The Spectator Podcast

In this week’s issue, the panel unpacks Tim Shipman’s explosive cover story, including a leaked message suggesting just how closely Starmer backed Mandelson’s appointment from the start – and why the Prime Minister is now struggling to shift responsibility as the fallout grows.Host Lara Prendergast is joined by William Moore, historian Peter Frankopan and Prue Leith to assess whether this is a moment of real political danger for Starmer – or simply another Westminster storm. As comparisons with Boris Johnson mount, they ask whether Labour’s internal critics will act, what alternatives (if any) exist, and why the deeper problem may be a striking lack of talent across British politics.Also on the episode: could Reform capitalise on voter frustration – and are Britain’s insurgent parties ready for power? What should we expect from Donald Trump’s looming state visit – and why the monarchy may matter more than Downing Street in managing him? Plus, is the American Dream fading, or simply evolving under economic str

My guest on this week’s Book Club podcast is Caroline Bicks, who tells me how she put her academic work on Shakespeare to one side to produce her new book Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King. She tells me why she thinks King’s work is worthy of critical attention, what we can learn from the radical way he revised his early work, what it is like dealing with the man himself – and how there are some parts of his early novels that he even scared himself with. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For more from Michael and Maddie, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening to this podcast and hit the follow button to never miss an episode. This week: the Mandelson row deepens – and a bigger question about Keir Starmer’s judgment and authority.After a bruising appearance from Olly Robbins at the Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael and Madeline ask whether the Prime Minister’s defence still holds and assess the weaknesses this whole debacle has exposed in Keir Starmer. For example, why did he want Mandelson to be US Ambassador in the first place, given the numerous red flags and the fact that – as Michael suggests – he doesn’t particularly like Mandelson or his style of operating?They also discuss whether this will end up being a resigning issue – and, if Starmer does go, what comes next? With potential successors circling and the local elections looming, would removing him would solve the problem or make it worse?Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has just come into effect. Iran’s Foreign Minister says 'in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire'. Freddy Gray is joined by Spectator contributor Charlie Gammell, an expert on Iran, to discuss the negotiations and why they originally broke down plus what a post-conflict Iran could look like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: as the King prepares to head to America, Robert Hardman looks ahead to what would have been Elizabeth II’s centenary celebration; Melissa Kite reports from the fuel protests in Ireland (featuring one of the disgruntled truckers); Julian Glover mourns the demise of the railway restaurant car; and finally, do you love it or hate it – Sarah Carlson provides her notes on marmite. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump’s latest clash with the Pope has stunned even the more hardened of America-watchers. According to the President of the United States Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion people, is 'WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy.' He also claimed that, 'If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.' Is the war in Iran the only reason the Pope and the President have clashed? And what does it tell us about religious relations in the US today?In a special podcast collaboration, the host of Holy Smoke Damian Thompson and the host of Americano Freddy Gray discuss the dispute.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Natasha Feroze. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buying a flat in Britain has increasingly become a fool's errand, driven in part by the leasehold system trapping homeowners into flats. When Labour wrote their manifesto they promised reform to the leasehold system, but it remains a sticking point in Westminster due to heavy lobbying. Michael Simmons is joined by Harry Scoffin, founder from Free Leaseholders who makes the case for the common hold system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pope is 'WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy' – this was the verdict of the President of the United States this week, as he appeared to deepen his row with the leader of the Catholic Church. In the magazine this week, Damian Thompson reports on why the President appears to have engaged in his own Holy War with the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics around the world.For this week's Edition, host William Moore is joined by deputy editor Freddy Gray, commissioning editor Lara Brown – and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.Baron Williams, now retired from the Lords, fears there is something 'demonic' in the political culture of the United States right now, as people appear to twist Christian teaching to justify their own causes. He does admit he feels 'slightly sorry' for the US Vice President – and recent Catholic convert – J.D. Vance saying he appears to be 'floundering', following Vance's recent comments that the Pope should 'stick to morality'. Why is the President fighting wit

My guest in this week’s Book Club podcast is the reporter – cartoonist Joe Sacco, talking about his most recent book The Once and Future Riot, about Hindu/Muslim violence in rural India. He tells me how he knows when he’s onto a story, what cartooning can do for reportage, and why he draws himself so differently. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To hear this week's episode in full, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening now. This week: the Southport inquiry and a deeper question about why Britain’s institutions keep failing to act. After a damning report into the killings revealed that Axel Rudakubana was ‘known to authorities’, Michael and Madeline ask how so many warning signs were missed. Did a fear of getting things wrong – or being accused of racism – stop professionals from intervening?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freddy Gray speaks to Shadi Hamid, author of the book The Case for American Power, which explores – and puts forward – the case for American power in spite of Donald Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest in this week's Book Club podcast is Mason Currey, author of the new book Making Art and Making a Living: Adventures in Funding a Creative Life. He tells me how artists, writers and composers have wrangled through history with the challenge of scraping by, and how that has affected their art, from Baudelaire's lifelong outrage at being forced to live on an allowance and John Berryman's disastrous stint as a door-to-door encyclopaedia salesman to Haydn reinventing the musical idiom of his time because he was so far in the boondocks with his day job that he didn't know what the musical idiom of his time was, exactly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melania Trump delivered a televised statement correcting the record on the rumours about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Has this backfired? Also on the podcast, Freddy Gray and Americano favourite Jacob Heilbronn discuss the latest ceasefire negotiations with Iran and Trump’s feud with is former MAGA fans, Tucker Carlson, Ann Coulter and Candace Owens.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Catherine Ostler, the former editor of Tatler, ponders the drama of the courtroom as she travels around the Kent countryside; following the news of the ceasefire with Iran, Paul Wood says that no-one knows what Trump will do next; John Power encourages Gen Z men to go hiking; and finally, astrophysicist David Whitehouse explores the dark side of the moon. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has Britain become a freeloader’s paradise, asks the Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons in our cover piece this week. Michael analyses ‘the benefits of benefits’, at a time when Britain’s welfare bill is burgeoning and most households are struggling with cost of living. For example, while a family of four can expect to pay £111 to visit the Tower of London, that is just £4 total on Universal Credit (UC), and for London Zoo it is £108 compared to £26. Michael is not arguing against the idea of helping those in need, but pointing out that – as the benefits bill continues to increase – this is another case of governments prioritising ‘welfare over work’ and ultimately squeezing the working poor. And the problem is set to continue: ‘we are nowhere near peak welfare’ Michael warns. Is the system fair?On this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by Michael, assistant content editor William Atkinson and political commentator – and founder of Conservative Home, Tim Montgomerie. William argues that suc

The past year has seen a deluge of reports and investigations about young people finding faith and flocking back to Christianity – including here on Holy Smoke. All roads lead back to a Bible Society study which claimed that – backed up by polling from YouGov – a ‘quiet revival’ was underway. Yet, one year on, YouGov has pulled the survey due to data errors and the Bible Society was forced to apologise. While the credibility of the survey is undermined, this doesn’t necessarily chime with anecdotal evidence from some quarters. So what is the truth behind the ‘quiet revival’? Justin Brierley, broadcaster and founder of Think Faith, joins Damian Thompson to provide his more optimistic assessment: that while the story might not be what it seemed, that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening. Could the decline in religious adherence seen over the past few decades be slowing? And what would his advice be to struggling parish churches, and to the new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally?Produc

Opinion polls consistently show Keir Starmer as one of the most unpopular Prime Ministers in history. His critics point to inertia and a lack of vision, while his supporters argue that media spin is harming the image of a decent man. Less than two years on from Labour's landslide victory, broadcaster Lewis Goodall joins James Heale to try to answer the question 'where did it all go wrong?' – a subject which Lewis explores in a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary. Lewis explains the factors at play, from Starmer's personality and Labour party politics to the effect that the Conservative Party's implosion had on Labour's preparedness for government. Is Starmer a politician from a bygone era? Or, following on from a run of unpopular Tory leaders, is modern British politics simply ungovernable?Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artemis II departed on the most ambitious mission yet, something which has not been tried for 50 years. Four astronauts were launched into the air on a ten day expedition with the aim of travelling 5000 miles past the far side of the moon. Natasha Feroze is joined by David Whitehouse, astroscientist and writer to discuss the difficulty involved in the mission, how little we think about the significance of the moon and whether the US will beat China in its quest to have footsteps back on the moon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Lisa Haseldine reports from Svalbard; Matthew Parris reflects on the Iran crisis during Holy Week; Damian Thompson assesses how Pope Leo XIV is quietly reshaping the Vatican; Peter Pomerantsev reviews Jack Watling’s Statecraft; Chas Newkey-Burden provides his notes on marathons; and finally, from Provence, Catriona Olding reflects on comfort and companionship. Produced and presented by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Advertising guru – and the Spectator's Wiki Man – Rory Sutherland joins Damian Thompson to try and tackle the question 'how would you sell Christianity – today?' If religions have previously thrived by providing a form of social network and an 'elevated trust mechanism', perhaps there ways in which they can adapt for modern society – especially as many people appear to be turning away from conspicuous consumption and searching for meaning. In this Easter special they ponder: are religious people less likely to be alcoholics? Does driving make you a better person? And are Churches today akin to the carrier pigeon of yesteryear?Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.