Spectator Radio

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 slow-motion disgrace of Prince Andrew. As Virginia Giuffre's new book reignites the Epstein scandal, Michael and Maddie ask: how much longer can the monarchy carry its most toxic member? Or should the Duke of York be stripped of his titles and sent into exile?Then to Birmingham, where sectarian politics, bin strikes and football collide. After Israeli fans were barred from attending a Europa League match, Michael and Maddie debate how Britain's second city became a byword for failed multiculturalism. Has the country finally started telling the truth about integration – or just found new ways to divide itself?Finally, the British Museum's attempt to out-glamour the Met Gala. From Ed Vaizey's ‘LSD-infused Del Boy' outfit to George Osborne's A-list trolling in front of the Elgin Marbles, Maddie asks: have we reached peak luvvie? And what would a truly British gala look like?Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Best of Notes on... gathers the funniest, sharpest and most wonderfully random pieces from The Spectator's beloved miscellany column. For more than a decade, these short, sharp essays have uncovered the intrigue in the everyday and the delight in digression. To purchase the book, go to spectator.co.uk/shopOn this special episode of Spectator Out Loud, you can hear from: William Moore on jeans; Laura Freeman on Brits in Paris; Justin Marozzi on boxer shorts; Mark Mason on coming second; Michael Simmons on doner kebabs; Fergus Butler-Gallie on Friday the 13th; Hannah Tomes on rude place names; and, Margaret Mitchell on lobsters.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons, with an introduction from William Moore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Was this Donald Trump's most phenomenal week yet? Freddy Gray and Kate Andrews discuss the President's success in orchestrating a Gaza peace plan, his 'Mean Girls style' of dealing with world leaders, and how to interpret his comments about not being 'heaven bound'. They also talk about how Trump might bailout Argentina - but only if Javier Milei wins upcoming elections.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Broadcaster, writer, actor – and former MP – Gyles Brandreth joins Lara Prendergast on this episode of Table Talk to discuss his memories of food, from hating dates and loving 'bread sandwiches' to his signature dish of fish fingers and his love of eating baked beans cold from a can.Gyles also tells Lara about getting permission to eat swan, his encounter with Raymond Blanc and his friendship with a former editor of The Spectator. Plus – Gyles bemoans the lack of freebies that come with recording a Spectator food podcast (sorry Gyles!).Gyles's new biography of A.A. Milne, Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear, is out now.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark the centenary of Thatcher's birth, Michael Gove is joined by Charles Moore, her biographer, and Peggy Noonan, speechwriter to Ronald Reagan, to reflect on the chemistry that bound the two conservative leaders. Both outsiders turned reformers, they shared not only ideology but temperament – ‘They were partners in crime,' says Peggy.Yet it wasn't all harmony. As Charles notes, the pair weathered serious rifts – over nuclear weapons, Grenada and the Falklands. Even in disagreement, they ‘wanted the same thing … to defeat the Soviet Union without fighting'. How did they navigate their differences? And what lessons can we learn from their special relationship?Produced by Natasha Feroze and Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: Nick Boles says that Ukraine must stand as a fortress of European freedom; James Ball reviews If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI, by Eliezer Yudowsky and Nate Sores; Andrew Rosenheim examines the treasure trove of John Le Carre's papers at the Bodleian; Arabella Byrne provides her notes on skip-diving; and, in the battle of the sexes, Rory Sutherland says the thing to fear is not feminisation, but emasculation. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Here be dragons' declares the Spectator's cover story this week, as it looks at the continuing fallout over the collapse of the trial of two political aides accused of spying for China in Westminster. Tim Shipman reveals that – under the last Conservative government – a data hub was sold to the Chinese that included highly classified information; one source describes this to him as a ‘stratospheric clusterfuck'. Why do successive governments seem to struggle with UK-China relations? And, with many unanswered questions still remaining, what's the truth over this case?  Host Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator's political editor Tim Shipman, arts editor Igor Toronyi-Lalic and deputy editor Freddy Gray.  As well as the cover, they discuss: how J.D. Vance appears unstoppable in the (silent) race to be the next Republican nominee for president; whether French, or British, parenting is better; and why the art of costume design, like so many crafts, is in decline.  Plus: is Sheridan Westlake, the most important Tory you've never heard of, really the ‘cockroach of Westminster'? 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.

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! Michael and Maddie turn their sights to Westminster's latest espionage scandal – and the collapse of the case to prosecute two men accused of spying for China. Was the case dropped out of incompetence, or out of fear of offending Beijing? As Michael puts it, ‘Either we're not being told the truth, or this is a government of staggering incompetence.'They also unpick the growing row over Jonathan Powell, Keir Starmer's National Security Adviser, and his alleged role in shelving the case. What does his re-emergence, along with Peter Mandelson and other ‘Sith Lords of Blairism', tell us about the return of New Labour's old moral compromises?Elsewhere, Donald Trump's surprise Gaza peace deal has upended diplomatic expectations and ushered in a new style of negotiation – the ‘Manhattan real estate' approach – which has succeeded where the UN's moralising failed. Is it Trump's world and we're all living in it?Finally: The Traitors. Maddie confesses she's never watched an episode, but would Michael be a traitor or a faithful? What does the show reveal about the darker truths of human nature? And which politicians would make the perfect traitors? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The announcement by Erika Kirk – the widow of assassinated political activist Charlie Kirk – that she forgave her husband's killer, has led many to question the nature of Christian forgiveness. Granting forgiveness can seem hard for the smallest of crimes, let alone the murder of a close family member, so how can other people follow Erika's example? One person who sadly knows better than most is Professor Everett Worthington. Prof. Worthington is Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University and a clinical psychologist who has studied forgiveness throughout his career. However, it isn't just through academia that he understands forgiveness; when his mother was murdered, he also made the decision to forgive his mother's killer.Prof. Worthington joins Damian Thompson on this episode of Holy Smoke to discuss the 'injustice gap' between forgiveness and remorse, the theoretical distinction he makes between behaviourial intentions and emotional forgiveness, and the events of his mother's murder – and how he came to forgive such an horrific crime.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has launched a new ‘war on drugs' – this time targeting Mexico's cartels. Ben Domenech joins Freddy Gray to explain why MAGA has embraced the fight, what it means for US–Mexico relations, and how it could shape Trump's foreign policy in his second term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From wartime leadership to economic revolutions, Conservative figures have shaped Britain's past and present. But who stands out as the greatest of them all? In this conversation, recorded live at Conservative Party Conference: Katie Lam makes the case for William Pitt the Younger, Camilla Tominay nominates Margaret Thatcher, William Atkinson points out the number of young Tories who now idolise Enoch Powell, and Neil O'Brien explains why all conservatives should know about Jerzy Popieluszko. Who wins? You decide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman says that the real war for the right is yet to come; Ian Williams examines the farce over the collapses China espionage case; Theo Hobson argues that the Church of England is muddled over sex and marriage; Lara Prendergast reads her letter from America; and, Lisa Haseldine goes on manoeuvres with the German army, the Bundeswehr. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded live in Manchester, during the Conservative Party conference, Michael Gove sits down with Tim Shipman, Madeline Grant and Tim Montgomerie to discuss how the Tories can turn their fortunes around. Do the Tories need to show contrition for their record in government? Has the party basically been split ever since the Coalition years? And does Nigel Farage need to set a deadline for Tory to Reform defectors? Plus – from Canada to Italy – which countries do British Conservatives need to look towards for inspiration?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Spectator's cover story this week looks at ‘the fear' gripping Jewish people amidst rising antisemitism. Reflecting on last week's attack in Manchester, Douglas Murray says that ‘no-one in the Jewish community was surprised' – a damning inditement on Britain today. How do we tackle religious intolerance? And is there room for nuance in the debate about Israel and Palestine? Host Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator's US editor Freddy Gray, associate editor – and host of our religious affairs podcast Holy Smoke – Damian Thompson and commissioning editor Mary Wakefield. As well as the cover, they discuss: how biological innovations are threatening motherhood; the views of the new – and first female – Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally; and how New York has ended up with (almost certainly) an incoming socialist mayor in Zohran Mamdani. Plus: the panel mourn the novelist Jilly Cooper, and Damian reveals how he ended up with a driving conviction – despite having never passed his driving test.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.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.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Ben Schott. The author of the world- (or downstairs-loo-) conquering Schott's Original Miscellany returns with Schott's Significa, a deeply reported and constantly surprising book in which he uses the private languages of various communities – from gondoliers to graffiti writers and from Swifties to sommeliers – as a way of understanding their worlds. Ben tells me about how the project came together, how he was inspired by the folklorists Iona and Peter Opie pinning the butterfly of playground games – and why doing the shoe-leather reporting yields results that you could never get from Google or ChatGPT. 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, Michael and Maddie record Quite right! in front of a live audience at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester – with attendance down, the big question is whether Kemi Badenoch can survive as leader of the opposition. There is the unmistakable air of fatalism among MPs staring down electoral annihilation – but would another change in leadership cement the Tories as pathologically regicidal?They also debate Badenoch's bold pledge to bar candidates who won't back leaving the European Convention on Human Rights – a ‘calculated risk' that could redefine the party's identity or too little too late?Then, in the wake of the horrific Manchester synagogue attack, they turn to the rise of anti-Semitism and the crisis of policing. Are Britain's streets really being governed by ‘two-tier justice'? And what does it say about public order – and public confidence – that Jewish Britons are being told to stay indoors for their own safety?Finally, they dissect the Church of England's choice of Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Is she an inspired appointment, or proof that the Church has become, as Michael puts it, ‘another bureaucratic manifestation of generalised niceness'?Produced by Oscar Edmondson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Shipman, James Heale and Lucy Dunn record live at Conservative party conference in Manchester. What's the mood at conference – and has Kemi done enough to neutralise her detractors? Tim says he expects there to be no immediate leadership challenge but the Conservatives need to get real about the 'attention economy' they're faced with. What inspiration can they take from Tory grandee Michael Heseltine? And can they 'make conservative sexy again'? Plus, audience questions on the upcoming budget and the challenges for the Conservatives in both Wales and Scotland.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: James Heale says that, for Labour, party conference was a ‘holiday from reality'; William Atkinson argues that the ‘cult of Thatcher' needs to die; David Shipley examines the luxury of French prisons; Angus Colwell provides his notes on swan eating; and, Aidan Hartley takes listeners on a paleoanthropological tour from the Cradle of Mankind. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Gove speaks to Jeffrey Archer about his life, career and his new novel End Game, which marks the gripping finale of the William Warwick series. This discussion was part of the Spectator's speaker series. To see more on our upcoming events – including with Charles Moore and with Bernard Cornwell – go to events.spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The general election result of 2024 reflected – among other things – a collapse of trust among British voters in the Conservatives. How can the British right evolve so it learns lessons from the past and from across the pond, in order to win back its base?This is an excerpt from an event hosted by The Spectator and American Compass; a leading US think tank. The panel includes:Robert Jenrick MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and MP for NewarkMiriam Cates, former MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge and GB News PresenterGavin Rice, head of political economy at OnwardNick Timothy, MP for West SuffolkHenry Olsen, Senior Fellow, Ethics & Public Policy CentreProduced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dame Sarah Mullally has been announced as the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Previously the Bishop of London, she becomes the first woman to lead the Church in its almost 500 year history. She also had a 40 year career as a professional nurse, rising to be the most senior nurse in England and Wales. The Rev'd Marcus Walker, rector at St Bartholemew the Great in the City of London, joins Damian Thompson to react to the news – what can we expect from her leadership?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Leith's guest on this week's Book Club podcast is the historical novelist Philippa Gregory. In her gripping new book Boleyn Traitor, Philippa seeks to rescue Jane Boleyn from the vast condescension of history. She tells Sam how fiction allows her to make plausible speculations about the gaps in the record, how she works to make the Tudors speak to us in language we can recognise, where Henry VIII went wrong — and what the Tudor court's descent into tyranny has to say to us about our own age.Produced by James Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Spectator's cover story this week is an interview with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch ahead of the Tory party conference. Reflecting on the criticism she received for being seen as slow on policy announcements, she says that the position the Conservatives were in was ‘more perilous than people realise' and compares herself to the CEO of an ailing firm. Can Kemi turn it around for the Tories?Host William Moore is joined by the Spectator's political editor Tim Shipman – who interviewed Kemi – alongside commissioning editor Lara Brown, and academic and author Philip Hensher. They discuss whether the ‘cult of Thatcher' needs to die, Tim says he's more Disraeli and Bismarck to Lara's Pitt and Philip reveals what once got him sacked from the House of Commons.Plus: while discussing Philip's review of Graham Robb's The Discovery of Britain, the panel ponder which politicians are best at invoking history.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.

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, Michael and Maddie report from the Labour party conference in Liverpool and unpick Keir Starmer's big speech. Was his attempt to reclaim patriotism for Labour a genuine statement of values – or a clumsy exercise in stereotypes about steelworkers, chip shops and football nostalgia? And why does Labour's attack line on Nigel Farage risk sounding like political ‘nuclear warfare' that could backfire outside the conference hall? And what about the Tories? With Labour bringing the fight to the Reform party, where does this leave Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives ahead of their conference later this week?They then turn to Donald Trump's extraordinary new Middle East peace initiative. With Benjamin Netanyahu on board and Tony Blair drafted into the proposed ‘peace board', is this a serious diplomatic breakthrough or a surreal ‘fever dream' that only Trump could cook up?Next, another peace proposal doomed to fail: Emma Watson's attempt to reconcile with J.K. Rowling after years of public estrangement. Was Watson's olive branch an act of goodwill or a late recognition that the cultural tide has turned? And why did Rowling's sharp response strike such a chord with women who felt abandoned during the height of the trans debate?Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Oscar Bicket and Matt Miszczak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has unveiled his “peace plan” for Gaza with Benjamin Netanyahu – but is it realistic? Professor John Mearsheimer joins Freddy Gray to assess Trump's foreign policy instincts, the role of Tony Blair on the Board of Peace, the use (and misuse) of the term “genocide,” and what chance there is of a Saudi-Israeli accord emerging from the conflict. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whilst a certain noisy northern mayor has positioned himself as the problem child of conference 2025, The Spectator finds another Labour politician far more interesting. All around Liverpool the newsstands are decorated by the image of the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, dubbed the ‘Terminator' by Tim Shipman in the most recent issue of The Spectator. As one strategist notes: ‘Shabana is not afraid to use power. That's what we need.'In this special edition of Coffee House Shots we present a wide-ranging in-conversation between Shabana Mahmood and Spectator editor Michael Gove. Listen for: how to tackle the ‘Boriswave', whether the Home Office is fit for purpose, Shabana's compelling case for digital ID cards and her response to Keir Starmer's claim that Reform are ‘racist'.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Megan McElroy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddy Gray speaks to Jacob Heilbrunn, a longstanding friend of Americano to discuss James Comey, violence in Washington and Tucker Carlson's new series.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: Matthew Parris reflects on the gay rights movement in the UK; faced with Britain's demographic declines, Stephen J. Shaw argues that Britain needs to recover a sense of ‘futurehood'; Henry Jeffreys makes the case for disposing of wine lists; Tessa Dunlop reviews Valentine Low's Power and the Palace: The Inside Story of the Monarchy and 10 Downing Street; and, Angus Colwell reviews a new podcast on David Bowie from BBC Sounds.  Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The past few years have seen growing calls for countries in the global west to pay reparations to former colonies for their role in the transatlantic slave trade. The debate over reparations was already part of the so-called ‘culture wars', but became louder following the Black Lives Matter movement, as many groups sought to re-examine their histories. Calls for reparations have been embraced by the Church of England which set up a £100 million fund, with the aim of raising £1 billion, to pay reparations for the role the Church played in the slave trade. But do the arguments in favour of reparations really stand up? Conservative peer Nigel Biggar, emeritus regius professor of moral theology at the University of Oxford – and an Anglican priest – demolishes the arguments for reparations in his new book. In Reparations: Slavery and the Tyranny of Guilt he argues that calls for reparations are part of a ‘lust for self-condemnation' and rooted in political opportunism. And, as Conservative MP Katie Lam questions, is it even legal for the Church to do this? And why – with crumbling parish churches across the country – is the Church focused on this now?  Nigel and Katie join host Damian Thompson to talk through their arguments and warn about the worrying precedent it could set.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of Labour's party conference, the Spectator's editor Michael Gove sits down with Steve Reed MP, the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government. The government has announced an historic £5 billion package of funding for 'national renewal' – designed to revive high streets, parks and public spaces. Reed explains how he thinks Labour can win back 'forgotten' communities through building 1.5 million houses through this Parliament, allocating fair funding for councils and devolving more powers to local government. Is this Labour's own 'levelling up' agenda? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First: who has the Home Secretary got in her sights?Political editor Tim Shipman profiles Shabana Mahmood in the Spectator's cover article this week. Given Keir Starmer's dismal approval ratings, politicos are consumed by gossip about who could be his heir-apparent – even more so, following Angela Rayner's defenestration a few weeks ago. Mahmood may not be the most high-profile of the Starmer movement, but she is now talked about alongside Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham as a potential successor to Starmer.But – it all depends on what she can achieve at the Home Office. So, who does she have in her sights? Tim joined the podcastNext: why the philosopher king of Silicon Valley is reinventing the ‘Antichrist' theory What do Mohammed, Martin Luther, King George III, Adolf Hitler, Henry Kissinger and Bill Gates have in common? They have all been identified as the Antichrist. And now the theory is back, preoccupying the mind of billionaire Peter Thiel, who believes that ‘a globe-trotting liberal elite… are using their billions to manufacture a new world order'.  So why is Thiel, the co-founder of Paypal and Palantir, so obsessed with the Antichrist? Damian Thompson joins the podcast to discuss.And finally: the cost-of-giving crisisRupert Hawksley, the Spectator's new opinion editor, examines the crisis facing charity shops. Over 50 stores have shut this year with the big four – the British Heart Foundation, Barnado's, Oxfam and Cancer Research UK – struggling to maintain healthy sales. This isn't just a crisis for the charities, he argues, but also for the consumers who rely on the shops.Rupert joined the podcast alongside another charity shop enthusiast, the Spectator's editor Michael Gove. What's the most prized charity shop find?Plus: Henry Jeffreys discusses the horror of wine lists and Angus Colwell reviews a new BBC Sounds podcast on David Bowie, ahead of the ten year anniversary of his death next year.Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is the historian Sudhir Hazareesingh, whose new book Daring to Be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World reframes the story of Atlantic slavery. He explains why the familiar tale of enlightened Europeans bringing about abolition leaves out the most important voices of all – the enslaved themselves – and how from Africa to Haiti and beyond, traditions of rebellion, resistance and spiritual resilience shaped the struggle for freedom long before Wilberforce or Clarkson entered the picture. 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, Michael and Maddie lift the lid on the strange rituals of party conference season and why the ‘goldfish bowl' reality of a week in Birmingham (or Manchester, or Liverpool) often leaves politicians with ‘PTSD'. They then turn to the government's revived enthusiasm for digital ID cards. Is this a sensible fix for illegal immigration – or, as Michael puts it, ‘snake oil rubbed onto an already weak idea'? And why does Tony Blair always seem to be the ghost whispering ‘ID cards' into Westminster's ear?Next, Keir Starmer's recognition of a Palestinian state: a principled step, or a political stunt designed to placate his backbenchers? Michael and Madeline dissect the backlash, the ‘terrorist chic' of pop-concert activism, and what this move really says about Labour's priorities.Finally, they reflect on the extraordinary words of Erika Kirk, who publicly forgave her husband's alleged murderer. What does Christian forgiveness look like in an age that prizes vengeance and why do so many secular commentators miss its radicalism?Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Oscar Bicket and Matt Miszczak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddy Gray is joined by Harry Kazianis, editor in chief of the National Security Journal, to assess China's military rise. He argues Beijing aims to dominate the Indo-Pacific with missiles, drones and naval power, posing a growing threat to U.S. influence and Taiwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: John Power argues the Oxford Union has a ‘lynch-mob mindset'; Elisabeth Dampier explains why she would never date a German; Nick Carter makes the case for licensing MDMA to treat veterans with PTSD; Maggie Fergusson reviews Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island by Mike Pitts; and, Mark Mason provides his notes on guided walks. Mark will also be hosting a guided walk for the Spectator, for tickets go to www.spectator.co.uk/events.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year marks 800 years since the birth of the theologian St Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas, best known for his theory of natural law and his magnum opus the Summa Theologia, argued for the existence of God through faith-based reason. The influence of the 13th Century theologian on the philosophy of religion is unquestionable, but what is curious is his resurgent popularity amongst Generation Z – particularly in America. Is this part of the recovery of the sacred seen across the global west?Fr Gregory Pine OP, professor of dogmatic and moral theology at the Dominican House of Studies, joins Damian Thompson to talk about Aquinas's legacy, unpack some of the philosopher's more complicated arguments and describe his own personal journey within the Order of Preachers.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government is expected to press ahead with recognition of Palestinian statehood, before a formal declaration at the United Nations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out plans earlier this year to recognise Palestine – but what does this actually mean? And what does the move actually achieve; is it driven by principle, by politics – or by pressure from within his own party?Michael Stephens of RUSI and Gabriel Pogrund of the Sunday Times join James Heale to assess the significance of this shift. They discuss the backlash from countries like the US, the unease within Labour ranks and the growing tension between domestic politics and Britain's standing with allies in the Middle East. France, Australia and Canada, close allies of Britain, announced their own plans to recognise Palestine, yet the US has condemned any move. What does Starmer's recognition of Palestine mean for the UK's relationship with the US? And is Starmer at risk of being outflanked – both at home and abroad?Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First: a warning from history Politics moving increasingly from the corridors of power into the streets, economic insecurity exacerbating tensions and the centre of politics failing to hold; these are just some of the echoes from Weimar Germany that the Spectator's editor Michael Gove sees when looking at present-day Britain. But, he says, ‘there are grounds for hope' – what are they? Michael joined the podcast to discuss.   Next: why did science succumb to the ‘culture wars'? Biologist and peer Matt Ridley bemoans the ‘cultification of science', arguing that ‘left-wing ideological nonsense' ended up permeating through all scientific disciplines. Thinking ‘neutral facts' were safe, Matt admits he – and colleagues – may have been naïve as one by one different battlefields emerged. Matt joined the podcast to discuss. Has science thrown off the shackles of the ‘culture wars'?And finally: how many books have you read?Emily Hill delves into the world of competitive reading this week – the rise of people publicising the books they've read, particularly through social media. Emily calls this ‘conspicuous' and notes it appears to be a trend amongst mainly female influencers. But is this solely performative or – in a world of diminishing attention spans – could the trend be promoting the act of reading? Emily joined the podcast alongside BookTok blogger Lucas Oakeley.Plus: Mark Mason provides his notes on guided walks. Mark will also be hosting a guided walk for the Spectator, for tickets go to www.spectator.co.uk/eventsHosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Leith's guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Roger Lewis, whose book The Life and Death of Peter Sellers has been republished to mark 100 years since the comedian's birth. Roger tells Sam about the difference between Sellers's public persona and private life, plus his influence on comedy today. They also discuss how Roger reinvented the way biographies were written, and whether the view he had of Sellers as a teenager changed through writing the book.Produced by James Lewis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Michael and Madeline unpick the shock defection of Danny Kruger to Reform UK's ‘pirate ship' – as described by Michael – and ask whether this coup could mark the beginning of the end for the Conservative party.They also dive into Westminster's most charged moral debates: the assisted dying bill in the Lords and the quiet decriminalisation of abortion up to birth. What do these changes say about parliament's ‘intoxicated liberal hubris' – and the protections given to the vulnerable?Also, Donald Trump lands in Britain this week – but why is it that the Prime Minister acts ‘like Carson the butler' in his presence, and who exactly is the ‘diplomatic secret weapon' that the Palace deploys to manage ‘the Donald'?Finally, Michael and Madeleine (re)turn to Oxford, where the Union has been engulfed in controversy over free speech and political violence. Has one of Britain's oldest debating societies become a cautionary tale for our universities? Is there such a thing as ‘right-wing cancel culture'?Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Oscar Bicket and Matt Miszczak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a bumper episode, the legend that is Raymond Blanc joins Olivia Potts and Lara Prendergast. The self-taught chef heads up the double Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, has trained chefs from Heston Blumenthal to Marco Pierre White, and received an honorary OBE in 2008. His new book Simply Raymond Kitchen Garden is out now.The chef tells Liv and Lara about his earliest memories of food – from eating worms to easter eggs, how his love of food is connected to the garden and why he owes his existence to General de Gaulle. He explains how he ended up becoming ‘exiled' to Great Britain, how he fell in love with Le Manoir and why he would have to choose an English chef to cook his dream meal. Plus: Lara's daughter makes a guest appearance.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Spectator Out Loud: James Heale reports on the battle for the north; Robert Hardman provides his royal notebook; who's really in charge of China, asks Francis Pike; Henrietta Harding goes on Ozempic safari; and, Mary Wakefield explains how to raise a patriot.Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.