Spectator Radio

Tom Gilbey, the internet's most charismatic wine expert, sits down with Olivia Potts for Table Talk. Tom is a winemaker, merchant, educator – and also an author. His new book, Thirsty, is part-memoir, part guide to his life through wine in 100 bottles, and is available now. On the podcast, Tom discusses his family's love for winemaking that stretches back to the nineteenth century, and how he became captivated by the trade thanks to Beaujolais and a pike's head. He explains how a glass of pinot gris in an ice bath propelled him to social media fame – where he's known for taking a fun approach to wine tasting. Tom also reveals the best way to pair drinks with dishes and the unconventional way he'll be cooking his turkey this Christmas. Plus: how did the English sparkling wine industry take off?Produced by Patrick Gibbons and James Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher Caldwell joins Freddy Gray to discuss why the 'Boomer generation' – those born between 1946 and 1964 – became one of the most hated generations in recent history. Chris argues that the Boomers uniquely benefited from the resources of other generations, and were able to enjoy the benefits of leftist politics alongside the political and economic freedoms associated with the right; the apex of their power perhaps being the Clinton/Bush era. To what extent are the Boomers responsible for the decline of America? And what merits are there in judging society through age? Plus, do the digital-millennial generation – those born at the late 1980s and early 1990s – mark the next era of cultural configuration?Produced by Patrick Gibbons and James Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this week's Spectator Out Loud, we include a compilation of submissions by our writers for their greatest artwork of the 21st century so far. Following our arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic, you can hear from: Graeme Thomson, Lloyd Evans, Slavoj Zizek, Damian Thompson, Richard Bratby, Liz Anderson, Deborah Ross, Calvin Po, Tanjil Rashid, James Walton, Rupert Christiansen and Christopher Howse.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend's Coffee House Shots digs into the growing debate over whether Keir Starmer should tack left on the economy as voters peel away to the Greens and Lib Dems – and why some in Labour think its migration stance is now more popular with their own voters than ever. Are Labour tacking left?But beyond policy, a deeper question looms: is Westminster's obsession with ‘super-advisers' drowning out the government's message? Tom Baldwin argues that leaks, briefing wars and the hunt for the next ‘power-behind-the-throne' are undermining Labour's ability to tell a coherent story, while Tim Shipman asks why Starmer still struggles to communicate the values that drive him.James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Tom Baldwin, Keir Starmer's biographer.Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Labour is now the party of welfare, not work' argues Michael Simmons in the Spectator's cover article this week. The question ‘why should I bother with work?' is becoming harder to answer, following last week's Budget which could come to define this Labour government. A smaller and smaller cohort of people are being asked to shoulder the burden – what do our Spectator contributors think of this? For this week's Edition, host Lara Prendergast is joined by opinion editor Rupert Hawksley, arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic and columnist Matthew Parris. Rupert points out the perceived lack of fairness across the Budget, Matthew thinks we shouldn't be surprised that a Labour government delivered a Labour Budget and Igor makes the case that artists thrive as a consequence of an inefficient state.As well as the cover, they discuss: the compassionate balance needed on mental health; how society seems to be approaching a ‘climbdown' over climate change; the best party tricks they've seen; and finally, their reflections on Tom Stoppard, following his death at the weekend.Plus: what is the greatest artwork of the 21st century so far – and how should we define it? The columnists discuss our various submissions from Christian Marclay's The Clock, television show Succession, album Original Pirate Material by The Streets – and even the Just Stop Oil movement.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is James Geary, talking about the new edition of his classic The World in a Phrase: A Brief History of the Aphorism. He tells me about what separates an aphorism from a proverb, a maxim or a quip; about the long history of the form and his own lifelong infatuation with it; and about whether – given our dwindling attention span and appetite for zingers on social media – we can expect to be living through a new golden age of aphorism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: Rachel Reeves reels as Labour's Budget unravels – and a far-left Life of Brian sequel plays out in Liverpool.After a bruising seven days for the Chancellor, Michael and Maddie ask whether Reeves's position is now beyond repair. Did Keir Starmer's bizarre nursery press conference steady the ship – or simply confirm that the government is panicking? And is the resignation of the OBR chair a shield for Reeves – or a damning contrast with her refusal to budge?Then: the inaugural conference of Your Party delivers pure comic gold. As Zarah Sultana's collective-leadership utopians clash with Corbynite diehards and Islamist independents, Michael explains why the far left's civil war matters more than Westminster thinks. Could independents erode Labour's urban base? And with Jeremy Corbyn now looking like the centrist dad of the movement, what does this chaos tell us about the future of the British left?And finally: Christmas is coming. Maddie and Michael share their rules for 'sound' gift-giving and give their book recommendations.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to spectator.co.uk/quiteright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are Americans so interested in Britain's decline? While visiting London, Tucker Carlson has said that the country has ‘shrunken' and its culture ‘destroyed', particularly because of mass immigration. Freddy Gray is joined by Tim Stanley and Ed West to discuss whether Britain has become ‘ground zero in the decline of western civilisation' and if the US has always viewed the UK this way.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There has been a renewed focus on tobacco and nicotine products across Europe. Just as countries seek to speed up the process to a smoke-free future, through measures like generational smoking bans and increased regulations on packaging and advertising, there has been a sharp increase in young people using alternative nicotine products like vapes and pouches.Philip Morris International (PMI) expects to see two-thirds of its revenue come from smoke-free products by 2030 – including its product, Zyn. Dr Moira Gilchrist, chief communications officer at PMI, and Charlie Weimers MEP, a member of the Swedish Democrats, join The Spectator's Lara Brown to talk about how nicotine pouches can help the transition away from tobacco to a smoke-free future. While this podcast was sponsored by PMI, The Spectator retained full editorial control, with no subject off-limits. Is PMI's concern genuine or purely for future-proofing their business? What lessons can the UK take from Sweden, which expects to be declared the first ‘smoke-free' country? And what does the science say?This podcast is sponsored by Philip Morris International. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fr Benedict Kiely, founder of nasarean.org, and Freddy Gray join Damian Thompson to discuss the persecution of Christians which has reached new and terrifying levels. Since this podcast was recorded last Friday, we have had the further news that over 300 children and staff were abducted from a Christian school – while around 50 of the children have since managed to escape, the rest remain missing and a local Bishop has criticised the Nigeria government for its failure to act.Over 185,000 Christians are estimated to have been killed in Nigeria in the past 15 years – so why has it taken the efforts of President Trump to push this horrific topic up the agenda?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throughout the years, the only person permitted to drink inside the House of Commons is the Chancellor, so what has been the tipple of choice for each resident of Number 11 dating back to Benjamin Disraeli? Following Rachel Reeves Budget this week, Michael Simmons and James Heale drink their way through the ages, discuss the historical context of each Budget, and question whether Rachel Reeves has the toughest job of them all.This episode was originally recorded for Michael Simmons's new podcast Reality Check. Search Reality Check wherever you subscribe to your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Marriage is the real rebellion' argues Madeline Grant in the Spectator's cover article this week. The Office for National Statistics predicts that by 2050 only 30 per cent of adults will be married. This amounts to a ‘relationship recession' where singleness is ‘more in vogue now than it has been since the dissolution of the monastries'. With a rising division between the sexes, and many resorting to alternative relationships like polyamory, how can we defend marriage?For this week's Edition, host William Moore is joined by political editor Tim Shipman, assistant editor – and parliamentary sketchwriter – Madeline Grant and the Spectator's diary writer this week, former Chancellor and Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng.As well as the cover, they discuss: how Rachel Reeves benefited from the OBR Budget leak, whether through cock up or conspiracy; what they thought of Kemi Badenoch's post-Budget performance; whether it is fair for Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds – in an interview with Tim – to say that ‘the architects of Brexit ran away'; and finally, how inevitable was the idea of ‘progress' when thinking about Britain's Industrial Revolution.Plus: Kwasi explains why he agrees with Tim that the Budget should be confined to the 19th Century. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Book Club podcast I'm joined by debut author Leon Craig to talk about her novel The Decadence – a story of millennial debauchery in a haunted house which uses a knowing patchwork of literary influences from Boccaccio and Shirley Jackson to Martin Amis and Mark Z. Danielewski to make an old form fresh. She discusses how and why it took her so long to write, how she first acquired a taste for the gothic, and why she thinks the horror novel, that seeming relic of the 1970s, is making such a dramatic comeback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: After leaked EHRC guidance threw Labour's position on biological sex into disarray, Michael and Maddie ask whether Bridget Phillipson is deliberately delaying clarity on the law – and why Wes Streeting appears to be retreating from his once ‘gender-critical' stance. Is Labour quietly preparing to water down long-awaited guidance? And has the return of puberty-blocker trials pushed the culture war back to square one?Then: Shabana Mahmood unveils her first major moves as Home Secretary. But as the Labour left cries foul and legal challenges loom, Michael and Maddie assess whether her plans will really bring order to the asylum system – or whether Labour's attachment to ‘process over principle' will scupper the reforms before they bite. Is Mahmood the Iron Lady Labour never expected? Or is this simply Starmerism in its purest form: government by quango, review and delay?And finally: Christmas arrives early… far too early. Michael sets out the case for a ‘dry Advent and festive January', while Maddie laments Black Friday brawls and the loss of an older, saner rhythm to the year.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiteright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: William Atkinson reveals his teenage brush with a micropenis; Andreas Roth bemoans the dumbing down of German education; Philip Womack wonders how the hyphen turned political; Mary Wakefield questions the latest AI horror story – digitising dead relatives; and, Muriel Zagha celebrates Powell & Pressburger's I Know Where I'm Going!Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiterightThis week on Quite right! Q&A: Is the Treasury still fit for purpose – or has ‘Treasury brain' taken over Whitehall? Michael and Maddie dig into the culture and power of Britain's most influential department, from the Oxbridge-heavy ‘Treasury boys' to a ‘visionless' Chancellor.Then: after Michael's suggestion that Piers Morgan should be the next director-general of the BBC – why, in his view, could cnly a disruptive outsider could shake the organisation out of its complacency.Plus: the rise of ‘Mar-a-Lago face' in US conservative politics, and whether Britain has its own aesthetic quirks – from Ozempic-thinned MPs to the enduring Labour ‘power bob'.Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the space of a month, the Church of England acquired its first female Archbishop of Canterbury, a majority of the world's Anglicans have left the Anglican Communion in protest at the mother Church's willingness to bless same-sex relationships – and the House of Bishops has suddenly backed away from introducing stand-alone gay blessings. The situation is chaotic. Theologian Andrew Graystone talks to Damian Thompson about the almost insoluble problems that will face Archbishop Mullally after she is enthroned in January. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Curtis and Maxwell Marlow may have different political ideologies, but they agree on one key diagnosis: Britain is broken. Their solution can be found on baseball caps and bucket hats across social media and SW1: ‘Build Baby Build'. Less than a week before the Budget, Chris – MP for Milton Keynes and chair of the Labour Growth Group – and Maxwell – policy fellow of the Yimby Initiative, alongside his day job at the Adam Smith Institute – join our economics editor Michael Simmons to talk about the pro-growth measures they champion to radically change Britain.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to scrap the budget, argues political editor Tim Shipman this week. An annual fiscal event only allows the Chancellor to tinker round the edges, faced with a backdrop of global uncertainty. Endless potential tax rises have been trailed, from taxes on mansions, pensions, savings, gambling, and business partnerships, and nothing appears designed to fix Britain's structural problems. Does our economics editor Michael Simmons agree?Host Lara Prendergast is joined by co-host – and the Spectator's features editor – William Moore, alongside associate editor Owen Matthews and economics editor Michael Simmons. As well as the cover, they discuss: the corruption scandal that has weakened Ukraine's President Zelensky – could he be forced out; how global winds are taming meaning we're living through a ‘great stilling'; with new research alleging that Hitler had a micropenis – does it matter; how grief is natural and dead relatives shouldn't be digitised; whether Artificial Intelligence could be useful in schools; and finally, what Turkey could teach the UK about luxury healthcare.Plus: what did Owen learn on a mushroom retreat in Amsterdam – and why did William wait ten years to go to the dentist?Produced by Patrick Gibbons.The Spectator is trialling new formats for this podcast, and we would very much welcome feedback via this email address: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Myers joins Sam Leith to discuss his book Jesus Christ Kinski, which he describes as a ‘novel about a film about a performance about Jesus'. Klaus Kinski was one of Germany's biggest actors of the 20th Century – but he was also one of the most controversial, and Ben questions if he was one of the worst people to have ever lived. In this novel, Kinski returns for a one-man performance about Jesus Christ, and it nearly becomes his last as the audience turn on him and violence is threatened.  Ben tells Sam about how he came to be fixated on Kinski, why the worst people can be some of the most compelling and why there are no great movies about writers. Plus, how exposed are artists to cancel culture when making art about evil characters?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right! but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!' wherever you are listening now.This week: a Commons showdown over asylum – and a cold shower for Net Zero orthodoxy.After Shabana Mahmood's debuts Labour's new asylum proposals, Michael and Maddie ask whether her barnstorming performance signals a new star in Starmer's government – or whether the Home Secretary is dangerously over-promising on a problem no minister has yet cracked. Is her Denmark-inspired model workable? Can she get it past the Labour left? And are the right-wing plaudits a blessing – or a trap?Then: at COP30, the great climate jamboree struggles to command attention. As Ed Miliband charges ahead with his Net Zero agenda, the pair question whether Britain has finally passed 'peak Net Zero mania'. Is the UK hobbling itself economically while China cashes in? Has climate policy become more like a faith than a science? And what would a more balanced, less fanatical environmentalism look like?And finally, Channel 4 claims a medical quirk shaped Adolf Hitler: does this kind of genetic reductionism teach us anything – or simply turn history's greatest monsters into comic-book villains?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiteright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Advertising legend and Spectator columnist Rory Sutherland joins Michael Simmons to explain why he thinks Britain's economic problem isn't income, tax rates or even inequality — it's property, rent extraction, and a national belief that housing is the safest and smartest place to store wealth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiterightThis week on Quite right! Q&A: Could Britain see a snap election before 2029? Michael and Maddie unpack the constitutional mechanics – and explain why, despite the chaos, an early vote remains unlikely. They also turn to Labour's troubles: growing pressure on Keir Starmer, restive backbenchers, and whether Angela Rayner's sacking has boosted her chances as his successor.Plus: should the Scottish Parliament be abolished? And on a lighter note, if you won a free holiday but had to take one Labour MP, who would you choose?Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawyer Alan Dershowitz joins Freddy Gray to react to the 20,000 newly released Epstein emails — and why he believes far more remains hidden. He discusses Trump's appearance in the documents, the contradictions in Virginia Giuffre's testimony, the FBI's real “client list”, and why judges are still sealing major depositions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain's prisons are a legislative problem that has beset successive governments. New revelations show 91 accidental early releases in just six months, the latest in a growing pattern of administrative chaos across the criminal justice system. Between drones delivering drugs, crumbling Victorian buildings, exhausted staff and an ever more convoluted sentencing regime, what is the cause of so many blunders? And what will Labour's promised reforms actually fix – and are more crises inevitable?James Heale speaks to Charlie Taylor, H.M. Chief Inspector of Prisons.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Megan McElroy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can the BBC be fixed? After revelations of bias from a leaked dossier, subsequent resignations and threats of legal action from the US President, the future of the corporation is the subject of this week's cover piece.Host William Moore is joined by The Spectator's commissioning editor, Lara Brown, arts editor, Igor Toronyi-Lalic, and regular contributor, Melanie McDonagh.They also discuss the drama of this week's Westminster coup plot, and Melanie's new book about why Catholicism attracted unlikely converts throughout the twentieth century.Plus: what's the most bizarre excuse a friend has used to back out of a social engagement? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Leith's guest this week is Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia and author of The Seven Rules of Trust. They discuss why trust is such an important value for public debate, and how it can address polarisation in society. Jimmy addresses the challenge Elon Musk has posed to Wikipedia after the entrepreneur branded the site as ‘woke', despite the pair having a personal relationship. Sam also asks whether the internet is getting worse – and if it can be fixed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right! but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!' wherever you are listening now.This week: a crisis at the BBC – and a crisis of standards in our schools.Following the shock resignations of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, Michael and Maddie ask whether the corporation has finally been undone by its own bias, and discuss how it can correct the leftward lurch in its editorial line.Then: Labour's new education reforms come under the microscope. As Ofsted scraps single-word judgements in favour of ‘report cards', could this ‘definitive backward step' result in a ‘dumbing down' that will rob the next generation of rigour and ambition? And will ‘Bridget Philistine's' war on education undo the positive legacy of the Conservatives on education?And finally, in Hollywood, actress Sydney Sweeney refuses to apologise for comments made in an interview last week – she now finds herself a heroine of the anti-woke age. Are we finally past peak woke?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiteright Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain is facing a quiet crisis — its data is breaking down, and the government's numbers are increasingly unreliable.In this episode of Reality Check, economics editor Michael Simmons asks what happens when the state can't count properly. How can the Bank of England set interest rates or the Treasury balance the books when the data they rely on is wrong? And why are so many “official” statistics now being stripped of their trusted status? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To submit your urgent questions to Michael and Maddie, go to: spectator.co.uk/quiterightThis week on the first ever Quite right! Q&A: What's your most left-wing belief? Michael & Maddie confess their guilty liberal secrets on the Elgin Marbles, prison reform and private equity – or ‘the unacceptable face of capitalism'.Also this week: who would you trust to save your life on a desert island – Boris Johnson, Theresa May or David Cameron? And finally, a literary turn: from John Donne to Thomas Hardy, Michael and Maddie share their favourite poems, and make the case for learning verse by heart.Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are Silicon Valley billionaires obsessing over Heaven & Hell, and what does it tell us about American society today? Spectator World's Arts Editor Luke Lyman joins Damian Thompson on this episode of Holy Smoke to talk about how a fascination with the Book of Revelation, the Antichrist and a techno-utopia – or techno-apocalypse – has gripped the 'tech bros'.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What lessons does America have for our politics? While progressives look to Zohran Mamdani for inspiration on how to get elected successfully, the really important question is how to govern effectively. And here it is the Trump administration which is setting the standard, writes Tim Shipman in this week's cover story. On day one, Donald Trump stepped into the Oval Office ready to ‘move fast and break things', signing a flurry of executive orders with the backing of unflinching loyalists. Brits who may have been appalled by Trump in his first term are now envious of his administration's lack of infighting and success in bringing illegal migration to a halt, as well as securing a ceasefire in Gaza, attacking Iranian nuclear sites and applying pressure on Vladimir Putin. Here in Westminster, Labour arrived in government with no clear idea what they were doing or, as things have deteriorated, what to do next.The Spectator US Editor Freddy Gray speaks to Tim Shipman. Produced by Megan McElroy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A year on from his presidential election victory, what lessons can Britain learn from Trump II? Tim Shipman writes this week's cover piece from Washington D.C., considering where Keir Starmer can ‘go big' like President Trump. Both leaders face crunch elections next year, but who has momentum behind them? There is also the question of who will replace Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. Can Starmer find a candidate who can get the Americans on side?Host Lara Prendergast is joined by The Spectator's political editor Tim Shipman, features editor Will Moore and commissioning editor Mary Wakefield.As well as the cover, they discuss Mary's piece urging us not to ‘look away' in the wake of the Huntingdon train stabbings; whether Zack Polanski can harness the energy seen in Zohran Mamdani's New York City mayoral election victory; and the growing fashion for polyamory.Plus: what books have the panel enjoyed reading this year? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Leith's guest this week is Graham Robb. In his new book The Discovery of Britain: An Accidental History, Graham takes us on a time-travelling bicycle tour of the island's history. They discuss how Graham weaves together personal memories with geography and history, his 'major cartographic scoop' which unlocks Iron Age Britain and contemporary debates about national identity. Graham also has a discovery of interest for those who hold out hope that King Arthur really existed.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and James Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right! but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!' wherever you are listening now. This week on Quite right!: Rachel Reeves goes on the offensive – and the defensive. After her surprise Downing Street address, Michael and Maddie pick over the many kites that have been flying in advance of the Budget at the end of the month. Was she softening the public up for tax rises, or trying to save her own job? Michael explains why Reeves is wrong to say that Labour's inheritance is the reason for our current economic misfortune and says that it is ‘absolute bollocks' that Brexit is to blame.Next, a chilling weekend of violence sparks a bigger question: are we witnessing the rise of nihilistic crime in Britain? From the Huntingdon train stabbings to rampant shoplifting, are we becoming used to the ‘anarcho-tyranny' that is taking hold – where petty crimes go unpunished and public order breaks down?And finally, from Halloween to Bonfire Night, the culture wars go seasonal. Michael and Maddie debate whether we should loathe ‘pagan' Halloween and instead turn 5 November into a national holiday.Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: Luke Coppen looks at a new musical subgenre of Roman Catholic black metal; Mary Wakefield celebrates cartoonist Michael Heath as he turns 90 – meaning he has drawn for the Spectator for 75 years; looking to Venezuela, Daniel McCarthy warns Trump about the perils of regime change; Michael Simmons bemoans how Britain is beholden to bad data; and, Hugh Thomson looks at celebrity terrorists as he reviews Jason Burke's The Revolutionists. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddy Gray sits down with academic James Orr at the Battle of Ideas in London for a live Americano podcast to discuss Vice President J.D. Vance. Having been described as 'Vance's British sherper', James responds to how likely it is that J.D. Vance will be President one day, which weaknesses could hold him back and how Vance's unique closeness to Trump in office has given him vital experience to learn on the job. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are the rich fleeing Britain? That's what the numbers suggest, but some activist groups have hit back that the data is dodgy. For the second episode of Reality Check The Spectator's economics editor Michael Simmons explains why the data shows that the wealthy are leaving Britain, and why this matters for everyone else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘On the day of the local elections, when the Tories suffered a historic setback, Kemi Badenoch went to the gym and got her hair done,' Tim Shipman reveals in the magazine this week. Aides insist that Badenoch has since ‘upped her game'. Her PMQs performances are improving and the CCHQ machine seems to have whirred into gear, making sure that Labour's embarrassments – from Angela Rayner's flat to the collapsed China scandal – don't go unpunished. Is she finally turning the ship around after a year in the job? Michael Gove and Tim Shipman discuss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big Tech is under the spell of the occult, according to Damian Thompson. Artificial intelligence is now so incredible that even educated westerners are falling back on the occult, and Silicon Valley billionaires are becoming obsessed with heaven and hell. An embrace of the occult is not just happening in California but across the world – with ‘WitchTok', a new trend of middle-class women embracing witchcraft. Is this spooky or just sad? And to what extent are they just following in the tradition of the Victorian charlatan?Host Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator's associate editor – and host of the Holy Smoke podcast – Damian Thompson, alongside writers and Spectator regulators Arabella Byrne and Mark Mason.As well as the cover, they discuss: the fascinating world of the London tube network – despite the misery of the northern line; the problems facing Kemi Badenoch, the allure of Reform UK and why Trump seems to recover from every scandal; whether languages should be saved; and they celebrate cartoonist Michael Heath, who is turning 90 – meaning he has drawn for the Spectator for 75 years.Plus: what does Mark think Cliff Richard and Jeffrey Archer have in common with Donald Trump?Produced by Patrick Gibbons.The Spectator is trialling new formats for this podcast, and we would very much welcome feedback via this email address: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nat Jansz joins Sam Leith to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Moomin novels. The first of these, Comet in Moominland, was revised by author Tove Jansson a decade after the original publication date. To celebrate the anniversary Sort of Books, co-run by Jansz, is publishing this revised edition for the first time in English.Jansz discusses why she finds the books so compelling, the influence of the war on author Jansson and why she feels Jansson's ‘quest for the truth' was written in a way that was easy for children to understand. For Jansz, the Moomin novels had a mix of light and dark which broke the mould of previous children's literature which was often prefaced with something traumatic. Plus – are there glimpses of the secret loves of the author hidden within the books?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listeners on the Best of Spectator playlist can enjoy a section of the latest episode of Quite right! but for the full thing please seek out the Quite right! channel. Just search ‘Quite right!' wherever you are listening now.This week on Quite right!: the great Home Office meltdown. After a week of fiascos – from the accidental release of a convicted migrant to the collapse of the grooming gangs inquiry – Michael and Maddie ask: is the Home Office now beyond repair? Why is Britain's most important department also its most dysfunctional? And what does it say about a civil service more obsessed with ‘listening circles' and ‘wellbeing surveys' than actually running the country?Then to Westminster, where Jess Phillips faces fury over the grooming gangs inquiry. Are ministers diluting the investigation to avoid awkward truths about race and culture? Michael argues that empathy is no substitute for justice – and that Labour still can't bring itself to confront the problem honestly.Next, Maddie shares an extraordinary personal story of her mother's nightmare tenant – thirty dogs, tens of thousands in damages, and zero help from the state – as she and Michael debate whether Britain's social contract is breaking down, and if new housing laws will only make things worse.Finally, the big news of the week: Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau's hard-launch romance. But what do Justin Trudeau's sartorial choices say about the state of politics and pop? And who would be their British equivalent?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.