Meets the Party Leaders. Tim challenges Sir Nick on the decisions that defined his political career, from his passionate support for Europe to the failed referendum on an alternative voting system, and those famous coalition years. Reflecting on his record, Sir Nick offers a candid assessment of the decline of the two-party system, the upending of global alliances and even the looming threats of AI. Watch the full conversation here. Highlights produced by Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 23 · 38 min
The Edition: Burnham’s chaotic takeover
This week: has Andy Burnham really brought change to Downing Street – or merely repackaged Labour’s old guard? Has Ed Miliband been sidelined by being sent to the Foreign Office, a ‘non-job’ in which he can do little harm? The panel also asks whether Burnham is prepared to make the difficult decisions required of a prime minister – and why the Conservatives have been so reluctant to demand a general election. Also: is America’s socialist left taking over the Democratic party? Candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America are gaining ground, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may be underestimated as a future presidential nominee and parts of the radical left are beginning to embrace gun ownership. Could Bernie Sanders have beaten Donald Trump in 2016 – had the Democrats not chosen ‘the only person who could conceivably lose’ to him? Plus: who really blew up the Nord Stream pipeline? The accepted account holds that a small band of Ukrainians carried out one of the most sophisticated acts of sabotage in recent history. But does the evidence look less like a professional intelligence operation than ‘somebody establishing an alibi’? Produced by Patrick Gibbons, Oscar Edmondson and Gareth Roy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 22 · 46 min
The Book Club: 160 years of Beatrix Potter
This week marks the 160th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth. In this week’s Book Club podcast, I’m joined by Penny Bradshaw, author of An A–Z of Beatrix Potter, and the historian and biographer Kathryn Hughes, whose books include Catland: Feline Enchantment and the Making of the Modern World, George Eliot and The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton. We plunge into the Potterverse. Does Potter get her due as a literary writer? How animal are her animals? And what went wrong for Ginger and Pickles? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 21 · 50 min
Quite right!: inside Burnham’s brutal Labour purge
Andy Burnham has begun his premiership with a sweeping reshuffle, purging many of Keir Starmer’s closest allies and installing a cabinet in his own image. Has he ended Labour factionalism – or simply created a new faction of enemies? And does the appointment of John Healey as Chancellor suggest that Burnham wants a safe pair of hands rather than a rival power base? Michael and Maddie also ask whether Burnham’s early promises can survive contact with economic reality. With billions already pledged on defence, energy bills, transport and public ownership, where will the money come from – and what is his plan for growth? Plus: will Shabana Mahmood be allowed to get a grip on immigration? Can Ed Miliband be trusted at the Foreign Office? And could Burnham’s mother help kill off another attempt to legalise assisted dying? Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 21 · 29 min
Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove, Count Binface, Michael Simmons & Graeme Thomson
On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Michael Gove explains why he is against more security for MPs; taking a brief break from campaigning in clacton as count binface, Jon Harvey explains why Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey is a triumph; Michael Simmons says shut up about your disability; and finally, Graeme Thomson reviews Madonna. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 20 · 21 min
Coffee House: Burnham becomes Prime Minister
As Andy Burnham unveils his first Cabinet, join Tim Shipman and James Heale for a special live edition of Coffee House. Who’s in, who’s out? What do the appointments reveal about Burnham’s priorities, and might they hint at the likely direction of his premiership? Along with a panel of familiar faces and special guests, get the only analysis you’ll need as the political implications begin to unfold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 20 · 17 min
Reality Check: Fact checking Rupert Lowe on Joe Rogan
Last week, the Joe Rogan Experience podcast released a two-hour interview with Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore party. Was Lowe there merely to create content – or is Restore a serious political party? Some of his statements suggest it’s the former rather than the latter. The Spectator's John O'Neil wrote a piece for the website correcting some of Lowe's claims. He joined Michael Simmons on this week's Reality Check. This episode is brought to you by Alliance Witan investment trust. To learn more about the trust and how we’re helping investors find their comfort zone, please visit Alliance Witan (ALW) | Investment Trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 19 · 30 min
Americano: what did Lindsey Graham want?
On Sunday, the Senator Lindsay Graham died suddenly having just return from a trip to Ukraine. It is believed he suffered from a sudden heart problem. Spectator contributor Dan McCarthy reflects on Graham's political career which was heavily involved in foreign policy, his relationship with Trump and sense of humour, plus how Lindsay Graham represented the people of South Carolina, especially the army base which heavily influenced the area. Learn how to earn yield on gold, paid in gold, at Monetary-Metals.com/Americano Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 17 · 17 min
Coffee House Shots: why MPs must be whipped | Simon Hart
Andy Burnham has promised to turn the whips’ office into an ‘HR department’ – but the former chief whip Simon Hart warns that the approach is ‘naive’ and could leave the new prime minister unable to control his party. Hart explains why large majorities can be harder to manage than small ones, what Keir Starmer got wrong and why Burnham will begin making enemies as soon as he appoints his first cabinet. He also defends Kemi Badenoch’s crackdown on Tory dissenters, arguing that there must be consequences when private disagreement becomes public disloyalty. Plus: does Parliament take MPs’ safety seriously enough? Hart argues that security has improved significantly in recent years, and that the idea MPs are routinely left unprotected is a ‘myth’. Noa Hoffman speaks to Simon Hart, the former government chief whip and author of Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.